1. RLCs at SCU have significant social benefits for first-years in relation to establishing community.
Supporting Results
- RLC-linked classes connecting students to other RLC residents
- RLC-linked events fostering social communities
- Finding community through the RLC’s varied programming
- Strengths of the RLC system
We found that the biggest strength of the RLC system is that its programming allows first-years to establish community at SCU. Student respondents cited that both RLC-linked classes and events were successful at connecting them to other students in their respective RLCs. Vincent Tinto supported this idea when he argued that learning communities help students connect heir classes with their social experiences as well as bond in groups which augment and enrich their learning (Tinto). Additionally, the wide range of activities offered through the RLC program helped students shape their personal communities on campus. This claim is consistent with another study in the Journal of College Student Development, which found that learning communities have a significant positive effect on social integration (Pike, Schroeder, and Berry).
2. Inconsistency in execution and implementation of academic aspects of the program hinders the goal of integrating academics and housing.
Supporting Results:
- Descriptions of RLC theme
- Lack of theme emphasis in RLC-linked classes
- Recognizing differences between RLCs and dorms
- Faculty Director role
- Weaknesses and suggestions
We found that the purported purpose of RLCs to integrate academics and housing was failing because of inconsistent execution and implementation. From our survey, we found that the themes were not emphasized enough in all aspects of the program, faculty directors lacked an influential role in first-years' experiences and a significant number of students did not understand fundamental aspects of RLCs (theme, difference between RLC/dorm). Although we gathered that the RLC program at SCU lacks in this regard, other researchers found positive correlations between learning communities and student academics. For example, in Zhao and Kuh's wide-ranging study of approximately 80,000 first-year students, they definitively concluded that learning communities positively affect student academic performance, and academic and social integration in college (Zhao and Kuh). With this in mind, the RLCs at SCU have the potential to produce tangible and lasting academic benefits for first-year students. Along the same lines, although the faculty director role at SCU is limited, research has shown that sustained faculty contact can benefit students enormously. In their study on the effects of faculty involvement in learning communities, Golde and Pribbenow found that increased faculty contact correlated directly to higher graduation rates and greater motivations to learn (Golde and Pribbenow). Finally, although the current RLC system has a minimal effect on academics, we found that students are open to the program playing a larger role in their college experiences and therefore, significant revisions can be made to best enrich students' educations.