Residential learning communities solidify education

Students at a residential learning community

An increasing number of incoming NAU freshmen are choosing to live in residential learning communities assigned to specific residence halls.

Residential learning communities are cohorts of freshmen with similar interests or majors. In addition to sharing some of the same classes as others in the cohort, students benefit from mentoring and increased faculty-student interactions.

“The growth of the program is a direct reflection of the higher retention and graduation rates that program participants are experiencing,” said Sue Belatti, assistant director of Learning Communities. “Students in the program also report higher levels of satisfaction with their NAU experience and transition to the Flagstaff campus than non-participants.”

There are 33 residential learning communities on NAU’s Flagstaff campus including biomedical professions, psychology, education and English. Interest-based learning communities include the Eco House, outdoor recreation and first scholars, a program for first-generation college students.

There are no additional costs to enroll in residential learning communities and some programs come with the added benefits of priority enrollment and room selection.

Each semester, about six activities are scheduled in the residential learning communities ranging from study groups to field trips. Regular meetings are held to keep residents updated on activities or concerns unique to the group.

Read the annual report of NAU’s Residential Learning Communities.