Intentional College Community

How important is COMMUNITY to you?

Several Universities across the country are promising incoming students the opportunity to experience intentional college community.

Wayne State University, located in mid-town Detroit, Michigan, has been promoting “learning communities” in an effort to improve school retention and graduation rates. In the October 2009 issue of College Planning & Management, Susan Zweig writes about several of Wayne State’s program in her Recruit & Retain column. Zweig says, “…learning communities help students bond and learn from each other. Many take the same courses together, or they may all live on the same floor of a residence hall.”

On the University Housing website for Florida State University, admitted students can apply for a Living-Learning Community (LLC). These LLC’s are groups of first-year students, who are parried up with other students with similar majors, to live together in various residence halls. The website advertises these LLC’s to students who “can appreciate the academic advantages of belonging to a close-knit, supportive community of successful students and dedicated faculty.”

These are just two examples of Universities who have recognized the desire of college students to live in intentional communities with others of “like mind.” This, however, is nothing new. Greek letter organizations have benefited from this tendency for decades by offering residential facilities to their members. These facilities normally referred to as a ‘chapter house’, have helped Fraternities and Sororities form stronger connections among their members by having them live under one roof. They may call it brotherhood or sisterhood, but the principle or need or interest is still the same – belonging or community.

How important is intentional college community?

A 2008 survey conducted by the Ivy Jungle Network, the State of Campus Ministry, confirms the field of College Ministry is growing. According to the survey, the number one reason college students connect with a Campus Ministry is opportunity of experiencing authentic community. In fact, community ranked twice as important as teaching or worship in attracting students to a ministry.

That’s pretty important. So if you’re a part of a living/learning community, or your student organization has a residential facility, have you cultivated an environment of community?

A large residence hall at Indiana Wesleyan University gives us a great example by how new residents are welcomed on their first day. A dozen student volunteers greet the new residents in the parking lot, before they can even unload one bag from their parent’s car. These volunteers, all wearing matching tee shirts, move all the luggage and personal belongings from the parking lot to the incoming resident’s new room. They are then directed to check in at a table in the lobby where they’re asked. “What’s your name?”
The new resident states their name, “Bob Smith.”
Then the person behind the table yells, “Hey everybody, Bob’s home!” and everybody in the room yells back, “Welcome home Bob!”
This residence hall sets the tone of intentional college community from day one. Can you think of some other basic, day to day, things you can do to improve the sense of community in your organization?
And if you got a minute, could you let us know as well? Leave us a comment or email: info@ournewchapter.com