Learning Communities (LCs) for first-year students began as a concept at Ohio University in the Fall of 1999, with a pilot implemented in four first-year residence halls  -- Brown/Pickering/Crawford/Mackinnon.  During that time, an 1804 Grant was requested and funded for the 2000-01 academic year for six Residential Learning Communities (RLCs).  Another grant was requested and approved for two more years (01-02 and 02-03), moving to nine and then ten RLCs across campus.  A UPAC proposal was approved for University College to fund the RLC program, including a full-time administrator.  RLCs expanded during the Fall of 2003 to fourteen communities, two of which were solely devoted to students in the College of Business.  The Fall 2004, the program had sixteen communities, eleven of which were based in all of the undergraduate colleges.  In the Fall 2005, we broadened our concept to encompass learning communities that were not residential, and there were 38 learning communities (LCs) with over 630 participants.  Beginning Fall 2007, University College required all undecided students to enroll in a learning community, which resulted in significantly positive assessment results.

• Fall, 1999 – PILOT Two communities, 40 students
• 2000-01 – Six communities, 93 students
• 2001-02 – Nine communities, 148 students
• 2002-03 – Ten communities, 140 students
• 2003-04 – Fourteen communities, 239 students
• Fall 2004 – Sixteen communities, 279 students
• Fall 2005 – 38 communities, 638 participants
• Fall 2006 – 57 communities, 1026 participants
• Fall 2007 – 115 communities, 1925 participants
• Fall 2008 – 142 communities, 2177 participants

• Fall 2001 Learning Communities
• Fall 2002 Learning Communities
  
• Fall 2003 Learning Communities
  
• Fall 2004 Learning Communities
  
• Fall 2005 Learning Communities
  
• Fall 2006 Learning Communities
• Fall 2007 Learning Communities
• Fall 2008 Learning Communities

• Students are enrolled in two to four thematically linked courses, including an introductory course (either UC115 or introduction to an academic discipline,) in the Fall Quarter.  The courses, with the exception of introductory course, count toward students' Tier 2 requirements or major requirements.  
• In most LCs, students live in a shared living environment for a common residential experience.
• An administrator or faculty member from the college teaches the introductory course.  
• Students participate in out-of-class activities, in most instances organized by a Peer Mentor, that include involvement of Faculty members from the linked courses.

   Cohort                retention rate %                GPA**              
            Fall 2002                 86/83*                        3.02/2.94
            Fall 2003                 91/82                          3.07/2.96
            Fall 2004                 87/81                          3.01/2.84
            Fall 2005                 82/79                          2.93/2.84
            Fall 2006                 81/78                          2.88/2.82
            Fall 2007                 81/80                          3.00/2.81

  *Participants/non-participants
              **The GPA data is adjusted using ACT scores as covariate for aptitude/ability.