The Learning Community (TLC) participants will have the opportunity to begin their journey to success at LMU through a multitude of activities, course exhibitions and workshops. Though TLC begins the summer prior to the start of LMU's fall semester, TLC’s year-long program is an enriching and fulfilling experience. The TLC Program consists of two primary elements:
Summer Program
Are you ready to get a head start on your first year at LMU? As participants in the TLC summer program, students spend two weeks on campus prior to the start of the academic year. Participation in the TLC summer program helps students become familiar with the campus and its resources, which will create a smooth transition into the first year at LMU. Participants will also experience college life and have the opportunity to explore the L.A. area for cultural and community awareness, participate in community service projects, and much more.
During the two-week summer program, TLC participants will experience what a typical day in college feels like while meeting key administrators and engaging in excursions throughout the greater L.A. area.
Leadership Development
- Take an African American studies course that enables students to locate themselves in the broader context of the struggle for cultural and intellectual self-determination and social justice transformation through education.
- Get a head start on one of two one-unit courses through the Ignatian Leadership Institute.
Mentoring and Networking
- Participants receive one-on-one mentoring with the TLC program coordinator, resident director and resident advisors.
- Networking engagement and mentorship opportunities with faculty, staff, LMU's African-American Alumni Association and community members.
Service Learning and Engagement
- Introduction to service learning initiatives at LMU and in the L.A. community.
- Opportunities to take part in various initiatives and service projects.
Professional Development
- Professional development, etiquette and networking workshops with Career and Professional Development.
- One-on-one networking and mentorship with current LMU students, alumni, faculty and staff.
Academic and Co-Curricular Awareness
- Participate in program workshops and activities to prepare you for life in college;
- Learn about key resources, faculty and staff at LMU;
- Learn how to navigate the LMU campus;
- Get a head start on your academic goals and aspirations.
Cultural Awareness
- Cultural excursions in the greater L.A. area
- Participate in community programs and activities.
- Try different cultural cuisines and art forms.
First-Year Fall and Spring Program
As a participant in the TLC program, you will take a cohort-based leadership course and develop a personal leadership profile during your first academic year. In addition, you will receive individualized mentorship/advisement and invitations to special engagements as well as take part in various academic and co-curricular activities. Members of the TLC cohort are supported by the TLC staff and other cohort members through exclusive year-long opportunities.
Leadership Development
- Take two one-unit courses through the Ignatian Leadership Institute. TLC participants will demonstrate value-based and collaborative leadership through the social change model, articulate what it means to be a leader and effectively express their personal leadership philosophy and style. Completion of both courses will earn participants special recognition at the end of the academic year
- Leadership in action activities where participants apply what they have learned in the classroom into practice
Mentoring and Networking
- Participants receive one-on-one mentoring with the TLC program coordinator.
- Networking engagement and mentorship opportunities with faculty, staff, LMU's African-American Alumni Association and community members.
Service Learning and Engagement
- Participation in service learning experiences such as community service experiences.
- Volunteer with the Family of Schools, Lion For A Day programs that exposes high school students to college life.
- Exposure to various service organizations at LMU and in the local community.
Academic and Co-Curricular Awareness
- Participation in program workshops and activities;
- Study lounges;
- TLC family mixers;
- Brother to brother/sister to sister conversations;
- Black History Month programs;
- Snack Shack Study Break;
- Encouragement to get involved in student clubs and organizations;
- Recognition at the TLC End Of Year Banquet;
After Your First Year
Beyond the first year at LMU, TLC participants will have the opportunity to engage with the program in numerous ways. This objective sets the expectation that, as a community member of the TLC community, students will continue to engage with other members of the TLC community beyond their first year, including engagement with subsequent cohorts as alumni of the program. As learned in the first year, students will utilize their self-knowledge and cultural awareness to be active participants in the TLC, LMU, Black and great L.A. communities.
TLC Testimonials
“TLC provided my son an ideal transition from high school to college life. The foundation and resources he received were invaluable. TLC is a major factor in his success at LMU.” - Hon. Irma Brown-Dillon ’70, JD ’73, TLC Parent
"The TLC Program provided my daughter with the tools to succeed in life and to stand with pride and confidence with her beliefs. She felt and currently still feels a sense of family with the LMU community. As a parent, I’m eternally grateful for a program that supported my daughter throughout her four years at the University." – Julia Lopez, TLC Parent
"Being an out of state student, TLC gave me a sense of belonging and a moral obligation to give back to the community in which I am a part of. It truly charged me to step up as a leader in the Black community, LMU community, and greater L.A. community." - Ashley Watterson ’13, Asian Pacific Studies (San Antonio, Texas)