Living-Learning Communities neglect promise of academic guidance

Emma Crow, Contributing Reporter

The following is an opinion article and opinion articles do not reflect the views of The Tulane Hullabaloo.

Tulane’s Living Learning Communities, designed to provide students with a unique educational experience within residential life, have failed to offer the types of programs that grant this intellectual experience and promote educational guidance.

Six of Tulane’s residence halls house LLCs. Students can be a part of communities in Butler House, Barbra Greenbaum House at Newcomb Lawn, Wall Residential College, Paterson Hall, Monroe Hall’s Multicultural Floor, Leadership Village at Willow Residences or Weatherhead Hall.

Despite the LLC program’s stated purpose, there are no specific programs advertised to residents, and the reality is that most students do not go searching for these programs. For the LLC program to be effective, educational programs and opportunities need to be publicized and made available to residents. 

Offering access to study lounges and professors-in-residence is great, but the LLCs should be doing more to satisfy students who want educational guidance beyond the classroom or seek an alternative residential experience. 

According to Tulane Admissions, only approximately half of incoming freshmen know what they want to major in, and being a part of an LLC is supposed to provide residents with extra educational experiences and introduce them to possible career paths. Students of all grade levels, not just freshman, could benefit from the increased educational environment. 

Events within the LLCs need to be marketed more efficiently to the residents of these communities. Programs and lectures should be well advertised, and these events should offer incentives such as free food to encourage student attendance.

Offering a wide array of programs that focus on specific majors and career tracks will increase the benefits of living in an LLC. Inviting guest speakers from different areas of the workforce to come and talk about their jobs and their educational background would help the program meet its intended goals.

These initiatives should be implemented throughout Tulane’s LLCs to offer the educational guidance students want and need. As a resident of an LLC, I feel that Tulane has failed to provide me and every other LLC resident with the unique educational experience we were promised.

Emma Crow is a sophomore in the Newcomb-Tulane College. She can be reached for comment at [email protected].

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