An Empirical Study of the Potential for Geography in University Living–learning Communities in the United States

Abstract

Living-learning communities (LLCs) have become an important part of the educational experience for many first-year university students. As academic units seek new ways to reach undergraduate students, partnering with an LLC is often an effective solution. This article explores a largely untapped link between LLCs and geography. An inventory of LLCs at USA universities with PhD-granting geography departments and a series of case studies collectively suggest that many existing LLCs focus on geographic or cognate themes, including globalization, international studies, diversity, sustainability, foreign language and natural sciences. Improved partnerships between geographers and LLCs could mutually benefit our students and the discipline.