Indiana State University Reslife Communities

RESLIFE AT INDIANA STATE Academic Communities 2017

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A living-learning community is a designated area in a residence hall that serves as home to a particular group of students with similar interests and offers social activities, academic mentoring and greater exposure to professors, careers, and topics of interest.

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A strong start.

Have you heard about Indiana State’s living-learning communities? They are a great way to get off to a good start in college. This booklet explains what living-learning communities are, and why you might consider joining one. Further in, we’ll list all the different kinds of living-learning communities we offer.

Let’s start with the top three things you should know about our livinglearning communities:

They’re a slightly more intentional version of hanging out with your friends.

In high school, you probably ran around with a group who shared your enthusiasm for (insert your high-school obsession here). Since a college campus is bigger, we’ve found that it helps to place students with the same interests close together in our residence halls. Themed living speeds up the process of making friends and moving forward on your big college journey.

They help students succeed in a way that feels easy and natural.

Living in a living-learning community will not increase your college workload, or force you to attend a whole slew of meetings and events. While it’s true that some communities expect participation in group retreats and service projects, others are more loosely organized, and let you choose your level of involvement.

They’re not just for the studious and scholarly.

Don’t let the word “learning” throw you off. While living in a themed community is proven to help you be succesful academically, it’s mostly about enjoying the learning process while forming lasting friendships, and getting the help you need.

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Benefits of themed community living.

Lowers the stress of challenging coursework.

With every major at Indiana State there are big hurdles students must face— whether it’s human anatomy, statistics, or life drawing class. Join a group that is pursuing the same degree, and you’ll all get through it together.

Easy access to people invested in your success.

Find help from professors who teach your classes. Get study tips from Resident Assistants (RAs) who’ve been there. Bond with RAs who will celebrate your success, and bring real-world solutions to any problems you face.

Natural friendships now, awesome professional network later.

Self-explanatory, right?

Good times, better grades.

Research shows that living in a themed community will help you make it through your first year, smiling. Students in shared-interest groups tend to earn better grades, enjoy their classes, and come back for another year.

Two types of themed communities.

Here at ResLife, we do much more than give you a place to sleep. It’s our mission to give you an ideal place to learn, grow, make friends, and discover new interests.

That’s why we have residence halls just for new students, and others for upperclassmen.

By choosing to live on campus, you’ll sync up with many of the things you want from your college experience: friends, fun, and interesting classwork.

Participating in a themed community will take your experience to the next level. We have two kinds at Indiana State: the more loosely structured Academic Clustered Community, or the slightly-more-immersive Academic Learning Community.

Read about them on the following pages.

And find the perfect spot for you!

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Academic Clustered Communities.

• An intentional environment focused on building relationships and connections among faculty, staff, and fellow students • Students are clustered together by major or college but do not take a transition course together • Offers concentrated opportunities to connect with others in their major, college, or interest • Academic departments develop programs to embed faculty and resources into the living environment • Academic advisors, faculty, and other staff host and attend events held in the hall • Faculty and staff may join students for informal meals in the dining hall

ResLife at Indiana State offers these Academic Clustered Communities Criminology/Criminal Justice Majors

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

• Your RA: an upper-class criminology or criminal justice major who’s eager to serve as your study coach • Enjoy working through cases, law, and meeting local criminology leaders together with others in your community

First Year Experience

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

• Your RA: upper-class students, experts in all things Sycamore • Purpose: to explore new interests and diverse opportunities across the university and to make important networking connections

Bayh College of Education Students

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

• Your RA: an education major who’s been there • Purpose: to connect you to faculty and help you prepare for four years as an education major • Bonus: Men in Education Community is available for aspiring male teachers

Scott College of Business Students

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

• Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Management, everything you need to start your OWN business in one building • Close to the Scott College of Business and the center of campus

Fine Arts Majors

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

• Your RA: another fine arts major and fellow creative soul • Right across the street from Dreiser Theater

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Psychology Majors

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

• Your RA: a psych major who knows the territory • Purpose: to assist you as you start your journey into the field of psychology

College of Health and Human Services Students (All Majors)

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

• Students from all departments come together to explore whole health and social wellness issues • Faculty and staff bring college-wide programs and events to residents • Bonus study space: McKee Nursing Lounge on the first floor

Sophomore Year Experience Learning Community • Purpose: an educational experience where sophomore students grow academically, personally, and in career readiness during an important year of college transition • Bonus: The goal of the program is that you’ll have decided on an academic major that fits your goals and values by the end of your sophomore year and have gained a large support network

College of Technology Students

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

• College of Technology Students who do not participate in the Academic Learning Community have the option to stay in a clustered community instead • Enjoy being surrounded by students with similar majors and floor staff that have been there • Bonus: A Women in Technology and Math Community is available for techy women

Gender Inclusive Floor

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

• An inclusive environment where gender assignments are not required • Students must agree to, and sign a second contract with Residential Life to participate in this safe, inclusive community • Ally development to support LGBTQ students

Study Intensive/Quiet Floor • The Study Intensive Community offers students the option to study where they live with 24-hour quiet hours • Students who prefer a softer living space will be right at home in their comfy, peaceful floors • Enjoy a more concentrated, formal environment for students who like it a little more on the quiet side

Political Science and Legal Studies

FIRST YEAR STUDENTS

• Debate the latest bills, learn about other political views and challenge your beliefs • Your RA: an experienced upperclassman who has succeeded in your classes—Ask them for help

Global Living Community • Purpose: to create a global community where International and domestic students collaboratively live • Learn from students from around the world, explore new cultures, and build global relationships

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Academic Learning Communities.

