A place to belong, a community to call your own.
As part of the First Year Experience at UMR, all new, incoming, first-year students are required to belong to a Living Learning Community (LLC).;
Each LLC is unique in interest, but all are centered on high impact learning experiences. Students will interact academically and socially with each other and with faculty and staff, sharing the same passion, interest, and possibly the same academic focus. Each LLC provides opportunities for leadership, civic engagement and further development of one's own self identity as a future health care professional.
Retention and Living Learning Communities
The rationale for moving towards this initiative is driven by evidence based practices. Studies have shown that students who actively participate in LLCs retain at a better rate than those who do not.
At UMR our retention numbers are as follows:
|
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
73.1% LLC |
80.7% LLC | 71.7% LLC |
| 68.2% Other | 72.7% Other | 60.7% Other |
LLC Learning Outcomes:
- Students will construct communities based on mutual interests, intellectual, cultural and social affinities
- Students will integrate their passion for health care with other specialized themes
- Students will construct action steps towards social change in health care
- Students will examine their growth as a health care student
- Students will create educational opportunities for UMR community members
Living Learning Communities are limited to approximately 40 students and are only available to first-year students. Students indicate their top 5 LLC preferences when applying for housing and every effort is made to assign students to their top preference. Students cannot change LLCs once they have been assigned to one.
As part of the First Year Experience at UMR, all new, incoming, first-year students are required to belong to a Living Learning Community (LLC).
There are two types of Living Learning Communities: Residential and Core Curriculum.
Unique communities centered around mutual interests, intellectual, cultural and social affinities. Students will participate in programming related to their LLC, community service projects, monthly meal gatherings, and complete reflections/surveys. Students move-in one week prior to the start of fall semester for New Raptor Ready Week (UMR’s one-week new student orientation program). There are 10 Residential LLCs.
- Sustainable Living
- The Sustainable Living LLC provides students the opportunity to expand and share their understanding of environmental responsibility and advocacy. This community focuses on the social, economic, political and scientific issues affecting our Earth’s urban, rural and global environment and the connection to health care.
- Nursing
- The Nursing LLC is centered around building relationships and providing support to one another as students progress towards the Nursing program. Members will participate in programming related to the profession’s commitment to a more equitable and inclusive culture.
- Economic Disparities in Health Care
- The Economic Disparities in Health Care LLC is open to students interested in exploring socio-economic issues and their effect on access to health care.
- Social Justice
- The Social Justice LLC is for students who seek to engage in open ended discussions and build their leadership skills in health care as it relates to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, class, religion, ability, citizenship, political ideology and other identities.
- Gender and Sexuality
- The Gender and Sexuality LLC is open to all students interested in learning and advocating for sexual orientation and gender identity, with a focus on social justice for the LGBTQ+ community.
- Multifaith
- The Multifaith LLC is intended as a space for students to explore a wide breadth of religions and promote inclusive environments to all students at UMR. This LLC is open to students who commit to building relationships with other students from diverse backgrounds, traditions, worldviews and practices and explore how these different identities inform our society.
- Intercultural Experiences
- The Intercultural Experiences LLC provides a space for community members to engage in on-going dialogue that explores the diversity of our many heritages, values and identities.
- Arts and Health
- The Arts and Health LLC provides a space for students to explore their artistic interests, passions and the role art plays in health care.
- Neurodiversity
- The Neurodiversity LLC focuses on how individuals interact with the world around them in many different ways. This LLC will celebrate neurodiverse history, identity awareness and the promotion of education on neurodiversity and disability access at large.
- Food Justice
- The Food Justice LLC will think holistically on initiatives that address challenges related to food security and contributions to the health and well-being of society. This LLC will keep long-term sustainability in mind as they develop and address important food justice endeavors.
Residential themes are subject to change based on capacity and interest levels.
For questions about Living Learning Communities, please contact Javier Gutierrez at gutie318@r.umn.edu
In addition to the requirements of the Residential LLCs, students in a Core Curriculum LLC must take a 1–credit course titled Living On Purpose. Students move-in two weeks prior to the start of the fall semester for a week-long Bridge program prior to New Raptor Ready Week (UMR’s one-week new student orientation program). Each Core Curriculum LLC has a dedicated coordinator. Students cannot self opt into the HealthCORE or NXT GEN MED LLCs as students must be accepted into these programs. There are 4 Core Curriculum LLCs.
- Healthy Living
- The Healthy Living LLC (HLLC) was developed to support the success of UMR students seeking to maintain and model a healthy lifestyle who will infuse the health care field with their transformational living, civic engagement and high-integrity leadership.
- Global Connections
- The Global Connections LLC supports the success of international and domestic UMR students who will infuse the health care field with their intercultural competence, global citizenship and commitment to problem solving.
- HealthCORE*
- The Health CORE LLC is focused on the success of underrepresented students who will transform the health care field with their distinct perspectives.
- NXT GEN MED**
- The NXT GEN MED LLC was created to support the success of students in this accelerated program who want to make a difference in health care beyond patient care.
Note:
*This LLC has a unique application process and deadline.
**This LLC is reserved for NXT GEN MED students.
For questions about Living Learning Communities, please contact Javier Gutierrez at gutie318@r.umn.edu
