WKU News

WKU’s strategic plan, “Climbing to Greater Heights,” is full of initiatives to increase retention, including expanding Living Learning Communities.

WKU’s Amy Bingham finds out the advantages of living and learning together in this week’s View from the Hill. 

A Living Learning Community or LLC is a group of students placed together on a floor or within a building based on a common major, common interest, or common program affiliation. Two dozen freshmen in the Gordon Ford College of Business were part of an LLC last semester and are still reaping the benefits.

“Honestly it was just like friends right off the bat.  I knew people in classes.”

Abby Helvey is a freshman accounting major. She says living with students with similar majors is a huge support.

“We all have classes together and we just get to experience the college of business better than most people.”

Dr. Ron Rhoades spearheaded the LLC in the Gordon Ford College of Business.

“The goal of the living learning community is pretty simple. It’s to connect students to each other, to their residence hall director, to their residence hall assistant. Deeper relationships to Gordon Ford College of Business faculty.”

In addition to having two classes together last semester, the students took part in Wednesday night live, a session that featured different guest speakers.

“We got to meet the professors one night and it was really cool to just get to know them and them get to know us, just be prepared for classes down the road.”

“It did bring a lot more connections. I felt like with meeting people, housing with advisors especially, I was able to ask a lot of questions especially with professors.”

Bren Osborn is a freshman majoring in business economics He says the LLC has had a big impact on his college career.

 “Honestly it’s been a lot I think less stressful, less stereotypical freshman year of college. I was able to make friends.”

 “Forming all of those connections is all done with the goal of enhancing their success. Enhancing their prospects for success.”

After starting with 24 students, all but one have returned for the spring semester.

 “After one semester our retention rate for one cohort of students is above that for our college and above that for our university.”

Giving students the camaraderie and resources they need to succeed.

“We are just one big family. I think they took a lot of pride in the fact that they formed a big family of themselves and helped each other out a lot.”

This year the males lived in Hugh Poland Hall while the females lived in PFT. Dr. Rhoades says this fall the second cohort will double in size with all the LLC students living in Poland Hall.