Learning Communities at Inver Hills

Full lineup for spring semester 2019

Learning communities at Inver Hills Community College provide students with a great way to learn together as a team. As a member of a learning community (LCOM), you’ll be part of a group of students who share academic interests and have at least two courses in common. You’ll experience the variety of opportunities found at a large college or university in a smaller, supportive environment at no extra cost. As an LCOM student, you will benefit from:

• Peer tutors helping you learn
• Participation in special activities and events
• Coordinated learning objectives and assignments
• Experienced instructors cooperating on course planning

As an LCOM student, you will experience a sense of belonging strengthened by peer and advisor feedback and support. LCOM participation helps you meet your degree requirements while preparing you to take courses that align with your academic goals.
You’ll also get to know other students as you advance through the semester taking several classes together. You’ll find the course material easier to understand through group discussions guided by a peer mentor.
Lisa DuRose, PhD, English department coordinator, serves as co-director of learning communities at Inver Hills. She reported that the college is offering eight learning communities for spring semester 2019.
“Learning communities offer students the opportunity to develop strong relationships with their classmates and instructors,” Lisa said. “LCOMs create environments where students can experience richer learning. Students collaborate, problem-solve and apply knowledge across disciplines. When they participate in a learning community, students leave with a larger support system and a deeper understanding of the course materials.”

Spring semester 2019 learning communities

READ 0090 students choose an LCOM below:

Read, Write, and Succeed (two options available)

This learning community combines an “Introduction to College Reading and Writing” course and a “College Success Strategies” course. You will develop your reading and writing skills and develop success strategies to help inside and outside of the classroom. LCOM 0001-22 and LCOM 0001-23 are a combination of READ 90 and INTS 1101. These courses are selected as a single block of courses.

7 credits • LCOM 0001-22 • Registration Code: 001322

• READ 0090-22 Introduction to College Reading & Writing (MW 6 – 8:25 p.m.) Chaussee
• INTS 1101-22 College Success Strategies (MW 5 – 5:50 p.m.) Staff

7 credits • LCOM 0001-23 • Registration Code: 001323

• READ 0090-23 Introduction to College Reading & Writing (MWF 10 – 11:25 a.m.) Dahlstrom
• INTS 1101-23 College Success Strategies (MW 12 – 12:50 p.m.) Chaussee

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EAP students choose the LCOM below:

English for Academic Purposes

If your first language is not English, this combination of courses is planned to build your reading and writing skills while you earn college credit. LCOM 0001-24 is a combination of EAP 99-24, SOC 1100-24, and READ 93-24. Also included in this learning community is a Structured Learning Assistant (SLA). These courses are selected as a single block of courses.

10 credits • LCOM 0001-24 • Registration Code: 000990

• EAP 0099-24 Academic Writing (MW 1 – 2:15 p.m.) Bardal
• SOC 1100-24 Introduction to Sociology (MWF 10:30 – 11:40 a.m.) Knickerbocker
• READ 0093-24 Reading College Texts (T Th 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.) Watt
• SLA Structured Learning Assistance (MWF 9 – 9:50 a.m.) Ilstrup

Spring 2019 LCOM class schedules

Student Spotlight: Rosario Gutierrez

A graduate of Eagan High School, Class of 2018, Rosario Gutierrez, 18, is a freshman at Inver Hills. Rosario is working on her general education courses with plans to study nursing or explore a career in the hospitality industry. She is looking at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, as a potential transfer option. She participated in a Write Now! learning community
Originally from St. Paul, Minnesota, Rosario is considering a career as a nurse in senior living or as a pediatrician. When she’s not studying, she practices and performs as a master dancer with the Mexican folkloric dance group, Los Alegres Bailadores.
“I’ve been dancing for almost sixteen years now—and I love it,” said Rosario, who has studied ballet, tap, jazz, classical and point. “I’m half Mexican [her dad is from Guadalajara, Mexico] so being able to be part of the Mexican folkloric group allows me to be proud of who I am.”

Three words that describe you as a college student:
HONEST. POSITIVE. PATIENT.

Rosario Gutierrez | Q & A

How has the Write Now! learning community helped with your academic life at Inver Hills?
The learning community has helped me in so many ways. Having two important classes aside from the main English 1108 class has helped me be more successful and confident. We take apart what we learn in the main 1108 English course to fully understand and have more time to go over areas where we need support. Having two classes that help with the main course allows me to be more engaged and confident in 1108 because we have already gone over everything more than once.
I feel ahead of the game in so many ways. The learning community has also opened a whole new door of friendships because the classes are smaller and we are able to get more comfortable with our classmates. I’d say we are more of a family than classmates—and I’m so thankful for the bond that was created.
What would you tell students thinking about joining a learning community?
You’ll have no regrets about joining a learning community. It’ll help you in so many ways and will teach you things you’ll apply to other classes. Be open-minded and absorb all the information; you’ll easily be on the way to success after that.

