FAQ

For the 2020-2021 academic year, there will be 33 learning communities on campus.

Each year varies with the amount of Learning Communities offered on our campus, but generally, about 25-30% of our incoming class participate in Learning Communities.

Sign ups for Learning Communities will occur on the student housing contract beginning March 1st.  If there are questions prior to this date, please contact the office directly at 262-472-3205.

The residence hall location for each Learning Community is listed with each description. Students can identify a roommate preference on their housing application (the roommate listed must also complete the housing application prior to assignments being made, and must list you as a roommate preference). Depending on the Learning Community and its location, your preferred roommate may need to be a member of a Learning Community in that building.  Please make sure you communicate your roommate preference with our office whenever possible, as your roommate selection could impact your participation in a Learning Community.

Yes. All Learning Communities are located in co-ed scattered residence halls.

No, you can only enroll in one Learning Community for your Freshman year.  For example, if you are an Honors student, but are planning on going into Accounting, you could sign up for the Honors LC OR Calculated Careers, but not both.

There is no fee for joining a learning community.  Just another great reason to participate in our program!

Unfortunately, Learning Communities are for Freshman entering in the Fall semester.  At this time, we do not have Learning Communities for transfers.

If you do not want to participate in the Learning Community you signed up for, please contact us via email at learncommunities@uww.edu, or by phone at 262-472-1263.

You are required to take certain classes with your learning community, but the remainder of your schedule is open for your choices.  You will be pre-enrolled in those classes before you arrive for your Warhawk SOAR session in the summer.  Then you can enroll in other courses that do not conflict with your LC classes. 

At this time, we do not allow switches in learning communities at semester.  Because each group takes classes that are recommended by your coordinator, we would recommend that you either remain in the LC, or step away from the program if you are no longer interested.

The classes you take with your learning community are all courses that will count toward graduation.   Depending on the community you join, you may obtain access to classes that Freshman would not normally be able to register for in their first semester.

Many of the courses you take with your learning community will count toward your 120 credits for graduation regardless of your major.  You can continue in your learning community in the spring semester, even if you change your major.

Colleges and universities across the country are looking for innovative ways to promote student learning, student retention, and student success. One of the most successful approaches has been Learning Communities (LCs). Learning Communities are based on the principal that students learn very well from other students. Each LC is centered on a theme and is usually restricted to a limited number of students (15-20). Students enroll in several courses together and in most cases live together in the same residence hall so connections with faculty outside the classroom can occur.  Building a relationship with a faculty member often facilitates student success. A Learning Community permits this type of informal student-faculty interaction. Learning Communities at UW-Whitewater have already demonstrated positive results. Hisotrically, students enrolled in our LC program return to UW-Whitewater for the second year of school at a higher rate than students not involved in the learning community program.