Home > Colleges & Departments > Freshman Learning Communities

Freshman learning communities

Valdosta State University has offered learning communities for incoming freshmen for over 11 years through the Freshman Year Experience and Emerging Leaders programs. In the Fall of 2010, VSU increased the number of FLCs being offered to accommodate more students.

Freshman Learning Communities (FLCs) provide an opportunity for students to begin their college experience with other students who share similar interests and career objectives. FLCs consist of small groups of 22-25 first-semester college students taking two or more linked courses as a group. Each learning community is designed to ease the transition from high school to college by allowing freshmen to acquire educational and social skills crucial to their long-term academic success, through an integrated learning environment.

Freshman Learning Communities (FLCs) are becoming popular on college campuses because they have both social and educational values for college freshmen:

*Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @FLCs_VSU

Social

  • FLCs provide an opportunity for students to begin their college experience with other students who share similar interests and career objectives.

  • FLCs consist of small groups of 22-25 students who will enroll in two or more of their first semester courses together.

  • FLCs are designed to ease the transition from high school to college.

  • FLCs allow students to form life-long friendships.

 

 

 

 

Educational

  • FLCs are centered on academic or career interests, and may include students who have already declared their major.

  • FLCs allow students to connect with peers majoring in similar academic majors.

  • Because FLCs consist of courses in different disciplines, one of their best features is integrative learning.

  • Statistically, students who enroll in FLCs have a higher GPA (2011 VSU Retention Analysis).

  • Each FLC has a course with a component that introduces students to a major or program at VSU.