Freshmen offered 'a sense of belonging' with learning communities

Pictured at bottom, Jayne Richmond, newly appointed dean of University College and Special Academic Programs, works with one student from her URI 101 class, as three students work on another area of the house (below), and the whole crew takes a minute to pose after completing their hard work (above).

Freshmen offered 'a sense of belonging' with learning communities

They're here. The latest batch of 2200 freshmen are on the Kingston Campus looking for their classes, sizing up their roommates, and trying to figure out just how they will fit into college life.

"Research tells us that the first six weeks are critical," said Jayne Richmond, newly appointed dean of University College and Special Academic Programs. Richmond has been interim dean of the non-degree granting College for the past three years. The College's mission is to help students make the transition to URI and lay the groundwork for their academic success.

This year, Richmond said that 75 percent of incoming freshmen are enrolled in learning communities, designed to help them establish a connection to URI, each other, and to the faculty. That's up from 40 percent last year.

"Nationally the transition to college seems to be getting harder for students and we're seeing that at URI. Students arrive with a perceived sense of stress and a lowered academic confidence. More of our students are working to help pay for college, sometimes they have worked 20 to 30 hours a week while in high school," said Richmond. "The first six weeks make a difference. Research tells us that students who gain a sense of belonging are more likely to stay in school and succeed."

Students in learning communities share a cluster of classes including URI 101: Traditions and Transformations, a mandatory one-credit freshmen course composed of 25 or less students, usually a writing or communication course, and a general education course.

The learning communities also help students connect to their majors or college. Since students sometimes change majors as often as their sneakers, the cluster courses can all be applied to general education credit.

University College is also strengthening service learning opportunities, according to Richmond. All students are required to participate in a service learning component called The Feinstein Enriching America Program which is incorporated into the one credit URI 101 course. The program is designed to heighten awareness and ultimately make students better community members.

Focus areas include children and family, elderly, homelessness, environment, hunger, literacy and health care. "We want this experience to be more than just a one day event," said the dean. "It needs to be brought into the classroom and reflected upon to 'make meaning' of the experience. As we become more intentional in our service learning design, students will feel a greater impact."

For example, Richmond's 101 class spent one Saturday last month helping families in transition to have livable housing (by painting, cleaning, and repairing). Vincent de Paul Ministry of Providence coordinated the service day. The organization also sent a representative to the class to discuss housing and homelessness issues with the students before they did the service.

The class will also be presented with different family budget scenarios, divided into groups, and asked to make a group decision on how to best work within a budget.

University College is also launching a peer mentoring advising program this semester with five peer mentors who will be trained in active listening skills and be able to provide referrals and resources. "We expect the peer mentors will help foster student connections and improve retention. In addition the mentor program provides leadership opportunities for our student mentors," said Richmond.

By Jan Wenzel