Living and Learning Programs

What are living and learning programs?
They represent one of the ways in which institutions of higher education have transformed the traditional boundaries of learning. They fuse the best resources universities offer by combining academic experiences with community building, thereby fostering meaningful contact between students and faculty members. Bringing educational opportunities focused on an interdisciplinary theme directly into residence halls allows students to better understand the dynamic and interactive nature of knowledge.

The University of Maryland has made a concerted effort to create and foster living and learning programs on campus because of their well-documented benefits, including increased:

• Access to the resources of the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area
• Educational environments
• Faculty contact with students outside the classroom
• Service-learning opportunities
• Student satisfaction with educational experience

University President C.D. Mote is committed to living and learning communities. In a State of the Campus Address he noted that these "programs are vital to keeping students connected and involved for their entire university experience." In particular, he has recognized CIVICUS for successfully "attracting students who have come to the university as a place to continue their commitment to community service and civic engagement." It was this success that led CIVICUS to be one of only 21 programs nationwide selected to participate in the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's Political Engagement Project.

What makes CIVICUS a living and learning program?
CIVICUS recognizes that much of what students learn takes place outside a traditional classroom. Thus, CIVICUS is a living and learning program because of how our courses work together with the community built within our residence hall, Somerset , and with our community service activities, to enrich our students' learning experiences.