º£½ÇÉçÇø

Open Communities

Business & Economics Majors Community

If you have declared a major in business or economics, you must rank this as one of your Learning Community choices on the Joining the Pod survey. In this community, students in the Martin V. Smith School for Business & Economics (MVS) will engage with the idea of business as a force for good and in the study of how individuals make "rational" economic decisions. The BUS courses will be combined with a one unit first-year seminar. A peer mentor will be embedded in the UNIV course to help you adjust to college life and share resources you need to succeed.

Eligibility/Condition: Open to all first-year students. Suggested for undeclared majors or students considering a major in business or economics. Unlike other communities, this one has five courses that students in the cohort will take together (three in the Fall and two in the Spring).

Fall 2024:

• UNIV 100 Univ Life & College Success (one unit elective)
• BUS 110 Business Law (Major Requirement)

Spring 2025:

• BUS 111 Introduction to Business Through Writing (Major Requirement)

Disco Dolphins Community

DANCE for EVERY BODY. Move and groove your first semester and learn how important dance is to being HUMAN. No previous experience is needed. Living room, TikTok, community, and competition dancers all are encouraged to sign up! How has human movement been shaped by movements and technology? Gain a deeper understanding of the world through the lens of dance and dancing. This is an excellent LC for new dance majors  and non dance majors. It is an excellent opportunity to develop community with those that love dance in all of its manifestations. You can also check the boxes off your GE roadmap while dancing and learning about dance!

Fall 2024:

• Dance 101 Intro to. Dance Studies (required for major)
• Dance 154 Modern Dance (GE Area C1 + major)

Spring 2025:

• Dance 232 Early Dance History (GE Area C1)

Computer Science Community

This community welcomes students who are interested in coding and computer science. The community will create opportunities for students who share interests in gaming, design, development and expression of algorithms. Along with Intro to Programming, you will take a First-Year Seminar together in the Fall semester and Professional Communication in the Spring. Taking all three courses together will allow you to start conversations and projects in one course and carry them into these others giving you the opportunity to learn and create together. Your community will also include a peer mentor who will help you navigate these three courses and your transition to college. 

Eligibility/Condition: Open to all first-year students. Meets requirements for Computer Science and Math majors. 

Fall 2024:

• UNIV 150 First-Year Seminar (GE: Area A3 Critical Thinking)
• COMP/IT 105 Introduction to Programming (GE: Area B4 Quantitative Reasoning)

Spring 2025:

• COMM 221 Professional Communication (GE: A-1 Oral Communication)

Discovery: Exploring the Social Sciences

Students in this community will be introduced to the theories and research in Psychology. You will have the chance to explore together some of the big issues in the field of psychology, what different types of psychologists do and how to critically evaluate psychological literature. Along with Intro to Psychology, you will take a First-Year Seminar together in the Fall semester and Public Speaking in the Spring. Taking all three courses together will allow you to start conversations and projects in one course and carry them into these others giving you the opportunity to learn and create together. Your community will also include a peer mentor who will help you navigate these three courses and your transition to college.

Eligibility/Condition: Open to all First-Year students. Meets pre-nursing prerequisites, and requirements for Health Science and Psychology majors.

Fall 2024:

• UNIV 150 First-Year Seminar (GE: Area A3 Critical Thinking)
• PSY 100 (GE: D Social Science & Major Requirement or E Lifelong Learning)

Spring 2025:

• COMM 101 Public Speaking (GE: A-1 Oral Communication) 

Politics & Public Service Community

The Politics and Public Service Learning Community invites students who are interested in public service, government or legal careers. The public service learning community explores local and national government in collaboration with other students interested in public service careers. Through content and activities bridging law, politics and social science and involvement with the campus Pre-law Society, Model U.N., Peace Corps Prep and other programs, students in this learning community will gain perspective on how to build their own public service career path. A peer mentor will be embedded in your anchor course to help you navigate these three courses and your transition to college.

Eligibility/Condition: Open to all first-year students. Suggested for Political Science majors, students who wish to pursue public service careers and students who would like to go to law school after graduation.

Fall 2024:

• POLS 150 American Political Institutions (GE: D Social Science and American Institutions Requirement)
• COMM 101 Public Speaking (GE: A-1 Oral Communication)

Spring 2025:

• POLS 201 Careers in Public Service and Law (Counts toward the major) 

Strange New Worlds Community

In this community, you will explore culture and creativity through an integrative study of archaeology and speculative fiction (an umbrella term for science fiction and fantasy). Students will learn the building blocks of creative writing through the lens of speculative fiction, creating entire worlds and societies for their characters to move through. You will also learn about human societies past and present and begin to analyze tools, buildings and activities to reconstruct how the people who used them lived. You will participate in assignments that span both Fall classes and use your learning about the past to bring your imagined worlds to life. You will have the opportunity to continue the Fall conversations into your Spring Philosophy course. A peer mentor will be embedded in the anchor course to help you adjust to college life and share resources you need to succeed. Possible field trips include a creative writing and archaeology themed trip to Santa Rosa Island.

Eligibility/Condition: Open to all first-year students. Suggested for students who are English and Anthropology majors or minors.

