To create a "sense of belonging," cultural sensitivity, and community. 

Goal

The Professional Learning Community committee focuses on developing learning communities that support students' first year experience and sense of belongingness bringing together faculty, staff and student voices. An article from the New York Times discusses the importance of including discusion of common reading assignments in college orientations that ties to current events and makes strong statements on issues like immigration, race and perils of technology. You can read the article here

Peer-led formal community of faculty and staff who collaborate to improve teaching and learning.

• Meet regularly over the academic year (Proposed:  alternate in-person/online meetings every other week).
• Topic derived from campus needs that focus on FIRST YEAR and three target populations re: GI 2025 report.
• Professional Learning Community participants share knowledge and practices.
• Each participant (or pairs) creates "deliverable(s)", implements, assesses, reflects, and shares to larger campus community (Student Success Summit, Semi-annual conference etc.).
• Creates cultural capital (new knowledge, skills, attitudes).
• Creates social capital (builds meaningful community).
• Data-informed!

Learning Outcomes 

If we are successful in meeting the goal and outcomes, students will:

• feel safe in the classroom
• feel respected
• feel supported in planning their academic progress
• be comfortable knocking on their faculty office door
• feel part of a community
• connect to at least one faculty member
• know their professor’s name
• feel that their classrooms are culturally supportive
• feel that their voice matters
• feel that they can speak up in class
• feel that HSU/classroom is culturally humble/sensitive place
• know how to succeed in x course in my major
• receive feedback on their work
• know that they have a plan
• be engaged in class concepts that relate to their personal lives
• make connections across courses in their major
• participate in co-curricular opportunities
• be challenged to do their best work
• know their academic identity
• faculty and staff engaging in learning communities will
• feel safe in the workplace
• feel respected in the workplace
• feel that their workplace is culturally supportive
• feel part of a community
• feel connected to students in their classroom/workplace
• connect to at least one colleague
• feel that their voice matters
• feel that Humboldt is a culturally humble/sensitive place
• create culturally supportive student experiences/spaces
• engage student relevance in learning concepts