New Engineering Living-Learning Community at the University of Cincinnati

CINCINNATI, OH – Engineering students that live together learn better together. That’s the thinking behind the new engineering living-learning community at the University of Cincinnati (UC).

The engineering living-learning community, which is part of the university’s Department of Engineering Education’s new first-year model, will occupy four floors in Daniels Hall residence hall. These floors will house up to 280 first-year students who have been accepted to UC's College of Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS).

The overall goal is to create an environment that fosters community, collaborative learning, and campus engagement.

“We’re bringing students together to develop a CEAS identity,” says P.K. Imbrie, Ph.D., professor and head of the Department of Engineering Education. “We believe that identity will help build community while retaining more engineering students.”

The living-learning community groups students from all engineering disciplines together. Since the first-year curriculum is very similar for all CEAS students, students can easily study together regardless of major.

“We’re putting 280 engineering students in close proximity,” says Imbrie. “These students can walk down the hall and work with someone taking the same course as them, even if they’re not in the same section.”

Students that live in the living-learning community will also take part in co-curricular activities. These activities can range from reassembling a lawn-mower engine to constructing a trebuchet.

Imbrie sees the engineering living-learning community growing. He hopes UC eventually can offer multiple residence halls at various price points to include more engineering students. As UC gets ready for another academic year, its new engineering living-learning community will help shape the incoming class of students.

This article originally appeared in the College Planning & Management May 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • University of Pittsburgh to Build New Residence Hall

    The Board of Trustees from the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Penn., recently approved the construction of a new residence hall for first-year students, according to university news.

  • Northeastern University Breaks Ground on New Housing Community

    Northeastern University recently announced the groundbreaking of a new student housing community on its campus in Boston, Mass., according to a news release. The university is partnering with American Campus Communities (ACC) for development of the project, which will have the capacity for 1,200 students and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028.

  • Cal Poly Humboldt Starts Construction on Healthcare Education Hub

    California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in Arcata, Calif., recently announced that work has begun on a renovation project that will turn the Stewart Building into a new Healthcare Education Hub, according to a news release. The university is partnering with Sundt Construction Inc. for construction services.