Business Enterprise Community LLP to begin next fall
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Dec. 11, 2013) — As the University of Kentucky’s Living Learning Program (LLP) initiative continues to expand, another unique opportunity will be opening up to students in the Gatton College of Business and Economics for the fall semester of 2014.
The Business Enterprise Community LLP, a partnership between the UK Office of Residence Life and the Gatton College, will be housed in Champions Court 1, another of the new residence halls currently under construction on North Campus.
The Living Learning Program provides students with the opportunity to live and learn with other students in an environment that takes education beyond the traditional classroom. This residential experience offers specialized programming, interactions with UK faculty and staff, and a supportive community that focuses on student success.
Gatton College Leadership Director Shonta Phelps is helping to coordinate the startup of the Business Enterprise Community LLP.
“Our dean, David Blackwell, has been instrumental in the efforts to create this new LLP,” Phelps said. “We are excited for the launch in Aug. 2014 and are currently planning and developing curricular and co-curricular programming for our students who will be part of this community.”
Phelps added that the co-curricular offerings will focus on leadership, community engagement, and professional development. Plus, being in a state-of-the-art residence hall, UK students will be able to take advantage of the newest technology on site along with active learning spaces.
At present, plans call for the Business Enterprise Community LLP to be open to first-year business students only.
“All students must have selected one of five majors in the Gatton College,” Phelps said. “We hope to expand the community to include second-year students in the coming years.”
UK Gatton College Associate Dean of Undergraduate Affairs Scott Kelley believes the new LLP will play a big role in providing students the beginnings of an excellent undergraduate experience right from the start.
“This community within the broader UK campus community will give our students early exposure to business fundamentals and will help build student interest in the functional areas of business,” Kelley said. “We are confident that being part of this LLP will increase student retention and academic success.”
Even though current upperclassmen will not get the chance to participate directly in the new business enterprise LLP, several have expressed their support of the concept.
“I think this LLC will give new Gatton students a sense of community and help them to quickly connect with the college, giving them a comfort level and encouraging their involvement in college activities,” said Gatton Ambassador and Global Scholar Honors Program senior Erin Sheehan, an accounting major and international business minor.
Sophomore Christian Oberst, a Gatton Ambassador and accounting double major with a minor in international business, put it this way: “The LLP will enable students to build strong relationships which will serve as a foundation for future success in and out of college, and will undoubtedly allow students to develop a strong network of like-minded students at an early age.”
Fall 2014 incoming students who are interested in applying to be part of the new UK Business Enterprise Community LLP or who would like additional information can visit uky.edu/Housing/undergraduate/apply.html.
Celebrating its 25th year on campus in fall 2014, the Living Learning Program at UK provides students with an environment to learn where they live and to live where they learn. The Division of Student Affairs Office of Residence Life, creators of the program, collaborated with academic and other student success partners to complement the classroom experience. Through Living Learning Communities and Residential Colleges, UK offers students an opportunity to live and learn together in an integrated academic residential environment.
This dynamic residential experience offers specialized programming, interactions with UK faculty and staff, and a supportive community that focuses on student success. The program has grown exponentially in recent years with 965 students participating in 13 programs this fall. Six more programs will be added in fall 2014, nine times more than in 2008. Click here for more information.
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