Rosario Gutierrez | 12 Answers

1. Favorite sport or physical activity: Dance
2. Place you would most like to visit: Mexico
3. The most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Graduating high school
4. Your personal motto if you had to have one: Everything happens for a reason
5. Favorite all-time TV show: Tom and Jerry
6. Favorite all-time movie: The Notebook
7. One thing you most want to accomplish in life: Positively affecting as many people as I can.
8. Most valuable material possession: My Bible; my gramma and grampa, Kathy and Eugene, have Bible study at their house every other Friday
   
9. Dream occupation: Helping everyone in need
10. Person you would most like to meet:  My grampa, Alberto, in Mexico
11. Skill you would most like to learn and master: Learn to play the piano or guitar
12. Most important issue or problem facing humankind: Evil and negativity

Spring semester 2019 learning communities

READ 93/94 and English 99 students choose one LCOM below:

Words with Friends

Is your mother-in-law always interrupting you? Are you unnerved by your boss’s monotone and lack of direct eye contact? Why is your significant other so comfortable sharing personal secrets with complete strangers? Healthy relationships require communication, and this learning community will help you understand how people communicate and give you the tools to communicate effectively with all the people in your life. You will also cultivate your reading and writing skills as you learn about how to get the most out of your relationships. LCOM 0001-27 is a combination of ENG 99-27, READ 93-27, and COMM 1100-27. These courses are selected as a single block of courses.

9 credits •  LCOM 0001-27 • Registration Code 000993

• ENG 0099-27 Introduction to Academic Writing (T Th 12:30 – 1:45 p.m.) Richter
• READ 0093-27 Reading College Texts (T Th 9:30 – 10:45 a.m.) Watt
• COMM 1100-27 Interpersonal Communication (MW 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.) Manley

True Grit: Secrets of Success

There is a saying that life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you feel about it. If you believe that, then you believe grit, the ability to keep going when things get tough, plays a huge role in success. In this Learning Community, we will study what makes people successful. Is it hard work? Attitude? Luck? Motivation? What makes someone keep going in spite of the odds while others give up at the first small set back? You will use what you learn about motivation to help you develop the grit you need to be successful in college. LCOM 0001-28 is a combination of courses READ 94-28 and ENG 99-28.

6 credits • LCOM 0001-28 • Registration Code 000994

• ENG 99-28 Introduction to Academic Writing (T Th 12:30 – 1:45 p.m.) Klopfleisch
• READ 94-28 Reading Workshop (T Th 11:00 AM – 12:15 p.m.) Dahlstrom

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Accelerated English 1108 Students Choose one LCOM below:

Write Now! The Power of Stories (two options available)

We hear stories every day from people, in the media, recalled from childhood or other experiences. And we love stories! Why are stories so powerful? In this learning community, we will ask and answer this question by reading, writing about, and writing some powerful stories. Stories taken from journalism, fiction, film, biography, history, and our own lives will be the texts for the study of college writing and reading. English 1108 and Reading 1100 are complemented by English 99 for a powerful college experience!

10 credits • LCOM 0001-25 • Registration Code 000991

• ENG 1108-25 Writing and Research Skills (MWF 9 – 10:10 a.m.) Thompson
• ENG 0099-25 Introduction to Academic Writing (T Th 9 – 10:15 a.m.) Thompson
• READ 1100-25 Introduction to Critical Reading (T Th 12:30 – 1:45 p.m.) Watt

10 credits • LCOM 0001-26 • Registration Code: 000992

• ENG 1108-26 Writing and Research Skills (MWF 10:30 – 11:40 a.m.) Thompson
• ENG 0099-26 Introduction to Academic Writing (T TH 10:30 – 11:45 a.m.) Thompson
• READ 1100-26 Introduction to Critical Reading (T Th 12:30 – 1:45 p.m.) Watt

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Being Human

What is it that makes us human? Is it the development of bipedal locomotion? Language? The Oxford comma? Anthropology is the study of what makes us human, and culture is one of our most human attributes. This learning community introduces students to the anthropological sub-field of cultural anthropology while developing their academic writing skills and ability to think and read critically.
Topics will include diverse expressions of gender, religion, language, family, marriage, art, and political and economic systems. Through cross-cultural examples from around the world, students will explore how culture makes us human. LCOM 0001-29 is a combination of ENG 1108-29 and ANTH 1110-29. These courses are selected as a single block of courses.

7 credits • LCOM 0001-29 • Registration Code: 000995

• ENG 1108-29 Writing and Research Skills (T Th 10 – 11:50 a.m.) Richter
• ANTH 1110-29 Cultural Anthropology (T Th 12:30 – 1:45 p.m.) Nelson

Spring 2019 LCOM class schedules

Student Spotlight: Willica Ajack

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Willica Ajack, 19, moved to Minnesota at age 3 and graduated from Eastview High School in Apple Valley, Minnesota, in 2017. Willica is a sophomore at Inver Hills. He’s taking courses to prepare him for the Nursing program, which he hopes to enter fall semester 2019. He took part in a Psychology & Research LCOM.
Willica is considering transferring to Metropolitan State University as a student in the Minnesota Alliance for Nursing Education (MANE) BSN program, but the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, is also high on his list. His sights are set on a career as a travel nurse. According to, TravelNursing.org, travel nurses are hired to work in a specific location for a limited amount of time, typically 13 weeks. Travel nurses go anywhere they are needed.
“I want to see the world as a travel nurse,” Willica said.
When he’s not studying, Willica likes to collect shoes as a hobby. He has more than 100 pairs and his favorites are Nikes, Converse Chuck Taylors and Vans.
“Also, chillin’ with the homies is never a bad time,” he added.

