Learning Commons Provides Academic Services to Students

Loras College has rebranded its academic support services as The Learning Commons and moved it to a more prominent location on campus.

Formerly known as “Headwaters,” the Loras academic support services were relocated from the lower level of the Miller Academic Resource Center to the ground floor, making it more easily accessible to students.

The rebranding of the student service has been in discussions for a couple of years, continually resurfacing during planning meetings for other academic offerings.

“The new name makes very clear that this is a welcoming environment of support and learning,” Sarah Glover, Ph.D., associate dean of instruction & assessment, said. “It is more easily understandable to students exactly what it is. Combined with the new location, it is much more accessible than before.”

Glover served on the taskforce to rename the service, along with Naomi Clark, Ph.D., assistant professor of English; Deone Merkel, instructor of communication arts; Dan Mulligan, academic success coordinator; Matt Rissler, Ph.D., associate professor of mathematics; and Miriam Wolf, Ph.D., academic counselor. They considered more than 20 options before settling on the final name.

“It was remarkably instantaneous,” Glover explained. “Of all those names, Learning Commons quickly rose to the top.”

The Learning Commons offers multiple support options for students at all levels. The Writing Center, math assistance and support and retention services are available to all students looking to support or enhance their education.

“We have already seen an increase in traffic in the Learning Center with these changes, so it is encouraging to see more students utilizing the services,” Glover said.