Which Learning Community Is Right For You?
Designed as an opportunity for incoming freshman to engage in a community that supports their interests, the Learning Communities allow students to celebrate their academic development and growth through experiential learning. Academic programming in the Learning Communities fosters student engagement and promotes collaborative ideas interdisciplinary study, and hands-on experience.

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The Arts, Culture and Humanities Learning Community is designed for students who are passionate about exploring the essence of what it means to be human—to communicate through the power of the written and spoken word, to express creatively our deepest emotions and grandest aspirations, and to engage other cultures while considering how we uniquely relate to the global community.
Fall Curriculum | Spring Curriculum
HU 125 Learning Communities
"Up, Up, and Away!" The Superhero’s Influence on Modern Culture
This class will examine the roots of superheroes in philosophy as well as explore how our modern depictions of superheroes have evolved since their inception. We will be looking specifically at Superman, who not only was one of the first superheroes but also was the creation of Cleveland natives Joe Siegel and Jerry Shuster.
Some of the questions we will investigate include: What is high vs low culture? How do literature and art work together to tell stories? What cultural voids does the superhero fulfill? What cultural values does the superhero reflect? How is the superhero depicted in other contexts, mediums and cultures?
In addition to Superman, we will also look at how other superheroes have developed as a result of Superman’s influence. Expect discussions on Spiderman, Batman, the X-Men, Wonder Woman, Superfriends, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, The Watchmen, The Avengers and others.
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As a student in the Business and Entrepreneurship Learning Community, you will discover the ins and outs of what it takes to lead, manage and grow an organization. Learn business fundamentals. Get introduced into niche industries. Meet extraordinary corporate leaders and entrepreneurs.
Fall Curriculum | Spring Curriculum
HU 125 Learning Communities
The Pursuit of Happiness
Students in this course will explore, assess and critique what the humanistic tradition, ancient philosophy and contemporary physical and social science have to say about happiness. Specific questions that will be examined include:
• What is "happiness?"
• What "causes” people to be happy?
• What phenomena appear to discourage happiness?
• Why are some individuals and societies happier than others?
In addition to exploring the topic of happiness through the lenses of multiple academic disciplines, students will exercise critical thinking skills by (a) differentiating between fact and opinion, (b) determining cause-and-effect relationships, (c) recognizing and applying the scientific method as appropriate, (d) recognizing logical fallacies and faulty reasoning, and (e) making judgments and drawing logical conclusions.
Students will also engage in personal reflection on happiness and will apply the concepts of the course to weekly viewings of segments of the 1997 film Tuesdays with Morrie – a popular work that looks at the lessons learned by a dying professor and a former student with whom he shares his last months.
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Students in the Science, Health, and the Environment Learning Community are poised to explore the wonders of science through connections to mathematics, art, the environment and health fields.
Fall Curriculum | Spring Curriculum
HU 125 Learning Communities
The Beauty in Mathematics
Math is all about patterns and rhythms. Math can be a tool, an inspiration, or simply something that’s naturally contained within the structures and patterns. In this course we will enjoy mathematics through geometry, art, and architecture. We will understand: why Superman is disproportional, the structure of fractals is in your body, why sequences are important to nature and science, the use of graphic design, and the geometry of life (plant geometric growth, crystal structures, and living spirals.) The topics will include the art and architecture of Islam, Renaissance art, modern art and art deco. We will conclude our course with a visit to The Cleveland Museum of Art. You will not only visualize but also experience the beauty of math through a variety of projects. You only need to want to enjoy seeing mathematics through a different eye, the eye of the artist, philosopher, and nature. No college mathematics is a prerequisite but high school Algebra II would be helpful. You do not need to be an artist, just enjoy art. Your tools for this course will be crayons, colored pencils, scissors, tape, and a simple calculator.
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The Service, Policy and the Law learning community provides students with a solid foundation and global perspective needed to understand, address and have impactful influence on societal issues locally, nationally and globally. The learning community environment provides opportunity to acquire new scholarly interests and expand your repertoire in an effort to better serve your career needs.
Fall Curriculum | Spring Curriculum
HU 125 Learning Communities
Life in 144 Characters or Less
Using social media as a foundation, this course teaches students to think (critically and creatively), to speak up, to form and express your thoughtful opinions, to engage in productive discussion, to get excited, to seek out and consider other points of view and critically evaluate and interpret information. Specific objectives include the following:
1. To develop a general understanding of the principles and elements of critical thinking, and to put these into practice.
2. To become aware of and articulate the processes by which we interpret the information that bombards us all on a daily basis.
3. To develop and improve college-level communication skills, including the development of thoughtful and defensible opinion statements, the marshaling of effective and appropriate support for interpretations, and structuring/delivering a credible argument.
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Benefits:
As a student in a Learning Community, you will experience the following benefits:
- A $1000 Learning Community scholarship.
- An ePortfolio that reflects and documents growth and development through your Lake Erie College experience. The process will focus on the integration of coursework, out-of-class experience (leadership, service and other activities) and academic/career development. Special attention will be given to the competencies or experiences those employers, graduate and professional schools indicate as most important. Students producing the strongest portfolios in the HU111 course will receive an iPad (or similar product), and will have their work displayed at the year-end event.
- Additional academic programming or travel as offered by faculty and guest experts.
- Social gatherings for students involved in the Learning Communities.
For more information:learningcommunities@lec.edu
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