The Power of Partnerships

The Power of Partnerships:
Some Things I’ve Learned

During the Past 30 Years
Howard Schein
Program Director, Unit One LLC
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Several issues confront most LLC Programs and Residential

Colleges. From my perspective of having directed a large, long-
standing LLC Program for the past 30 years, I’d like to share my
experiences in dealing with several of these critical issues.
I hope that discussion of these eight points will involve strong input
and discussion from you as well as from me.
1-Mission: Why does the program exist? Whose idea was it, anyway?
2-Evaluation: How does the mission statement invite evaluation? Who are we trying to
please?
3-Academic/Cocurricular Content: What is the focus of the program? How do curricular

and cocurricular components fit into the program’s composition? How have we solved
the student affairs/academic affairs nexus?
4-The role of faculty and staff: Who runs the program? How do you rely on Housing
staff, Academic personnel, and Community members?
5-Students: Who is your target? Why do they participate? Do they participate?
6-Parents: What role to parents play in the program’s profile?
7-Funding: What is its source? What is program’s obligation to the funding source?
8-Themes: What is the function of “theme-based” programs, and what are the
implications of these themes?
Some Stories & Readings
Two Young Men Who Went West
in Hooking Up by Tom Wolfe (2001)
My older daughter’s advisor (a story)
My younger daughter’s campus visit to Vassar (a story)
Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk

Book: eds. Richard Hersh and John Merrow
Video: Learning Matters,Inc.
www.decliningbydegrees.org/show-synopsis.html
www.nacada.ksu.edu/Journal/bkrev_918.htm (a review I wrote)
Some Stories & Readings
(con’t)
Schein, H. K. (2005). The Zen of Unit One: Liberal Education at
Residential Learning Communities. In Identity, Learning, and the Liberal
Arts. Ned Laff, Editor. New Directions in Teaching and Learning. pp. 73-
88. . Jossey Bass: San Francisco.
Unit One:
www.housing.uiuc.edu/living/unit1/
Unedited version of Zen… – this version has more “stories”

www.housing.uiuc.edu/living/unit1/general/TheZenOfUnitOne.pdf
Published Version of Zen… (both lines of the www….. are part of the link)
www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-
bin/fulltext/111090530/PDFSTART?CRETRY=1&SRETRY=0
In Making the Most of College (2001)
Richard Light points to several
observations about the undergraduate
experience that contribute to successful
educations.
Amongst his observations that are relevant

to large university Residential Learning
Communities include:
“…learning outside of classes, especially in residential settings and
extra curricular activities such as the arts, is vital.”
“..at many campuses today, professors increasingly are encouraging

students to work together on homework assignments…”
“for most students the impact of racial and ethnic diversity on their
college experience is strong.”
“..students who get the most out of college, who grow the most
academically, and who are happiest organize their time to include
activities with faculty members, or with several other students,
focused around accomplishing substantive academic work.”
“Not surprisingly, small-group tutorials, small seminars, and one-to-one

supervision are, for many (undergraduates), their capstone
experience.”
From: How to Grade Your Professors and Other
Unexpected Advice. Jacob Neusner. (1984)
….You have come to join and build a community, a

community of scholars.
If the experience of community is meaningful to you, you
will, wherever you may be, never really leave it…
To summarize my introduction to college in one sentence, I
would describe the goal of a college education in this
way:
(1) don’t ask, discover, therefore
(2) take responsibility for your life and your mind,
so that
(3) you will live a well-examined life.
How to Help Students Achieve, George D. Kuh
Chronicle of Higher Education, June 15, 2007
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i41/41b01201.htm
• According to our survey results, students who live in learning

communities tend to interact more with their professors and diverse
peers, study more, and excel at synthesizing material and analyzing
problems. They also reported gaining more from their college
experience. Moreover, the "engagement advantage" for students
in learning communities lasts through senior year, suggesting that
the experience — which most students have in their first college
year — positively affects what they do later in college. Vincent Tinto,
distinguished university professor and chair of the higher-education
program at Syracuse University, and researchers at the Washington
Center for Improving the Quality of Undergraduate Education at
Evergreen State College have found that nonresidential learning
communities generally have similar salutary effects for community-
college students.
1-Mission:
Why does the program exist?
Whose idea was it?

