Kean Expands Learning Communities to Transform Freshman Experience

Freshmen at Kean University will take their first steps into college with more hands-on learning and community engagement than ever before under an expanded program designed to transform introductory courses and help students persist to graduation. 

This fall, more than half of the incoming Class of 2029 will join the University’s redesigned General Education Learning Communities program, which connects students in themed cohorts focused on topics such as wellness and sustainability.  

The program is built to foster meaningful relationships, ease the transition to college, and encourage collaboration between students and faculty both inside and outside the classroom. 

“We learned a great deal from the pilot,” said Bridie Chapman, Ph.D., acting associate dean of the Division of General Education and Interdisciplinary Studies at Kean. “Students reported a better sense of bonding with other students and faculty. They also felt a sense of excitement about learning.” 

Data from a successful pilot last year showed participants were less likely to earn poor grades or miss assignments, and more likely to remain enrolled. Students also shared strong personal feedback. 

“It made me feel like I belonged,” said one student. 

“The transition from high school wasn’t as scary with people always around to support us,” another commented. 

The Learning Communities program, launched by Kean’s Division of General Education and Interdisciplinary Studies (DGEIS), supports the University’s commitment to eliminating equity gaps as part of EAB’s Moon Shot for Social & Economic Mobility. It is also a key element of Kean’s broader effort to redesign the General Education curriculum to build stronger connections and improve academic outcomes for first-year students. 

This year, the program includes most freshmen in the College of Business and Public Management, students in select majors within the College of Liberal Arts and the Dorothy and George Hennings College of Science, Mathematics and Technology, as well as undecided students. 

Kean Associate Provost for Faculty Development Laura Baecher, Ed.D., who supported DGEIS during the creation of the program and taught a pilot section of English composition, said the communities “forged caring relationships that made students feel connected.” 

Looking ahead, Baecher said the goal is to expand the program to all freshmen “to create a sense of belonging, connection to Kean and their peers, and to the topics they will be studying. Faculty also reported a greater sense of community among each other as they co-planned around common themes.” 

The 2025 Learning Community themes are migration, civic engagement, wellness, sustainability and urban education. Each student will take two General Education courses in different disciplines under the same theme during the first semester, co-planned by two instructors for an integrated learning experience. 

Off-campus activities will include trips to Kean Skylands campus, Liberty State Park and the Newark Museum of Art, as well as on-campus programs such as Common Read author events and research in the Kean archives. 

“The Learning Communities courses are primarily taught by full-time faculty,” said Sara Compion, Ph.D., director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies. 

Karen Woodruff, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Education, taught Intro to Sustainability Science during the pilot and said the experience was rewarding for everyone involved. 

“Starting college as a freshman can feel overwhelming. The cohort approach offers a built-in support system to help students succeed,” Woodruff said. 

She added that collaborating with faculty from other departments enriches the teaching experience. 

“The diverse perspectives my colleagues bring to course design and implementation make my work as a professor even more dynamic and fulfilling,” she said.