September 13-14 - Nebraska State College System

8.2.-3
Wayne State College
President’s Report
September 2007
Building on a Successful Model:
Wayne State’s Unique Learning Community Format Expands
Wayne State extended its highly successful learning community format to Grand Island for the
fall 2007 semester, expanding the college’s innovative Masters of Science in Education:
Curriculum and Instruction program to the western edge of its 46-county service area. The
newest learning community site, Grand Island, joins the Blair, Fremont, Neligh, Norfolk, Sioux
City and South Sioux City communities in attracting education professionals from all over
Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas and South Dakota for the most innovative masters program in the
college’s region.
Mary Moseman, an English teacher at Fremont High School, typifies educators’ response to the
program. “This has changed the way I teach,” Moseman said. “My classroom is now studentcentered
and the kids love to come and share their experiences with their peers. Even those
who say they used to hate English and not understand or do well in it, now say they love to
come to class and enjoy learning. They’ve found success in my room -- largely due to the
concepts the learning community has given me.”
Wayne State began its learning community format in 2003 in Fremont and Sioux City/South
Sioux City. From an initial group of 127 students, the program has grown to more than 640
students who have completed or are currently completing requirements for the program.
Retention until graduation is more than 95 percent, eclipsing national masters in education
program completion rates, which range from 38 percent to 83 percent.
“The learning community is a support system for lifelong learners that provides opportunities to
share educational knowledge and experience, emotional support and friendship,” Moseman
continued. “The core values of the program promote honesty and openness. It is problem
solving, critical thinking, growing, sharing, caring, accountability, trust and inspiration all at the
same time. The learning community must be experienced firsthand to truly understand its
strength – it’s almost impossible to explain how it works.”
The success of the MSE Curriculum and Instruction communities drives Wayne State’s plan to
create a learning community for the Masters in Counseling program, which the college aims to
have running by January 2008. This program will capitalize on the college’s success and
reputation among educators in our region to provide a high-quality, affordable program tailored
to the needs of those already working in a variety of counseling careers.
In addition to the counseling program, Wayne State launched an experimental learning
community in school administration in spring 2007 in Sioux City/South Sioux City. Twenty-two
students are on track to graduate from that program in spring 2009.
Steve Rector, school district superintendent in South Sioux City, has seen firsthand the benefits
of Wayne State’s learning community format. One hundred seventy-four teachers from the
Sioux City/South Sioux City area have graduated from the program since 2003. Eighty-six
teachers are still in the pipeline to receive their MSE learning community degrees.
“I strongly encourage teachers who are considering an advanced degree in curriculum and
instruction to investigate the learning community format available through Wayne State
College,” Rector said. “First, the program itself will result in stronger teachers with special