Student Learning Communities

Get to know your major, fellow students, and professors in our Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management (ESPM) Student Learning Community.

The University of Minnesota can seem like a big place, so it's important to find ways to build connections with others and make it feel smaller. This can happen many ways. For instance, you can live in a residence hall, join a student organization, or participate on an intramural sports team. Students in our Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management (ESPM) major will find additional support in creating their niche at the University through our ESPM Student Learning Community.

Direct Links

• SMART Learning Commons
• St. Paul Campus Career Center
• Learning Abroad Center
  

What is the ESPM Student Learning Community?

Our ESPM Student Learning Community is part of a broader initiative in the College of Agricultural , Food and Environmental Sciences/Natural Resources that is geared toward promoting Student Success. Open to all incoming ESPM students, our learning community strives to build connections with students and professors while providing opportunities for special advising, career exploration, and social activities. It also provides a solid foundation for accessing the many academic and support resources available at the University.

For incoming freshman, our ESPM Student Learning Community has a number of key features:

• ESPM 1001: Orientation to Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management
  This course is geared as an introduction to the major, College, and University. It promotes first-year survival skills by introducing you to university resources and services like the SMART Learning Commons , St. Paul Campus Career Center , and Learning Abroad Center . It also includes a variety of activities geared toward exploring the ESPM major and associated career paths. Throughout the course, opportunities to get to know your classmates as well as key ESPM professors and staff are emphasized.

• Courses in Common Registration Option
  During your first year at the University, you'll take many of your general classes like math and biology. To ensure that you see some friendly faces in these larger lectures, we reserve specific lab and discussion sections for ESPM students. So in addition to ESPM 1001, you'll likely see the same students in your freshman composition, chemistry, and math classes. Students who participated in this registration option in the past thought Courses in Common was extremely helpful in forming lasting friendships and creating study groups. They also said it made the large lectures seem much smaller.

• Incoming ESPM Student Retreat
  Held the first or second weekend after classes start in September, the goal of this overnight retreat is to help you get to know other incoming ESPM students as well as several key professors in the program. Through a mix of large and small groups, you'll have the chance to participate in team building activities, try your hand at survey techniques during field tours, and explore environmental issues. Past retreat locations have included local YMCA Camps as well as the Cloquet Forestry Center in northern Minnesota .

• ESPM Peer Mentor
  College is very different from high school, and the transition can sometimes be tough to make. Our ESPM peer mentors are upper-division students in the program who are available to help make the transition easier. No question or problem is too big or too small-they help with everything from registration questions to advice on dealing with problematic roommates.

Transfer Student?

Transfer students often have different needs compared to those of incoming freshmen, and their student learning community experience will vary depending on the individual and previous college history. However, relationship building with students and professors as well as tapping into University resources remain key themes.

Why participate in the ESPM Student Learning Community?

Research indicates that students who participate in student learning communities are more likely to be satisfied with their undergraduate experience and graduate in a timely manner. In addition, our ESPM Student Learning Community helps you develop faculty-to-student and student-to-student relationships inside and outside of class; research shows these two types of relationships are among the most important factors in becoming a successful college student.