The University of Central Oklahoma

Compass Learning Community at the University of Central Oklahoma
 

When a committee of administrators at the University of Central Oklahoma reviewed persistence rates for students with multiple at-risk indicators, they found that these students were being retained at a rate below 30% between their first and second years. Hoping to improve these students' experience and persistence at UCO, this small group of administrators agreed to create a retention-based living learning community program.

University administrators then applied for and received a generous grant from the Inasmuch Foundation to fund two learning communities: The Compass Learning Community and an additional program to assist with the persistence of their international students, called The Global Learning Community. Participants for Compass would be chosen from the most challenged populations: low-income, first-generation college goers, students from small towns or rural communities, and those with low ACT/SAT scores and GPAs.

In the first year, 26 students were selected and a Learning Community Coordinator was hired to facilitate their success. The university committed to provide participants with the opportunity to tap into some of its best faculty and tutoring resources and offered each student a partial tuition waiver to offset some housing costs.

For their part, members of the learning community agreed to live with an assigned roommate on the same floor of an on-campus residential hall and take 5 of the same classes together their first year. Each student was expected to participate in events planned for the Living Learning Community and contribute to an environment where learning could flourish.

The Compass Learning Community received 50 applications for 26 spots in this initial year. This first cohort was 80% first-generation college students. The coordinator spent extra time with these students, making sure that they got to class, finished assignments, and navigated successfully through university life. Now in its third year, 60% are still enrolled at UCO, compared to less than 30% of peers with similar demographics. The second group (year two) still has 84% of its members enrolled.

Each of the three learning communities has been a big success at UCO, and Dr. Corwin hopes they can expand the program. For year three, two communities of 20 students each will participate in Compass.

For more information, please visit http://www.uco.edu/learningcommunities/.