Three words that describe you as a college student:
PASSIONATE. OUTGOING. AMBITIOUS.

Willica Ajack | Q & A

How has your Psychology & Research learning community helped with your academic life at Inver Hills?
The learning community has helped with my academic life a ton. I was shocked when they we were using society and the environment and tools around us to enhance our learning.
What would you tell students thinking about joining a Learning Community?
It’s a great place to be around amazing people who want to help you succeed and do better. The only way to the top is with the learning community.

Willica Ajack | 12 Answers

1. Favorite sport or physical activity: Basketball/football
2. Place you would most like to visit: Japan
3. The most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Hike in the Rocky Mountains
4. Your personal motto if you had to have one: “Who cares? Just do you.”
5. Favorite all-time TV show: Breaking Bad
6. Favorite all-time movie: Dennis the Menace
7. One thing you most want to accomplish in life: Buy my mother a mansion
8. Most valuable material possession: All my shoes
9. Dream occupation: Actor/model or public figure
10. Person you would most like to meet: Barack Obama
11. Skill you would most like to learn and master: On-the-spot trauma care
12. Most important issue or problem facing humankind: Plastic in the great oceans

Psychology & Writing Learning Community Fall 2018

The English and Psychology departments at Inver Hills hosted a learning community youth panel Thursday, October 11, 2018, in the Fine Arts building on the college’s main campus in Inver Grove Heights.
The Psychology & Writing learning community (LCOM) is a combination of two courses: English 1108: Research and Writing Skills and Psychology 1101: Introduction to Psychology. Students in the LCOM conducted research on the foster care system in Minnesota.
“The panel was composed of youth from an organization called Ampersand Families,” reported Lisa DuRose, PhD, co-director of learning communities at the college. “The panelists are in the process of being adopted, and they shared their experiences with our students.”

Learn more by reading “Psychology & Writing Learning Community” on Inver Hills News.

Psychology & Writing LCOM gallery

For more event photos visit:
Psychology & Writing LCOM Welcomes Ampersand Families Panel on Flickr

Student Spotlight: Dalton Allen

Dalton Allen, 20, started life in Bremond, Texas, and settled in Minnesota when he was 6 years old. A 2017 graduate of Hastings High School, Dalton is a sophomore at Inver Hills. He belongs to Phi Theta Kappa and LGBTQ+ Club. He participated in the Eighteen and Nowhere to Go LCOM during fall semester 2017.
Dalton’s earning the Psychology Transfer Pathway Associate of Arts (A.A.) with plans to transfer to Metropolitan State University, St. Cloud State University or the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. He has focused his career goals on becoming a psychological counselor or some form of therapist.
When he’s not studying, Dalton enjoys performing as an alumnus in the Color Guard of the Hastings Raiders Marching Band. His is giving back to his high school by serving as a marching band instructor. Dalton also enjoys painting, drawing and playing videogames.

One word that describes you as a college student:
DETERMINED.

Dalton Allen | Q & A

How has your Eighteen and Nowhere to Go learning community helped with your academic life at Inver Hills?
My learning community helped me with my academic life by introducing me to a wide range of resources that are available here on campus. The structure of the community gave me two classes where I knew my fellow classmates very well. This made class discussions and activities less scary because we knew the people we were talking too.
I know having taken these courses together with the people I got to know makes it easier having some familiar faces that you see when walking to class or even in other classes. The two courses worked off each other so what we learned in one could be applied in the other. This exposure made it easier to do this in my other courses. I also made deeper connections I otherwise wouldn’t have made.
What would you tell students thinking about joining a learning community?
Learning communities are a good way to work on two classes together so they can build off each other. You also get to know other students who have something in common with you.

Dalton Allen | 12 Answers

1. Favorite sport or physical activity: Color Guard
2. Place you would most like to visit: Japan
3. The most exciting thing you’ve ever done: Performed in the Bristol, Rhode Island, Fourth of July parade with my high school marching band
4. Your personal motto if you had to have one: “Even after the darkest night morning always comes.”
5. Favorite all-time TV show: Charmed
6. Favorite all-time movie: The Notebook
7. One thing you most want to accomplish in life: Be able to take care of my parental figures, my cousin and her husband, the way they did for me
8. Most valuable material possession: Gold four-leaf clover necklace from my aunt
9. Dream occupation: Therapist
10. Person you would most like to meet: Oprah Winfrey
11. Skill you would most like to learn and master:  Play piano
12. Most important issue or problem facing humankind: The lack of communication between people on serious topics

Learn more about learning communities at Inver Hills by contacting:

Lisa DuRose, PhD
English Department Coordinator
Co-Director of Learning Communities
651-450-3341