For instance:
• Fulfill an institutional need.
• Because everyone else is doing it.
• To facilitate a housing division linkage with
academia.
• It seems like a good idea.
• A marketing device for housing and/or for
academia.
• Someone “up there” had this idea….
• An academic unit proposed it.
2-Evaluation:
How does the mission statement
invite evaluation?
Who are we trying to please?
Does the program need numbers?
e.g., “to increase college success”
“to increase retention in
science/engineer curricula for women”
“to help undecided students find a
major/career path”
Question: What kinds of numbers are appropriate?
************************************
Does the program need “happy students?”
“to help vegetarian students cooperate in
meal plan development and preparation”
Question: How do we measure “happy students”
Does the program need happy administrators?
e.g., “Our campus has programs that cater to
undergraduate needs.”
“We have a special place for honors students.”
Question: Are administrators happy enough to be able to

make these statements to keep these programs funded?
*******************************************
Does the program merge with an academic unit’s needs?
e.g., language houses, pre-health sciences
Question: Does the academic unit have criteria for

success. E.g., better language skills of participants?
Greater success in getting into the medical professions?
3-Academic/Cocurricular Content:
What is the focus of the program?

How do curricular and cocurricular components fit
into the program’s composition?
How have we solved the student affairs/academic
affairs nexus?
Are courses offered?
If Yes, how important are courses to the
program’s mission?
Where do your courses fit into your
students’ progress toward degree? toward
life?
How is programming related to courses?
Does a unifying theme connect
courses and co-curriculars?
At what levels of administration do student
affairs and academic affairs collaborate?
4-The role of faculty and staff:
Who runs the program?

How do you rely on
>Housing staff
>Academic personnel
>Community members
Where do you faculty come from?
e.g., adjunct, TAs, regular faculty
What kind of commitment does the program have
from academic units/academic individuals?
How reliable are these commitments?
Does your program use people who are not
affiliated with the school?
E.g., community, invited guests, campus
visitors?
Do housing staff play central or supporting roles in
running the program?
Is the program staff connected to the campus?
5-Students:
Who are your students?

Why/how do they choose you?
Why do they participate?
Do they participate?
Do your students have a specific demography?
E.g., majors, gender, interests,
academic affiliation.
Why are they in your program?
Independent choice, coercion, good place to
live, location of residence hall.
Is participation in the program connected to
residency?
What is your participation level?
Do your students experience:
– Lively discourse
– A strong sense of community
Does your program have a critical mass of
students to accomplish your goals?
6-Parents:
What role to parents play in your
program?
Do parents play a strong role in your students’
choice of your program?
Do parents support your program by writing letters
of support/appreciation to administrators?
Do parents spread the word to their peer group
that encourages other high school students to
choose your program?
Are your students’ parents happy about their kids’
experience with you?
Do you faculty like having their own kids in your
program?
7-Funding:
What is its source?

What is program’s obligation to the
funding source?
Does the funding source limit the
use of those funds?
8-Themes:
What is the function of “theme-

based” programs?
What are the implications of these
themes?
What is the reason for your program’s
existence.
Is it a “housing” issue to provide an
attractive choice?
To group students of similar interests?
To connect with a curricular theme…and if
YES, why the residential component?
To address shortcomings in the school’s
structure (e.g., to make a small setting on
a big campus?

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The Power of Partnerships:

Some Things I’ve Learned

Several issues confront most LLC Programs and Residential

3-Academic/Cocurricular Content: What is the focus of the program? How do curricular

5-Students: Who is your target? Why do they participate? Do they participate?

6-Parents: What role to parents play in the program’s profile?

My older daughter’s advisor (a story)

My younger daughter’s campus visit to Vassar (a story)

Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk

Unedited version of Zen… – this version has more “stories”

Amongst his observations that are relevant

“..at many campuses today, professors increasingly are encouraging

“Not surprisingly, small-group tutorials, small seminars, and one-to-one

….You have come to join and build a community, a

• According to our survey results, students who live in learning

Why does the program exist?

Whose idea was it?

Question: Are administrators happy enough to be able to

Question: Does the academic unit have criteria for

What is the focus of the program?

Who runs the program?

Who are your students?

What is its source?

What is the function of “theme-

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