Loyola Residential Life offers a varied selection of learning communities for residents in order to bring students of the same interests and majors together in the same living environment.
The Learning Community floors include the Honors, Cardoner Fellows, Faith and Justice, Writing and Literature, International Experience and Psychology communities.
Once in the same living environment on the upper floors of Buddig Hall, the learning communities have the goal of bringing these residents together through different floor meetings, activities or projects. Each differs depending on the floor’s theme, as well as the input of the residents.
By encouraging students to take part in these learning communities, Residential Life hopes to improve the academic and social life of its residents, especially for first year students.
“Statistically, students who live and work together who are in the first year as well, about 50 or 60 percent are more happy than students who do not and a lot of the reason that is because they have an inbred social network,” said Assistant Director of Residential Life Reagan Sidney.
Some residents, however, think that even though the promotion of learning communities attracts students, it does nothing to retain them.
“I don’t think it’s contributing to each student’s experience, because I don’t see students on the floor interacting with each other,” sociology sophomore and Faith and Justice resident Ellen Rice said.
The success of the floors mainly depends upon the effort put into them by the residents and resident assistants.
“Mia (Farmer, English writing senior and resident assistant) tries to get us all to go to the activities,” says Erick Piller, English writing senior and resident of the Writing and Literature learning community. “(But) some people just aren’t interested.”
Lack of student involvement in the learning communities could also stem from lack of interest as well.
“The floor is mostly made up of English majors, but there are a whole lot of people who live here just because the rest of the building was full,” said Piller.
Though some floors are less motivated to interact, there are still successful communities.
“The Honors are a very active floor just because that’s their personality,” said Sidney. The Honors learning community, located on the 11th floor of Buddig Hall, gives first preference to honors students before opening up the floor to others, according to resident assistant Alex Fournet, international business and religious studies junior and editorial editor of The Maroon.
“I think, overall, we probably knew each other’s names faster than any other floor,” philosophy and pre-law sophomore Chris Backes said as he watched television in the 11th floor lounge with other residents.
“The RA (Fournet) really pushed on us to be close from the beginning and then he left us to our devices,” said Backes. “I think the lounge does (bring us closer) because everybody just hangs out in the lounge,” he added.
However, other communities have not been as successful in student satisfaction as the Honors Learning Community has been. Though Sidney assured that the Faith and Justice floor was living up to the student/staff interaction that is advertised on the learning community website, Rice said that what is advertised isn’t being practiced.
“I don’t really see us meeting with chaplains very often or even engaging in social justice issues in New Orleans,” she said.
Geenah Acevedo can be reached at [email protected]
