Growing Wiser With Time: The Women In Science And Engineering Livng And Lea...


Panel/Workshop:	Concurrent Session
Paper Title:	Growing Wiser With Time: The Women In Science And Engineering Livng And Learning Community At Iowa State University
Date & Time:	06/09/03 09:45
Abstract:	The Program for Women in Science and Engineering offers the WiSE Living and Learning Community (WiSE LLC) designed to eliminate or reduce the isolation for women in underrepresented STEM majors at Iowa State University (ISU). Over 600 first-year students have entered the WiSE LLC over the past eight years with 165 applicants in 2002 and a projected 180 participants for fall 2003. The challenge of continuing to provide a positive experience for 165 first-year freshmen while meeting intended learning outcomes is made possible through collaborations with academic departments and student support services. These collaborations have been aided by the institutionalization of learning communities at ISU, a nationally recognized campus for its efforts in learning communities. By sharing the evolution of the WiSE LLC, its successes and challenges, from a single-community living option to a multiple living and learning community we hope to provide other institutions with a model of how to maintain and expand a successful large-scale learning community for women in STEM majors. Index terms – learning community, recruitment, residence, retention
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