This learning community focuses on writing and community service. Through serving others, we can learn a great deal about our community and ourselves. You will learn how to be a successful, involved student by volunteering through the first year experience course (CAS 100) and its accompanying service-learning class (CAS 190). You will write about your experiences in all three classes while learning how to sharpen your writing skills in your English course (EH 101).

Do you want to make a difference by improving the quality of life in your local area? This learning community is for students who are interested in any health or social sciences. Sociology is an excellent place to begin understanding different groups of people. You will learn about how our collective experience shapes our health and the health of our environment. This community requires the first year experience course (CAS 100) and an Introduction to Sociology class (SY 109).

Through time, people have interacted with each other, their environment, and the world around them. Learn about the physical composition of our planet, how we used available raw materials, and advanced from simple stone tool technologies to the wonders of civilization and modern technology. This learning community is comprised of required courses for the College of Arts and Sciences and is of special interest to students majoring in Anthropology, Geology, History, or Sociology. Courses include CAS 100, AN 101, and GY 111 + GY 111 L.

The theme of this learning community includes personal fitness, wellness concepts, and prescriptive training techniques. Cardiovascular-respiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance, body composition, stress, exercise and injury prevention, and nutrition concepts are discussed and evaluated to help students develop a well-rounded healthy lifestyle. If you are looking for a way to make sure you don’t gain the “freshman 10”, this community is for you! Courses include Personal Health (HS 262) and Concepts of Health and Fitness (PE 100).

Race remains an important issue in American society, and while progress has been made in eliminating divisions and inequities, much remains to be done. In this learning community we will explore the historical and social foundations behind the current state of race relations in the US, while also investigating potential avenues for improving relations here in Mobile. This community includes the required first year experience course (CAS 100) and African American Studies (AFR 101).

You will have your curiosity piqued, critical thinking sharpened, and a chance to show your compassion in this three-course (6 credit hour) learning community. Topics will range from fun, such as the evidence for Bigfoot and dowsing, to the serious, including human race and homelessness. You will find a helpful integrated class experience and a rewarding service component. Think your way through topics that impact humans in society and make a difference in the lives of people! Courses include the required first year experience course (CAS 100) and Social Problems (SY 112).

This community is excellent for students majoring in Psychology, most of the Health Professions, or anyone with an interest in learning more about why we behave the way we do. Psychology (PSY 120) provides a survey of the basic theories, concepts, principles, and research findings in the field of psychology. The first year experience course (CAS 100) includes the knowledge and tools you need to be successful at USA. These integrated courses will also emphasize information literacy and critical thinking skills.

"Investigating Our World" is a year‐long learning community that welcomes students who are interested in considering the many forces that shape our society, politically, economically, historically, and culturally. Fall 2012, the first year experience course (CAS 100) will provide college readiness and encourage students to think about the questions and issues raised in Introduction to US Government (PSC 130) and Introduction to Criminal Justice (CJ 205) on a global level. Spring 2013, students will continue their exploration of driving social forces, especially in terms of types of representations in Art History II (ARH 123) and Introduction to Gender Studies (GS 101). This learning community will help students gain a knowledge base that will be helpful, if not essential, after graduation as increasingly, a variety of professional fields demand such competency. All of these courses except CJ 205 fulfill general education requirements in the College of Arts and Sciences. CJ 205 counts toward a minor/major in Criminal Justice, or can count as elective credit in the College of Arts and Sciences.

"The Sands of Time" is a year‐long learning community for students who are interested in exploring the foundations of our world, scientifically and historically, as well as its written and visual representations. Fall 2012 students will enroll in History of Western Civilization I (HY 101), Physical Geology (GY 111 and GY 111L), and CAS 100, which will provide college readiness, as well as begin to reflect on how our current world was shaped centuries and even millennia ago.

This community is intended for students interested in history and international studies. Students will enroll in a FYE course, HY 102, History of Western Civilization II, and a foreign language course (students can take the first semester of any language offered, or a higher level course if they have previous knowledge). Students will explore the many forces that shape our society and learn to think about their place in a global community, as well as what it means to be a well-informed, critically engaged citizen of the world.

This community is intended for those interested in foreign languages and cultures. The FYE course will be taught by a faculty member in the Foreign Languages and Literatures department, and tie together what students learn in HY 101, the History of Western Civilization I, and LG 110, World Languages, in which students explore the development and evolution of languages over time.

We are a powerful learning community!
We understand the influence of student voice.

Through tuition, consumerism, and student activism, students continue to influence higher education in a big way. Learn how to balance advocacy and inquiry through practice, conviction and leadership. This unique experience will allow students to peek into the industry of higher education and study notable “voices” that have paved the road for industry leaders. Our campus benefits from your perspective- how will you make a difference?