Creating a Corporate-backed Living-learning Community on a College Campus

It is important that students gain proper skills and industry-knowledge in order to be successful post-graduation (Darling-Hammond, Wilhoit, & Pittenger, 2014). Research shows that students who live on-campus in a college-themed community are more likely to succeed because of the special programming that they receive (Zhao, C. M., & Kuh, G. D. 2004). However, the students that have to commute to campus do not get the same experience as students living on-campus (Zhao, C. M., & Kuh, G. D. 2004). This project will examine how colleges can integrate some of those fundamentals in the college-themed communities into an all-inclusive academic program to create a Corporate-backed Living-learning Community on a college campus. This project will also explore the impact both students and corporations will receive by participating in a Corporate-backed Living-learning Community. The students who participate will undertake a program that will give them hands-on experience and the skills needed to work in that particular industry. On the other side, corporations will have candidates that are ready to be hired with the full understanding of the corporate culture and industry standards. The quantitative design of this project included a survey to gauge the level of interest of a Corporate-backed Living-learning Community of three stakeholders. These stakeholders are students, faculty, and Corporate Partners. This thesis project will evaluate the needs of employers and students and relate it to the creation of a Corporate-backed Living-learning Community. The central components of this program forms a programmatic structure created with Corporate Partner needs in mind.