Fall 2024:

• ENGL 160 Genre Fiction: Speculative Fiction (GE: C1 Arts)
• ANTH 105: Intro to Archaeology (GE: Area D Social Studies)

Spring 2025:

PHIL 130 Logic & Phil Reasoning (GE: Area A3 Critical Thinking)

 What's Left for Gen Z? Opportunities, Oppressions, and the "American Dream"

How much control do we have over our own lives?  Is life "what you make of it", or do social forces shape the landscapes of our lives?  These are among the most important questions Gen Zers can consider today, as they prepare themselves for futures in an uncertain world.  SOC 100 will investigate how individual lives are shaped by social structures, distributions of power, and cultural conceptions, considering topics like social mobility; inequalities of race, gender, class, and sexuality; globalization; political activism; and education.  We will develop the ability to understand how society and individuals influence each other, and what this means in terms of opportunities for Gen Z’s mobility and social change.  Our class will include discussions, mini-lectures, active learning exercises, and "mini research" activities where students serve as of investigators of the social world asking questions, gathering evidence, and reaching conclusions – thus experiencing firsthand the gifts of Sociology.

Fall 2024:

• SOC 100 Intro to Sociology (GE: D Social Perspectives)
• UNIV 100 Univ Life & College Success (E Lifelong Learning)

Spring 2025:

• COMM 101 Public Speaking (GE: A1 Oral Communication)

Focused Communities

Biology Community

If you have declared a major in Biology, you must rank this as one of your Learning Community choices on the Joining the Pod survey. Students in this community will be introduced to the biology of organisms including ecology, evolution, diversity and human impacts. Along with BIOL 200, you will take a critical thinking course in which you will develop quantitative, information and scientific literacy and oral and written communication skills. This course introduces students planning on a major in the sciences to CI’s interdisciplinary approach to scientific, evidence-based reasoning. Students in the community will take Statistics for Biologists together in the Spring. Taking all three courses and the BIOL lab together will allow you to start conversations and projects in one course and carry them into these others, giving you the opportunity to learn and create together. Your community will also include a peer mentor who will help you navigate the courses and your transition to college.

Eligibility/Condition: Only first-year students who are enrolled at º£½ÇÉçÇøCI as Biology Majors are eligible for this Learning Community.

 Fall 2024:

• BIOL/CHEM 150 Critical Thinking Science Majors (GE: A3 Critical Thinking or E Lifelong Learning)
• BIOL 200/200L Principles of Organismal and Population Biology (GE: B2 Life Sciences; B3 Laboratory)

Spring 2025:

• BIOL 203 Statistics for Biologists (GE B4: Mathematics-Quantitative Reasoning)

 Chemistry for Health Careers Community

This community is for students interested in Nursing, Health Science and related areas of study. This is designed to help students explore the many career paths and options within the growing healthcare industry. You will participate in field trips and have opportunities to meet and interact with healthcare professionals. A peer mentor will be embedded in the anchor course to help you adjust to college life and share resources you need to succeed.

Eligibility/Condition: This learning community is limited to first-year students who have declared a major in Health Science or expressed an interest in Nursing. This community has four courses that students in the cohort will take together (two in the Fall and two in the Spring).

Fall 2024:

• UNIV 100 Univ Life & College Success (one unit elective)
• CHEM 110/110L Chemistry of Life (B1 Physical Sciences)

Spring 2025:

• ENGL 105 ENGL 105 Composition and Rhetoric (GE: A-2 Written Communication)

Healthcare Community

This community is for students interested in Nursing, Health Science and related areas of study. This is designed to provide a unique opportunity to explore the many career paths and options within the growing healthcare industry. You will participate in field trips and have opportunities to meet and interact with healthcare professionals. A peer mentor will be embedded in the anchor course to help you adjust to college life and share resources you need to succeed.

Eligibility/Condition: This learning community is limited to first-year students who have declared a major in Health Science or expressed an interest in Nursing. This community has four courses that students in the cohort will take together (two in the Fall and two in the Spring).

Fall 2024:

• UNIV 150 First-Year Seminar (GE: A3 Critical Thinking) or PHIL 130 Logic & Phil Reasoning (GE: Area A3 Critical Thinking)
• BIOL 210/210L Human Anatomy and Physiology I (Nursing and Health Sciences pre-requisite)

Spring 2025:

• BIOL 211/211L Human Anatomy and Physiology II (Nursing and Health Sciences pre-requisite)

Future Teachers Communities

These communities are for students interested in teaching elementary or high school once they graduate from college. The Future Teachers: Elementary Community is designed for those wanting to teach elementary school students and particularly for those who are majoring in Early Childhood Studies. Students who have not yet decided on a major but are considering working toward a multiple subject teaching credential are also welcome. 

Future Teachers: High School Community is designed for anyone considering teaching regardless of age. While the elementary Future Teachers' community includes courses needed by this teaching younger children, this one includes courses all students need to graduate.

Future Teachers–Elementary Community:

Fall 2024:

• ECS 150 (GE Area D + Major requirement) 
• ART 102 (GE Area C1 + Major requirement)

Spring 2025:

• ART 102 Multicultural Children’s Art (GE: C1)

Future Teachers–High School Community: 

Fall 2024:

• UNIV 150 First-Year Seminar (GE: A3 Critical Thinking)
• ETHS/CHS 150 Introduction to Ethnic Studies (GE: F) 

Spring 2025:

• ART 102 Multicultural Children’s Art (GE: C1)