a variety of curricular approaches that intentionally link or cluster two or more courses, often around an interdisciplinary theme or problem, and enroll a common cohort of students. They represent an intentional restructuring of students' time, credit, and learning experiences to build community, enhance learning, and foster connections among students and their teachers, and among disciplines. At their best, learning communities practice pedagogies of active engagement and reflection. (p.20)

Learning communities involve collaboration not only across academic disciplines but also among other institutional resources that serve student needs. Departments such as academic affairs, student development, and the library offer services and skills that contribute to students' experience of higher education and to their success.

Learning Communities began at Kingsborough Community College in 1995 with the Intensive ESL Program, a program which annually serves approximately 10 cohorts of up to 25 first-semester ESL students who take five linked courses: ESL, Speech, two Student Development courses, and a General Education course such as Psychology, History, or Sociology. The Opening Doors Program grew out of a Perkins Grant project which started in 2001 with 4 learning communities. Currently, Opening Doors Learning Communities, offers 30 learning communities each semester and serves over 1,200 incoming freshmen annually. In this program, three courses - English, Student Development, and a General Education course - are linked. By 2010, Kingsborough hopes to expand freshman learning communities to 40 cohorts, in order to serve 80% of incoming freshmen. In addition, Kingsborough is currently piloting Career Focused Learning Communities, for students who are not incoming freshmen. These learning communities are designed for career oriented students who are pursuing A.A.S. degrees in programs such as Business or Early Childhood Education. Second Semester learning communities link two required courses in a particular major with an Integrative Seminar.

Linked courses are block programmed, and instructors collaborate to identify common themes around which materials, activities, and assignments can be created. Library faculty are often part of this collaboration.

Students in all learning communities are offered extensive support to help them become part of the Kingsborough community, make a smooth transition into college life, and succeed academically. For example, instructors of the Student Development course in Opening Doors serve as students' case managers; in the Intensive ESL Program, Student Development instructors are academic advisors. Students in the Intensive ESL Program and those in Opening Doors who are in the lowest developmental English courses have scheduled time in the Reading and Writing Center, working with tutors who also sit in on classes once per week. Students in the Second Semester Program are offered supplemental instruction via small group or one-on-one support by Kingsborough faculty.