Community: Programs: Support for the First Year

2006 Themed Learning Communities Overview

Liberal Arts

Cultural Encounters: Crash or Communication?

The United States is the most multicultural society on the planet. Even within Indiana, various groups interact both consciously and unconsciously at times willingly, often accidentally, on a daily basis. Crash, the 2006 Academy Award-winning film, illustrates the types of cross-cultural exchanges that can occur along gender, racial, generational, class, and national fault lines. The Cultural Encounters Themed Learning Community will explore these dynamic issues in three classes: Anthropology, Composition, and the First Year Seminar. We will use discussion, lecture, film, writing, and field experiences on and off campus to engage our community of learners in discovering the relevance of these issues in our everyday lives.

Defining the Self: The Role of the U.S. Government

Students and team members will consider how living within the US political system affects Americans’ views of themselves and the world. Through reading, writing, discussion and extracurricular opportunities, students will consider this question from a variety of perspectives including how other political systems might produce different impacts.

Breaking the Code: Decoding Cultural Identity Through History and Film

How do we become who we are? How do others see us? How do we see others? How do the media we consume shape our perspectives on the world? This TLC explores the connections between identity, media and history. Students will develop an understanding of how historical events, social and cultural movements, and technological developments have shaped and continue to shame humans and their perceptions of themselves and others. The courses will provide a foundation of historical and cultural knowledge that will inform students choices as citizens and consumers.

 

Kelley School of Business

Embarking on Your Own Journey through Endurance

What is leadership and how do you know you are a leader? You know you are a leader if you turn back and see if you have followers. This thematic learning community will operate with the fundamental belief that everyone has the potential for leadership. We can leave this sense of leadership to chance or design a program. We will learn from some of the vivid events of the past and apply these principles in our TLC. Leadership is one of the most extensively studied and least understood topics. We often hear that there is a breakdown of leadership throughout our society, in government, workplaces, schools and other institutions. But is there? While this TLC will be business-oriented, the principles will apply to all areas of life. The intent is to integrate these lessons of leadership and ethics into your real life as well as your academic disciplines and ultimately into your professional life.

Embarking on Your Own Journey through Discovery

This themed learning community operates with the fundamental belief that everyone has the potential for leadership. We can leave this sense of leadership to chance or design a program. While this TLC is business-oriented, it will apply to all areas of life. The intent of this TLC is to integrate these lessons of leadership and ethics into real life, as well as, academic disciplines and ultimately into your professional life. What is leadership and how do you know you are a leader? You know you are a leader if you turn your back and see that you have followers. We can learn from some of the vivid events of the past. We will apply these to various educational disciplines in this TLC.

 

School of Nursing

So, You Say You Want to Be A Nurse…

The Nursing Themed Learning Community combines the disciplines of Nursing, Sociology and English. As a community of learners we focus on developing personal insights and academic excellence through integrating learning in a diverse culture. The hallmarks of social responsibility, community service, shadowing a nurse, researching a nurse leader and making a difference in human lives depend on personal commitment, critical thinking and self-reflection.

 

School of Social Work

Smart Helpers for the World!

  Do you care about people? Do you want to help people? Are you a “smart helper”? In this TLC, students will learn about social and economic justice at a local and global level. Topics such as world poverty and international trade will be linked to social work, healthcare, and education. The major part of this TLC will include innovative visits to diverse community sites, such as the Peace Learning Center, the Islamic Center, the India Community Center, specific African American agencies, and the Eiteljorg Museum of Native American Art. Students will also gain exposure to diversity and culture through campus events such as the play, Faces of America. By integrating economics and diversity, students will know how to be smart helpers for our world! Community involvement is a critical component to personal and academic success. To tie together all courses in the TLC, students will participate in an integrative final project which will include service learning. This TLC is a great way to meet people and help others! 

 

School of Public and Environmental Affairs

Crime: Whatcha Gonna Do About It?

Students will learn how deviance is defined and viewed within society and how society responds to criminal behavior. What skills best equip criminal justice professionals to deal with criminals? How do we classify behavior as criminal? What interactions of internal and external forces lead people to participate in these behaviors? What interventions and attempts at rehabilitation work well? Through readings, reflective writing assignments, and the development of a resume, students will gain insight into themselves and their role in society. In addition, they will have exposure outside of class to police, prosecutors, jails, and juvenile correctional facilities. Students will participate in a service-learning project and other activities associated with the criminal justice system to learn how to best prepare for a career after college.

