FAQ Table of Contents
- What is a First-Year Community?
- What is the difference between Theme Communities, Living-Learning Communities and Learning Communities?
- What if I have AP credit for English?
- How do I apply for a community?
- How would I know which community I am enrolled for?
- If I submitted a housing application, then do I not need to submit another application to participate in a community?
- Is there any extra cost for joining a community?
- CI is offering numerous first-year communities, how do I decide which one is best for me?
- What if only one community fits my interests?
- Do I have to choose more classes than those associated with the Living-Learning or Learning Community that I enroll in?
- Can I enroll in any section of a course that is listed as part of a Community?
- What if my intellectual interests are in a Living-Learning Community but I am a commuter or will be living in housing but not on the LLC floor?
- What if the LC or LLC that I am interested in is already full?
- What if I want to be part of an LLC but have a roommate who does not want to participate?
- Are there Spring courses for the LCs and LLCs?
What is a First-Year Community?
First-year students have a variety of options to support academic success and integration into the life of the university, both inside and outside of the classroom, through First-Year Communities aligned with CI’s Mission Pillars (Multicultural, International, Integrative, Community Engagement). Participation in these communities is shown to improve student learning, persistence to the second year, and time to graduation. Additionally, being a part of a first-year community helps with fostering stronger relationships with your peers and faculty. Our goal is student success. There is no additional cost to participate in these communities.
What is the difference between Living-Learning Communities and Learning Communities?
Both Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) and Learning Communities (LCs) have two or more General Education courses or in some cases courses required for particular majors in the Fall, intentionally chosen to be paired for the purposes of student success and aligning with topics associated with the CI Mission Pillars. The student must take all the courses (in designated sections) that are part of the specific Learning Community to be part of the program. Some LCs also have a Living-Learning Community option, with students living together on the same floor in on-campus housing. Both LC and LLCs are open to commuting students and students living in housing. . All Living-Learning Community and Learning Community students take classes together in the Spring.
What if I have AP credit for English Composition?
There are First-Year Communities that are not linked to English, choose one of them.
How do I apply for a community?
Complete the Learning Community Interest Survey by June 1, 2022 to be placed in a Learning Community ahead of Island View Orientation. You can rank your choices on the Interest Survey – be sure to indicate all that interest you, as space is limited and you may not get your first choice. Placement in Learning Community course sections is on a first-come, first-served basis, and some communities may fill up before Orientation, so do the survey by the priority deadline of June 1st.
How would I know which community I am enrolled for?
Once you have filled out the Interest Survey , and applied through Housing if you are interested in the LLC options, the First Year Communities team will follow-up ahead of Island View Orientation to inform you of your placement.
If I submitted a housing application, then do I need to submit another application to participate in a community?
To be placed in a Learning Community, including those with a Living-Learning option, complete the Learning Community Interest Survey. To participate in a Living-Learning Community option and live on the LLC floor with others in the community, you will also need to complete the Housing application.
Is there any extra cost for joining a community?
There are no additional costs. There may be activities for which a cost may be incurred, but whenever this is the case the participation will be optional.
CI is offering numerous first-year communities, how do I decide which one is best for me?
Research shows that students who participate in a community experience greater levels of student success - so we commend your interest in participating in a community! You should consider questions such as:
- Am I interested/willing to commit to the coursework that is part of the learning community?
- Would I like to connect with other students around this learning focus or theme?
- Do I have a specific person that I'd like to live with and, if so, which communities are they considering?
- Will this community help me decide on a major?
- Does this community include courses that will satisfy requirements for my major?
What if only one community fits my interests?
Students are not obligated to apply for communities, and those that choose to do so may only find one they are interested in. That's OK - just apply for the one you are interested in. You are encouraged, however, to consider other possibilities since space is limited in order to increase your chances of being selected to participate in one.
Do I have to choose more classes than those associated with the Living-Learning or Learning Community that I enroll in?
Yes, you will need to choose more courses. This will be done at Island View Orientation through Guided Registration. The courses for Living-Learning Communities and Learning Communities are not a full-load of classes, which is 15 units. In addition to the LC or LLC courses, Guided Registration may include a Qualitative Reasoning/Math class that is appropriate for your major, or Stretch Composition if you answered the Directed Self Placement Survey. Be sure to pay attention to the Spring LC or LLC courses when you register for Fall classes so you don't register for a class your LC/LLC offers in the Spring.
Can I enroll in any section of a course that is listed as part of a Community?
No, you must be enrolled in specific designated sections of each course in the Community, along with the rest of the students in your cohort. The courses are linked together in the registration system, dropping one of them will trigger dropping the other.
What if my intellectual interests are in a Living-Learning Community but I am a commuter or will be living in housing but not on the LLC floor?
Seats in LLCs are available for non-housing students.
What if the LC or LLC that I am interested in is already full?
If you are interested in being on a wait list for LLC or LC courses that are full, contact marie.francois@csuci.edu. If space opens up, we will contact you and inform the Registrar's Office to add you should it work with your schedule, or work with you to adjust your schedule if necessary.
What if I want to be part of an LLC but have a roommate who does not want to participate?
There is space on the LLC floors for a few students who are not in the LLC courses to room with someone who is in the LLC.
Are there Spring courses for the LCs and LLCs?
Yes, each Learning Community and Living Learning Community will have at least one spring course.