Black Hills State University offers students many different ways to connect what they're learning in the classroom to the world around them. Living Learning Communities (LLCs) offer a unique way to combine learning, living, and personal development in a unique environment where they all complement and strengthen each other.
Living Learning Communities at Black Hills State University
- Outdoor Adventure located in Humbert Hall
Students participating in the Outdoor Adventure LLC will take advantage of the beauty of Spearfish Canyon and the Black Hills surrounding BHSU. Hiking, biking, hammocking, you name it!
- Sustainable Living located in Thomas Hall
Students, working with BHSU staff and faculty, will explore ways to live a more sustainable life in college, and after. It's more than just recycling!
- The Honors Community in Heidepriem Hall
This community is open all University Honors Students looking for ways to connect with and learn from other Honors students and our amazing Honors faculty.
What you can expect when Living in a Living Learning Community
Research indicates that students who participate in LLCs are more likely to have higher first semester GPAs, form a greater connection to campus, enjoy greater access to faculty and campus resources, and are more likely to graduate on time*.
All students who participate in our LLCs take GS100 together. This class helps prepare students for the rigors of collegiate life. LLC sections of GS100 untilze BHSU faculty and staff involved in out LLCs. Beyond the classroom, study groups and peer interactions increase the likelihood of making lifelong connections. *
- Faculty Involvement and Connections
LLC participants enjoy a closer connection to BHSU faculty, those involved with an LLC and those who are not. Students learn how to access faculty and how to make the most out of those connections. *
“Living–learning programs are thought to “(make) possible the integration of the social, cultural, physical, spiritual, and intellectual growth of students in such a way that each complements the others”
(Adams, 1974)
* References
Adams, D. V. (1974). Residential learning opportunities. In D. A. DeCoster & P. Mable (Eds.), Student development and education in college residence halls. Washington, DC: American College Personnel Association.
Beckett, A. K. (2006). Relationship between participation in a residentially-based freshman interest group and degree attainment (doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses: Full Text database (UMI No. 3284760).
Garrett, M. D., & Zabriskie, M. S. (2003). The influence of living–learning program participation on student–faculty interaction. Journal of College and University Student Housing, 32(2), 38–44.
Hummel, M., Murphy, R., & Zeller, W. (2008). Principles for effective living and learning programs. In G. Luna & J. Gahagan (Eds.), Learning initiatives in the residential setting (monograph No. 48). Columbia, SC: National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, University of South Carolina.
Inkelas, K. K & Soldner M. (2011). Undergraduate living-learning programs and student outcomes. In J. C. Smart & M. B. Paulson (Eds), Higher education: Handbook of theory research (1-55). New York: Springer.
Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (1980).
Student–faculty and student–peer relationships as mediators of the structural effects of undergraduate residence arrangement. Journal of Educational Research, 73(6), 344–353.