FAQs
What are the benefits of living in a Learning Community?
Learning Community students:
- Meet friends with similar interests more quickly.
- Explore their passions with faculty, staff, and students who share their interests.
- Feel more connected to campus.
- Enjoy being a member of a smaller close knit community within the larger university.
- Get to know their professors outside of class.
- Enhance your learning through engaging programs and activities.
- Report higher self confidence in their academic abilities.
- Achieve higher GPAs.
Are there Learning Communities for Transfer students?
Yes! There will be communities for transfer students within the International Learning Community, the Transfer Loyola Experience Learning Community, and the Urban Issues Learning Community. These communities are a wonderful opportunity for transfer students to develop a supportive community with one another as well as current Loyola students.
How do I apply to participate in a Learning Community?
For information on applying, please visit the Apply Now website.
If I apply to participate in a Learning Community, am I guaranteed a space in my first choice community?
We do our best to place as many students as possible in their first-choice learning community. However, it is possible that students could be accepted into their second or third choice community. If you are truly only interested in one community, please understand that this means there is a chance that you will not be placed in a learning community at all. Because our learning communities are based on the values of the CORE Curriculum, most students find that they do have interest in more than one community and preferencing all the communities you are interested in will increase the opportunity for you to participate in one of the communities.
How many students participate in Learning Communities?
In the Fall of 2012, over 400 first-year students will participate in Learning Communities. Additionally, over 200 first-year students will participate in the Interdisciplinary Honors program. In total, this is more than a third of the first-year class. Additionally, 240
students will participate in the communities open to transfer students, sophomores, juniors, and seniors.
Is there an extra cost associated with living in a Learning Community?
No, learning community students pay the same as the other students in their residence hall with similar room types. Room and board costs can be found here: Room and Board Rates 2012-2013
Which residence halls do the Learning Communities live in?
In 2012-2013, Every first-year residence hall (Mertz, Simpson, Regis, and BVM) will be home to at least one learning community. First- year learning communities will be assigned to specific halls once applications have been received and we determine the number of spaces needed for each community. Building assignments will be sent in early June. The Interdisciplinary Honors Program will live together in Campion Hall.
Upperclass and Transfer communities will be housed in the following buildings: International Learning Community – Messina Hall, Transfer Loyola Experience Learning Community - Fairfield Hall, Wellness Learning Community – Bellarmine Hall, Urban Issues Learning Community – Baumhart Hall.
As a Learning Community student, can I have a roommate that is not in the same Learning Community?
Learning community students live together in a community of their own. If you would like to room with someone who is accepted to the same learning community as you are, we are happy to honor those requests. However, students in learning communities are not able to room with students in other learning communities or with non-learning community students.
Will all first-year Learning Communities live in Simpson Living Learning Community in 2012-2013?
No, Simpson Living Learning Community will not be home to all first-year learning communities in 2012-2013. Every first-year residence hall (Mertz, Simpson, Regis, and BVM) will be home to at least one learning community. Campion Hall will be home to the Interdisciplinary Honors Program.
Can I participate in a Learning Community without living on-campus?
The learning community experience is centered around students living and learning together. Participating in both is the only way for students to truly get the most out of the experience and build the most supportive community. Therefore, living in residence with the community is required for participation.
What classes are required for the Learning Communities?
Courses selected for the Learning Communities are based on the CORE Curriculum and fulfill degree requirements for all students at Loyola, regardless of major. Therefore, participating in a Learning Community does not add any courses to your regular curriculum.
Typically, first year students take 4 credit hours together in the Fall semester and 3 credit hours together in the Spring semester while upperclass students take 3 credit hours together in the Fall semester only. However, the academic requirements do vary by community. For a complete understanding of the curricular requirements for a specific learning community, please visit
the website for that community:
International Learning Community
Multicultural Learning Community
Urban Issues Learning Community
Urban Issues in Communications Course Cluster
What happens if I do not want to take the Learning Community course(s)?
The Learning Community program is centered around students living and learning together. Therefore, students are required to enroll in and complete the learning community courses. Should a student decide not to take the required course(s), he/she will be choosing not to participate in the community. An alternate residential community will be found for the student.
Can I participate in the Interdisciplinary Honors Program and a Learning Community?
Because both the Learning Community Program and the Interdisciplinary Honors Program are residential communities, it is not
possible to participate in both. However, we encourage you to apply to both. If you are accepted to both programs, you
will be given the option to choose which community you would like to participate in.
I was admitted to Loyola through the Bridge program, can I participate in a Learning Community?
Unfortunately, the Bridge program and the Learning Community are too similar for students to be able to do both.
As a Learning Community student, when will I register for classes?
All learning community students will be pre-enrolled in their learning community courses. Continuing Loyola students will register for the rest of their courses at their assigned registration date. Incoming transfer students will register for classes during their Orientation session over the summer. Incoming first-year students will register for classes on-line, from home, in early June. Additional information will be forthcoming.
As an incoming Learning Community student, when will I participate in orientation?
Incoming first-year students will participate in Orientation after move-in on August 22nd and 23rd. Parent orientation for LC students will take place the same days. Because of the late date for orientation, students will register for classes online, from home, in early June. Additionally information related to both registration and orientation will be forthcoming. Incoming transfer students can sign up for the Transfer Orientation session that is most convenient for them. Course registration will take place during orientation.
What happened to the Pre Health or Health Science Learning Community?
Over the course of the next three years, Loyola will be implementing some changes to our current learning community program. Primarily, we will be aligning the themes of the communities with the values of our CORE Curriculum to provide a more holistic experience for our students. As part of this process, the Wellness Learning Community will open for both first and second year students in the Fall of 2012. Students will still have the opportunity to participate in a Health Science course cluster within the Wellness LC. This course cluster will still give students interested in the health science the opportunity to connect with each other, but will provide the larger context of Wellness to the Community.
What happened to the Psychology & Wellness Learning Community?
Over the course of the next three years, Loyola will be implementing some changes to our current learning community program. Primarily, we will be aligning the themes of the communities with the values of our CORE Curriculum to provide a more holistic experience for our students. As part of this process, the Wellness Learning Community will open for both first and second year students in the Fall of 2012. Students will still have the opportunity to participate in a Psychology course cluster within the Wellness LC. This course cluster will still give students interested in the psychology the opportunity to connect with each other, but will provide the larger context of Wellness to the Community.
