Help new students connect: apply now to be a Learning Community instructor

It can take a while before a new student feels completely comfortable in their new OHIO surroundings. That’s just human nature – we all like our own cozy environments and the routines we’ve established along the way. University life, however, is about exploring new possibilities, venturing beyond what a student may have experienced in high school. 

Ohio University faculty and staff members can help students acclimate to their new academic and physical home by becoming a Learning Community seminar instructor with OHIO's Learning Communities for Fall 2023.

A high-impact practice located within University College’s Office of First Year and Student Transitions (FYrST), OHIO’s Learning Communities are designed to help students make that challenging transition from home to Athens and from high school to Ohio University – and to help them connect with other students within their college and major. Each Learning Community comprises a group of students who take a common set of courses together or share a major or other common experience around their academics. The Learning Community seminars are supported with an instructor and a Learning Community leader (LCL).

If you’re ready to share your OHIO knowledge and savviness, and become a Learning Community Seminar Instructor in Fall 2023, here are some important facts and dates to keep in mind:

• FYrST projects it will need instructors for more than 250 sections of the UC 1900 Learning Community Seminar for Fall 2023.
• For a list of instructor requirements, see this Learning Communities webpage.
• The Instructor Expectation and Teaching Time Preference Form is due March 10; once instructors are placed, they will receive a Condition of Appointment agreement.
• Instructor orientation begins in May. 
• First day of class is August 28.

Still unsure if being a Learning Community (LC) seminar instructor is for you? Consider these comments from just a few current seminar instructors: 

“It’s a question I get asked every year. I normally teach upperclassmen and graduate students, just because of my field within the College of Business. I have three main reasons: 

• Freshmen are excited. They are experiencing lots of new things all at once and most of them come at the challenge with joy. The energy is different in a freshman LC vs an upperclassman class, where they are much more serious and focused on their post-graduation goals. The LC energy is uplifting. 
• LC is about welcoming to our Bobcat and College communities and families. I joined OU because it felt like family. I want to share that belonging with our students
• Representation. As a Hispanic female, I know how important it can be able to see oneself in those who lead us…but also how important it can be for those not in minoritized groups to see those who do NOT look like them be in those leadership roles."

-- Ana L. Rosado Feger, Ph.D., O’Bleness Associate Professor of Operations Management, Chair, Management Department 

“I thoroughly enjoy teaching UC 1900. The smaller class setting coupled with the course topics allows the faculty member, LCL and students to develop a close relationship with one another. My favorite part of being involved in UC 1900 is watching former students thrive at OHIO and then go on to graduate. There’s something special about knowing that you met the student on their first day of college, and hopefully were able to provide support throughout their journey at OHIO.” 
-- Annie Valeant, Department of Sports Administration, Associate Professor of Instruction

“I have always enjoyed getting to engage with a community of first-year students at the very beginning of their academic and career journey. The learning community invariably becomes tightly-knit, providing a network of trusted relationships in this new phase of life. I find that that the intentionality and scope of our lessons empower students to make the most of the opportunities on campus. I learn so much from my LC each year, and the class gives me a forum to get new students excited and motivated about the possibilities in their time at Ohio University and beyond.”
-- Josh Antonuccio, Scripps College of Communication, Director/Associate Professor, School of Media Arts and Studies