Learning communities, one of Iowa State’s most successful programs, will receive permanent funding next year.

The ISU learning communities program is designed to increase student success in the classroom with support outside of the classroom. In Iowa State’s 42 different learning communities, members live, take classes and study with the same students.

When Interim President Richard Seagrave approved permanent funding for the learning communities, he continued a “tremendously successful effort to advance students”, said Corly Brooke, associate vice provost and director of the Center for Teaching Excellence.

Brooke will co-administer the newly permanent program with Doug Gruenewald, associate director of the residence halls.

The learning communities were first implemented on a temporary basis, Howard Shapiro, vice provost for undergraduate programs. With the new funding, the program will continue to enhance the academic success of students.

The new funding also makes the program more powerful and able to help connect students to needed resources, Shapiro said.

“Regardless of predictors, people are more successful in learning communities,” he said. “Close to 50 percent of incoming students are in learning communities by choice.”

Learning communities were a priority with former ISU President Martin Jischke. The University of Maryland, College Park – President Gregory Geoffroy’s previous employer – also has a strong learning-community program, Brooke said.

The program also has received national attention because of its unique integration of students, faculty and classroom, Shapiro said.

Learning communities will be funded with tuition money, he said. The increased retention generates more tuition money for Iowa State, making it feasible to create a permanent funding base, Shapiro said.

“The program has fundamentally found it increases retention from students,” he said. “If we didn’t do it, we would lose money.”