The Collaborative Learning Communities (CLC) program was supported by the Title III grant and CLEAR, and began in Fall 2012. CLCs were comprised of small groups of faculty, staff, and students with passion for a certain aspect of teaching and learning at UNT. These groups collaborated throughout the 2012-13 academic year to design small acts (steps toward their dream) that could be implemented immediately. The CLC offered a chance to focus on what participants feel strongly about and a chance to help make it happen.

The kick-off retreat was held on September 14, 2012 and featured Dr. Milt Cox from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

The main focus of this project was “Student Success” through engagement and high expectations. Because these communities were based on the passions of individual community members, the discrete focus of each group and their anticipated measures of success was determined by the groups themselves at the first retreat. There was a strong focus on strengthening student/faculty/staff relationships.

Faculty Book Clubs
Faculty Book Clubs offered an opportunity for faculty to discuss their teaching with colleagues from across the campus.  In Fall, 2011, CLEAR launched book clubs for small communities of faculty representing multiple disciplines and departments.   The first book selected was a 2010 Jossey Bass publication:  How Learning Works:  7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching by Ambrose, S., Bridges, M.W., DePietro, M., Lovett, M.C. and Norman, M.K.   This book, written by staff from the Carnegie Mellon Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence, forms the basis of their website which contains many further useful resources.  The book offered faculty an opportunity to share with colleagues from different disciplines and enrich their own experiences.  Groups of 5-6 participants scheduled their own meetings and appointed a facilitator or decided to share that role among group members.