For the Love of Learning Communities

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Welcome to Episode 6 of For The Love of Learning Communities, the podcast where we celebrate the fun, the friendships, and the magic of Learning Communities in higher education! Here, we will dive into the stories and the sparks of joy that make learning communities the best part of the college experience.

In this Episode, our guest is Jeffrey Thomas, Professor of Biology at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina. Queens University is hosting the 2026 National Learning Communities Conference (https://www.queens.edu/academics/nlcc-2026/) and in this episode, Jeff gives a preview of what to expect at the conference and things to do in Charlotte while attending. Jeff also talks about integrating Learning Communities into the General Education curriculum at Queens, ways to facilitate strong faculty partnerships, and moments of great student learning.

This Podcast is sponsored by the National Learning Communities Association. This episode is co-hosted by Amy Cooper and Amy Lorenz.

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Welcome to Episode 5 of For The Love of Learning Communities, the podcast where we celebrate the fun, the friendships, and the magic of Learning Communities in higher education! Here, we will dive into the stories and the sparks of joy that make learning communities the best part of the college experience.

In this Episode, our guest is Dr. Terry Novak, recently retired Professor of English and former Director of Learning Communities at Johnson & Wales University. Terry is also longtime member of the Atlantic Center for Learning Communities leadership team. In this episode, Terry discusses the Community Service Learning work she and her faculty partners do in their Learning Community, the ways she works to develop connections and build strong partnerships between Learning Community faculty partners, what she has learned from her students, and why you should attend the Atlantic Center for Learning Communities retreat in West Hartford, CT from October 14-16, 2026 (https://atlanticcenterforlearningcommunities.org/).

This Podcast is sponsored by the National Learning Communities Association. This episode is co-hosted by George J. Hill and Amy Lorenz.

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Welcome to Episode 4 of For The Love of Learning Communities, the podcast where we celebrate the fun, the friendships, and the magic of Learning Communities in higher education! Here, we will dive into the stories and the sparks of joy that make learning communities the best part of the college experience.

In this Episode, our guest is Pamela Bandyopadhyay, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Hudson County Community College. "Dean Pam," as she is known at HCCC, shares a little about the Learning Community program that she oversees, including details about the Learning Community Day, the awards students receive from the program for work in Learning Communities, and how she cultivates strong collaborative support for Learning Communities from administration, faculty, and staff. She talks about how supporting Learning Communities is a labor of love, and shares some insights for practitioners looking to grow their Learning Community programs.

This Podcast is sponsored by the National Learning Communities Association. This episode is co-hosted by Amy Cooper and Amy Lorenz.

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Welcome to Episode 3 of For The Love of Learning Communities, the podcast where we celebrate the fun, the friendships, and the magic of Learning Communities in higher education! Here, we will dive into the stories and the sparks of joy that make learning communities the best part of the college experience.

In this Episode, our guest is Sonja Rodiger-Radovic, Assistant Professor of ESL at Hudson County Community College. Sonja teaches ESL Reading Comprehension and Speech in a Learning Community that is connected to a Sociology class. In this interview, she shares her insights on what makes teaching ESL in a Learning Community a better experience for students, and for her as an instructor. She talks about giving students opportunities to learn together, to demonstrate what they have learned, and to break away from learning in isolation.

This Podcast is sponsored by the National Learning Communities Association. This episode is hosted by Amy Cooper and co-hosted by George J. Hill (Hudson County Community College).

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Welcome to Episode 2 of For The Love of Learning Communities, the podcast where we celebrate the fun, the friendships, and the magic of Learning Communities in higher education! Here, we will dive into the stories and the sparks of joy that make learning communities the best part of the college experience.

In this Episode, our guest is Janine Graziano, Past President of the National Learning Communities Association, and Professor of English at Kingsborough Community College. Janine reflects on her teaching style, techniques for building community and relationships in her classroom and in Learning Communities, and the future of Learning Communities in the face of A.I.

This Podcast is sponsored by the National Learning Communities Association. This episode is hosted by George J. Hill (Hudson County Community College) and co-hosted by Dr. Amy Lorenz (University of North Florida).

Hey! I'd love to hear your thoughts, send me a voice note.

Welcome to Episode 1 of For The Love of Learning Communities, the podcast where we celebrate the fun, the friendships, and the magic of Learning Communities in higher education! Here, we will dive into the stories and the sparks of joy that make learning communities the best part of the college experience.

In this Episode, our guest is Rachel Singer, who worked for many years at Kingsborough Community College and Achieving the Dream to, amongst other things, develop and sustain Learning Communities. Rachel discusses her career and experience working collaboratively with faculty, staff, and administration to build the Opening Doors Learning Communities at Kingsborough, and shares some insights for elements that make Learning Communities special.

This Podcast is sponsored by the National Learning Communities Association. This episode is hosted by Dr. Amy Lorenz (University of North Florida) and co-hosted by George J. Hill (Hudson County Community College.)