Register Now for Spring 2020 Learning Communities

Explore common themes in a cross-disciplinary environment this spring through the College of DuPage Learning Communities program.

Learning communities offer unique, innovative learning experiences that typically involve students enrolling as a cohort in two or more courses connected by a common theme. Learn more about learning communities at College of DuPage.

Spring 2020 Learning Communities program courses include:

Aligning Theory and Practice: Honors Engineering Physics and Statics: This Honors Engineering/Physics learning community combines the study of physics and statics - topics traditionally covered separately through coordinated lectures. Students will complete an independent engineering project and a number of labs geared toward statics as well as seminar-style special relativity. For more information, contact Scott Banjavcic at banjavcics@cod.edu or Carley Bennett at kopeckya@cod.edu.

Composing Your Career: Combining a general education required communications class with an education/life skills class, this learning community teaches information literacy skills that will help with both current and future academic work, as well as career development. Through writing, discussion and research, students explore potential career pathways in relation to life values: socio-economic, race and gender issues; and personal goals. For more information, contact Jim Allen at allenj@cod.edu or Dana Thompson at thompsnd@cod.edu.

Gender, Power and the Arts: Combining a general education required humanities class with a general education required social and behavioral sciences class, this learning community considers questions of gender construction, access to power, and the effects of changes in society as they affect women’s production of art. For more information, contact Julia DiLiberti at dilibert@cod.edu or Mary Jean Cravens at cravens@cod.edu.

Honors Seminar: A literary History of Chicago: Explore the rich history of Chicago through the narrative elements of a broad range of literature set in and about Chicago through a combination of a general education required humanities class with a history class. Students examine Chicago’s formative years through 19th century texts; industrialization, politics, race and immigration through early and mid-century novels; and the current century through texts composed by Chicago locals writing and publishing within the last three decades. For more information, contact Tim Henningsen at henningsent@cod.edu or Sam Mitrani at mitraniv@cod.edu.

Human Resources Management Certificate: Open to students who have completed the Human Resource Management course, this learning community offers the opportunity to concurrently complete the three advanced courses required for the Human Resource Management certificate. Upon completion, students can demonstrate competencies in responding to today’s HR management job challenges. For more information, contact Jane Murtaugh at murtaugh@cod.edu.

Research as Narrative: Examine the fundamental role of research and rhetoric within the world of knowledge creation, while exploring academic discourse, bias, credibility, objectivity and community writing in the digital world. For more information, contact Tim Henningsen at henningsent@cod.edu or Jason Ertz at ertzja@cod.edu.

Our Earth, Our Species, Our Selves: Combining a general education required life science class with a speech communication class, this learning community explores human relationships with the environment, environmental citizenship and how humans work together in teams for collaborative problem-solving and decision-making. Students will examine how nature works, how things are interconnected, and how the theories and principles of small group communication are applied by global citizens to address environmental issues. For more information, contact Shamili Ajgaonkar at sandifor@cod.edu or Lauren Morgan at morgan@cod.edu.