A learning community is a set of three or four classes grouped around a common theme. For    example, a community might include a Bible, English and speech course. The same students are enrolled in the same sections of all three of the courses. While the course content will not address parallel topics for the enitre semester, the teachers of these courses will work together to help students recognize and understand how the knowledge gained in each course relates to the learning that is going on in the other courses. Some communities may plan special group service projects or identify other opportunities to apply learning from all three courses.

ACU began using learning communities in select freshman courses in 1997. Enrollment in learning communities is voluntary on the part of students. However, if a student chooses to be a part of a learning community, the student automatically enrolls in all three or four courses of that learning community.

For faculty members, teaching in a learning community is also a voluntary action. Teachers work together in a learning community because they see the value of learning communities and want to collaborate with the other disciplines in the learning community they have chosen.