McAnulty College of Liberal ArtsDuquesne University

2013-2014

Personae Learning Community

LEARNING COMMUNITIES AT DUQUESNE• Duquesne offers

several learning communities…

• Each features a unique identity and theme …

• Around which courses, activities, and learning goals are structured.

Personae

Fides

Orbis

Ratio

Populus

Civitas

Narratio

Judicium

PERSONAE LEARNING COMMUNITY

Personae is one of the learning communities you may select from

----------------------The name, personae, comes from the

Latin, meaning “mask”, and referred to the “roles” played in a drama

---------------------------Hence, in Personae, we are concerned with the personalities, parts, roles, and characters that shape who we are: as

persons and as members of social groups.

Each learning community focuses on different themes, concerns, or

questions…

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT GUIDE OUR LEARNING IN

PERSONAE?

QUESTIONS WE ASK IN PERSONAE• What are attitudes, beliefs, and values; and how are

they formed personally in one’s self and in others? • How are differences between persons formed, and

how can I acknowledge, respect, and bridge differences?

• What is immigration and what are the common aspects across different migration experiences and circumstances? What are the limits and possibilities of cultural integration, marginalization, and assimilation?

• How do others shape my roles and responsibilities? What is personal identity? What are the interconnections between roles, relationships, and identity? What roles do I play in my world of family, friends, education, work, community?

• What is cultural identity and why should people care about it? What is my cultural identity and how aware am I of my cultural, ethnic, and racial backgrounds?

The classes that address those questions and make up the PERSONAE Learning Community

Fall 2013

Interpersonal Communication(3)

Thinking and

Writing (3)

Introduction to Psychology (3)

Research and Info Skills (1)

Spring 2014

Theological Views of

the Person (3)

Imaginative Literature &Critical

Writing (3)

MEMBERS OF THE PERSONAE LEARNING COMMUNITY WILL:

Take classes together as a cohort

Extend learning through visits to cultural sites, film viewings, panel discussions, etc.

Conduct a meaningful service learning project

Share residential space with your cohort

Complete integrated assignments that span more than one Personae course

Concentrate on an organizing theme that applies across the Personae curriculum

Our Service Learning Community Partner

Allegheny Intermediate Unit (aiu)– English as a Second Language

Personae student at AIU, picture courtesy of Sila Ozkara

Help ESL StudentsBe an in-class assistant during ESLclasses for immigrantsand refugees.Help to increase theircommunication skills,make cultural adjustments, and navigate community resources.

Personae student at AIU, picture courtesy of Sila Ozkara

A Former Student’s Perspective

With an open mind, a keen heart, and a desire to help, it is us who can make this service learning project an enjoyable, memorable, and a life changing experience- Shreya Vaishnav, Fall 2011

Personae student at AIU, picture courtesy of Sila Ozkara

SO …….IF

YOU WANT

TO …

…JOIN PERSONAE

Ask the big questions Explore relationships Connect with people

Serve your community

Learn more about personal roles and responsibilities