 

Herron School of Art

Ways of Seeing: Art and Culture

Through the foundation courses in this TLC, students will develop drawing skills, powers of observation, an understanding of visual principles, and a working knowledge of materials and techniques, while becoming more knowledgeable about art history. The program is constructed so that students, through self-examination and faculty counseling, will be able to select intelligently the area in which they will major. Students will see connections between the creative processes of art and writing, and, through their reading and writing explore a variety of multicultural themes which will be enhanced by experiences on campus and in the community.

 

University College

For Love AND Money

Students will explore majors and careers that will enable them to follow their heart AND make a living. Students will read true stories about more than 50 people who left unfulfilling careers to pursue new career directions that resulted in both happiness and financial security. The shared text What Should I Do with My Life? by Po Bronson will serve as an inspiration. Through assessment instruments, writing and research, students will learn more about who they are and what majors and careers will help them reach meaningful life goals. Students will also look at film and advertising to examine the cultural and psychological influences these media have on our images of personal and financial success. Going beyond the classroom, students will be prepared for conducting information interviews with faculty and career professionals, as well as meeting with advisors and networking with alumnae at IUPUI’s Annual Major/Career Exploration Day. Come and find out whether you believe that if you do what you love, the money will follow!

Can’t We All Just Get Along?

This Themed Learning Community (TLC) will integrate anthropology, psychology, and composition to investigate divisiveness in the world today.  Students will explore their roles as members of a global society, will examine where the seeds of difference originate, will interact with writings of well-known authors from diverse cultures, and will place themselves and their work in the context of being new to the university culture.  The multicultural nature of this TLC will provide students with unexpected and controversial perspectives, leading to an increased understanding of diversity and unity.  Students will participate in cultural activities outside the classroom to enhance their learning experience.  Some of the out-of-class activities include attending an evening theatrical performance of Faces of America, an evening film screening and discussion with the screenwriter/actor of No Turning Back, and an evening fieldtrip to a local mosque.  The culmination of students’ learning will be a semester-long group project that incorporates cultural investigations with an interactive presentation.

Challenges, Resources, Changes, and Identity

Students will identify and explain the following four crucial aspects of their ability to become successful student-athletes at IUPUI.

1. The academic, athletic, social and personal challenges you experience during the first semester at IUPUI.
2. The campus resources (people, offices, classes and services) you are using to overcome your challenges.
3. The changes you are making with the help of these resources that are enabling you to conquer each of your challenges.
4. The effects that each of these changes is having on your academic, athletic, social, and personal identity.

Co-curricular activities will include attendance at an Indians baseball game. The reader for ENG W131 is My Losing Season by Pat Conroy.

Exploring Science

This TLC will focus on how science prepares you for a variety of careers, including chemistry, dental hygiene, medicine, and even forensic investigation. The TLC will offer an integrated introduction to college and is designed for entering students considering a major that requires some science background, starting with chemistry. Chemistry C101 will supply a common theme: the many ways chemistry impacts both daily life and careers. Assignments in the composition course, ENG-W 131, will focus on the culture and challenges of working in a science-related field. The actual learning community, UCOL-U 110, will provide a meeting place to discuss common concerns, assignments and strategies for academic success as the student navigates through their first college semester. It will also be a gathering place where the various team members and faculty from the linked courses can interact with the students outside their classroom. Some travel and time outside of the regular class time will be required – possibilities include visits to the medical campus, biology greenhouse, medical museum and participation in a service learning project. Other opportunities will be discussed in class.

Communicating Today’s Health Science Culture

This TLC is for students interested in a healthcare career, especially within the health professions/allied health/dental hygiene. It will provide an extended orientation to higher education and opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to be successful at IUPUI and in your chosen healthcare profession. Allied Health professionals are involved with the delivery of health or related services pertaining to the identification, evaluation and prevention of diseases and disorders; dietary and nutrition services; rehabilitation and health systems management, among others. Allied health professionals include dental hygienists, dietitians, occupational therapists, physical therapists, radiographers, respiratory therapists, paramedics, cytotechnologists, nuclear medicine technologists, medical imaging technologists and clinical laboratory scientists and speech language pathologists. These healthcare professions and others will be discussed as will the need for a back-up plan if students are not selected for their chosen healthcare profession.

Field trips to the Ruth Lilly Medical Library; University College Resource Center; Writing Center, Math Assistance Center; and Career Center as well as the Indiana Medical History Museum. Students will view patient care scenarios along with practicing medical skills on procedure mannequins.