Talking Stick - November/December 2011 - 22

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So what is a logic model? According to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide, a logic model is a “systematic and visual way to present and share your understanding of the relationships among the resources you have to operate your program, the activities you plan, and the changes or results you hope to achieve.” The core components of logic models are the planned work and the intended results of that planned work. The planned work is best described by the inputs, resources, and investments necessary to achieve the intended outcomes. In the case of a new living-learning community (LLC), these investments could include time, fiscal resources, facilities, technology, equipment, and staffing. The outputs could include programs, classes, workshops, speakers, and collaborative relationships with academic affairs. The intended results are best described by the short-term, intermediate, and

working. Who are the stakeholders and partners for this? What is it designed to accomplish? Where does it fit in the broader organizational strategic goals and culture? The answers to these questions will help you bring stakeholders together to come to a common understanding of what a new program or initiative will look like, laying a foundation for success.

using logiC moDels to Create living-learning Communities
Logic models are useful tools which become more useful as they are applied to all programs in a system, helping staff see how programs interact and complement one another. The University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign used a logic model to help plan a living-learning community that was intended to occupy a unit of space in a residence hall of at least one

Four communities, each of them focused on a different theme – international, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), diversity, and health professions – were clustered in the same residential complex in order to take advantage of the overlaps in mission, activities, and available resources. An obvious benefit of the overlap was being able to implement an important program like new student orientation, a two-day program to introduce new students to the LLC and the campus. By clustering these communities, logistical aspects like mailings, registration, and communication could be handled centrally. Also, costly programmatic elements like meals could be handled once rather than four times. This kind of clustering works without blurring the unique focus of each community. Each one has a scholar-in-residence program that helps

the sIze Of the clustereD cOmmunIty Is alsO an aDVantage; thOugh a schOlar-In-resIDence prOgram may nOt be fInancIally VIable fOr a small cOmmunIty Of 120 Or 240 resIDents, It Is feasIble fOr a cOmmunIty Of 450.
floor and would provide bed spaces for both men and women. Because of the very limited amount of coed bed space, they projected that LLCs would grow in units of 100 beds. The logic model for the community considered programs, services, outputs, and immediate outcomes. The result was a critical mass of courses, programs, services, and a level of student interest that justified a residence hall-sized LLC of 450-500 students, with unique programmatic foci on 100 residents.

long-term outcomes and the impact that these outcomes will have both on campus and beyond. In short, logic models allow us to focus on data-driven decision making and as a result can be counted on as a strategic and adaptive planning tool that has the distinct advantage of also being inexpensive. Prior to creating a logic model, asking questions about the program or project is critical, since the model will work only if the program or project is
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to expose residents to experts within the LLC focus. For example, a representative of Doctors Without Borders, Mary Lightfine, was able to address specific topics of the health professions while at the same time addressing all four LLCs. The size of the clustered community is also an advantage; though a scholarin-residence program may not be financially viable for a small community of 120 or 240 residents, it is feasible for a community of 450. A larger pool

Talking Stick - November/December 2011

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