• Students take at least one academic course together in addition to living together in one community • Dedicated staff and programming help students succeed in their classes and make the transition to college life • Students in these communities have opportunities to connect their classes and their faculty beyond the traditional classroom • Faculty members visit regularly for events, study sessions and casual meals with students • Many learning communities begin with a pre-fall program held before the start of classes in August

ResLife at Indiana State offers these Academic Learning Communities.

College of Technology College of Technology Academic Learning Communities include Applied Engineering, Aviation, and Interior/Architecture Design.

Students majoring in College of Technology programs are able to participate in these College of Technology Academic Learning communities. Students participating in these communities will take a major related course together in the fall semester and either a major related course or general studies math course together in the spring semester. Students will have direct contact and interaction with College of Technology faculty and staff both inside and outside of their classroom setting and be a part of the Math Refresher Program.

Leadership Learning Community The Leadership Learning Community (LLC) is a living-learning community on Indiana State University’s campus sponsored by the Residential Life Office. The LLC is dedicated to developing students into future leaders on our campus and in the community. Student leadership skills will increase through community service, inclusiveness, effective communication, self-discovery, personal growth and involvement. Members strive for excellence while keeping a positive attitude, being responsible, compassionate, and serving as a positive role model for others. This community will require participation in a retreat and arriving to campus on Sunday, August 13, 2017.

Multicultural Men Achieving Scholarship

APPLICATION REQUIRED

The MMAS mission is to assist multicultural men in reaching their personal and professional goals through education, leadership, and mentorship. Multicultural men actively engage in activities to help them become responsible men, successful scholars, and productive citizens.

Participants understand the importance of character development, community engagement, and seek opportunities to develop others in their community, town, city, and world. This community will require participation in a retreat and arriving to campus on Sunday, August 13, 2017.

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Multicultural Women Achieving Scholarship

APPLICATION REQUIRED

MWAS mission is to assist multicultural women in reaching their personal and professional goals through education, leadership, and mentorship. Multicultural women actively engage in activities to help young women become responsible in the college environment, successful scholars, and productive citizens within the community. Participants understand the importance of character development, community engagement, building each other up, supporting fellow women, and seek opportunities to develop others in their community, town, city, and world. This community will require participation in a retreat and arriving to campus on Sunday, August 13, 2017.

Project Success: Project Success is a five-day, by-invitation only program for students who want to enhance their academic performance and get a head start on the collegiate experience. Project Success is a great opportunity for first-year students to get a jump-start on college, develop skills that will help them achieve their academic and personal goals, and get ready to be successful college students. All students participating in Project Success are required to move in on Sunday, August 13th, 2017.

The Project Success community, will live together in recently renovated residence halls so that they can develop a true living-learning experience to aid in their transition and success.

If you are participating in Project Success but your selected roommate is not, you can still live together on the Project Success floor.”

Sustainable Living Community Our Sustainable Living Community is designed to develop student leaders interested in helping to develop sustainable behaviors with their peers. Participants will take a class together in the Fall semester and will work together to create events and activities around issues of sustainability.

Participants will also work to complete the certificate in sustainability. Participants will work closely with each other and hall staff to develop activities and initiatives to educate the community and sustainability and will work to reduce that community’s carbon footprint. Students interested in environmental issues, education, and developing skills as leaders will want to check out this community. This community will require participation in a retreat and arriving to campus on Sunday, August 13, 2017.

University Honors Program It’s hard to know what’s most enticing to University Honors program applicants: the chance to take classes like “Science Fiction as Social Criticism” or the opportunity to live in Pickerl, one of our coolest residence halls. While the Honors program is actually an Academic Cluster, the unique opportunities students receive in the community make it an especially rewarding experience.

The University Honors Program offers a rich social and intellectual experience to high-achieving students, and was among the first to unite students in a residential learning community at State.

Honors students come from all majors and backgrounds. Once admitted to the program, they examine far-flung topics in an honors-only curriculum that replaces standard foundational classes.

They also work closely with an honors advisor to invent brand-new learning experiences within their major.

Participants and faculty become like family as they share small classes, discussion groups, field trips and study abroad. It’s easy to stay in touch, because the Honors Program Office is right on-site at Pickerl, along with a dedicated honors classroom and plenty of room to socialize. To learn more, go to indstate.edu/academics/honors.

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It’s good to mix it up.

Fun and friendship isn’t the sole domain of the residence hall. And certainly, education isn’t just for the lecture hall. Some of your best learning moments—the times when it all “clicks”— happen outside of class, when you chat with a professor over dinner, ask your roommate what they’re reading, or get caught up in a grad student’s enthusiasm.

Living and learning with intention.

A themed community is a chance to live next to, and study with, the students and faculty who can help you the most—not just your first year, but through graduation day, and beyond.

We’re here to answer all your questions about this more focused approach to campus living. Find the links you’re looking for at indstate.edu/reslife. You can call us during office hours; we love to chat. The numbers here are 812-237-3993 or toll-free 888-824-3920.

Once you’ve decided to take part, be sure to specify an Academic Clustered Community on your housing application. If you change your mind about your community, you can pick a new one to live in any time before May 1st.

You must complete your housing application by May 1 to be eligible for themed communities.

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For selection, you must apply by May 1, 2017.

Indiana State University Residential Life Office 218 N. 6th St. Terre Haute, IN Â 47809 indstate.edu/reslife 812-237-3993 or toll-free 888-824-3920 reslife@indstate.edu Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.