Concurrent Session E

Thursday, Nov. 12 – 4:15-5:15 p.m.

You’re Not Alone: A Faculty Guide to Supporting and Referring Students in Distress

Amy Lorenz | Carolina D

Faculty are often the first to notice when a student is struggling, but knowing what to do next can feel unclear. When does a concern rise to the level of referral to another campus office? What is your role in supporting a student, and where are the boundaries? What actually happens after you submit a report? This session is designed for faculty and staff who want a clearer understanding of how to respond to students experiencing significant challenges, including mental health concerns, concerning behaviors, and potential policy or safety issues. Without assuming specific institutional structures, this session introduces a general framework for recognizing concerning behaviors, making appropriate referrals (e.g., CARE teams, Title IX, counseling, law enforcement, student conduct), and understanding the broader campus response. Participants will leave with practical strategies for responding to students with care while staying within appropriate professional boundaries.

AI Crossover Prompting to Discover and Refresh Learning Community Activities for Gen Alpha/AI Native Learners

Miguel Fernandez | Carolina E

This session will showcase AI prompting applied to discover crossover activities to prep and ‘upgrade’ Learning Community activities and assignments for the upcoming AI Natives of Gen Alpha and their expectation of personalized, cross-disciplinary, agile, non-siloed learning. Generative AI can find in-common, adjacent hot topic activities at the ‘speed dating’ phase of LC partnering; it can explore redesigning & refining ‘in-commons’ between courses. Strategically, AI crossover prompting can be applied to brainstorm, (re)design, scaffold, and/or strengthen projects or lessons for linked, integrated, or contextualized courses, leaving instructors with ample and timely choices to curate into updated, upcoming, or proposed course pairings.

Scaling Success: Expanding Living Learning Communities to Serve Every First-Year Student

Nadia Eslinger | Mecklenburg 1

How do you scale Living Learning Communities from a small program to a model that serves every first-year student? This interactive session explores UCA’s transition from a few Residential Colleges to a comprehensive LLC structure aligned with majors and meta-majors. Participants will learn about the administrative, academic, and cultural shifts required to support large-scale implementation, including faculty partnerships, course integration, and staffing models. Through guided discussion and problem-solving activities, attendees will examine real challenges and collaborate on strategies to adapt similar approaches at their own institutions. This session is ideal for professionals seeking practical, scalable solutions for expanding or reimagining LC/LLC programs.

Mapping the Invisible Work: Navigating Institutional Complexity in Learning Community Implementation

Leslie Abell | Mecklenburg 2

Learning Communities are often celebrated for their impact on student success, but what does it actually take to make them work, especially as participation structures shift? This session explores the complex, often invisible coordination required to implement Learning Communities across institutional systems. Drawing on experience at a public university where LC participation has evolved from voluntary to incentivized and back again, the presenter introduces an “LC Ecosystem Mapping” framework to help participants visualize and navigate relationships across advising, registrar, faculty, housing, and other key partners. Through a guided, interactive activity, participants will map their own campus ecosystems, identify points of friction, and develop practical strategies for improving alignment. Attendees will leave with a draft map, a reusable worksheet, and actionable ideas to strengthen collaboration in their own contexts.

Quick Talks 5 | Mecklenburg 3

Expanding the BPM Pyramid: Leveraging Industry and Government Relations for LLC Buy-In

Garrett Tur

Coming soon!

From Assessment to Action: Developing an LLC Evaluation Rubric for Continuous Improvement

Jennifer Stephens

Coming soon!