June 27, 2013

Students from various disciplines within the College of Nursing and Health Professions live with one another on Drexel’s Main Campus in the Learning Community, supporting each other in a variety of ways throughout their academic and extracurricular careers. “This is the right time to talk about the Learning Community and increase awareness,” said Rachel Fretz, an academic advisor in the BSN Co-op Program and CNHP’s champion of the Learning Community model. The College of Nursing and Health Professions’ Learning Community educates students through academic exploration, social interaction, and integration into the global community.

“The CNHP Learning Community provided me with the opportunity to form lasting friendships with nursing and health profession cohorts that will last a lifetime,” said Lauren Schoppet, a 2013 graduate of the Learning Community. “It was not only a place where I could share my passion for nursing and related health fields, but also served as a support system during my freshman year of college.” Schoppet’s experience inspired her to create the Peer Mentor Program within the Learning Community, which complements the community experience and further supports CNHP students in their transition into college life both academically and socially. “I am extraordinarily gratefully for the Learning Community and the opportunities it has afforded my peers and me,” she ended.

Prospective CNHP freshman students who are interested in living in the learning community must fill out an online application when they apply for University housing. Those applications are reviewed by Rachel Fretz, and selected nursing and health professions students are invited to live together in Myers Hall with a Resident Assistant who is also a CNHP student. Learning Community students participate in the Mentor-Mentee Program, attend health professions field trips, receive tutoring, participate in study groups and workshops, engage with the larger community, and have opportunities for both formal and informal interaction with the Dean, program chairs, faculty and advisors.

The first Learning Community cohort of eight students began in 2006. Since that time, the Learning Community has grown to include about 35 students from various majors in the College of Nursing and Health Professions who exhibit academic excellence and a commitment to civic engagement. Students who have completed the Learning Community experience participate in leadership roles throughout the university and within the College, such as in student government, as student ambassadors, in student mentoring programs, and as tutors and volunteers.