ABSTRACT
This chapter describes in some depth the process and techniques that lead to constructing and sustaining powerful student learning communities (SLCs) that yield optimum student learning. A respondent from a private university emphasized the danger that “the maintenance and sustenance of learning communities (LCs) can become stale and neglected.” An additional problem is lack of clarity regarding the purpose of assessment as it relates to LCs. A common problem that many assessment efforts face is not implementing a systematic process that attends to the full assessment cycle. Programs that fail to study their assessment process to ensure that it is complete and effective may neglect to integrate existing information into their assessment efforts. A primary recommendation for solving problems and issues in the area is to have the institutional reward structure provide meaningful credit toward rank and tenure for LC collaborative activities with faculty colleagues.
