A Study Hall is a focused learning space where your campus members can connect, share insights, ask questions, and engage in meaningful discussions around specific topics or cohorts. Think of it as a dedicated room in your Personally Branded Campus where learners gather around shared interests—whether that’s mastering a specific skill, working through a program together, or building peer accountability.
This guide will walk you through setting up your first Study Hall and configuring it to maximize engagement and learning outcomes for your members.
Why This Matters for Your Campus
Study Halls are the foundation of engagement in your Personally Branded Campus. Unlike static courses where students passively consume content alone, Study Halls create active learning communities where:
- Members stay engaged through peer interaction and discussion (boosting completion rates by 3-4x)
- Learning accelerates when members teach each other and share real-world applications
- You facilitate instead of lecturing – your members do the heavy lifting while you guide
- Accountability emerges naturally through visible participation and peer support
For 45+ course creators transitioning from traditional courses to community-led campuses, Study Halls represent the shift from “content delivery” to “learning facilitation.” Your role changes from creating endless video lessons to creating spaces where transformation happens through connection.
Before You Begin
You’ll need:
- Access to your WordPress dashboard where your campus platform is installed
- A clear idea of what topic or cohort this Study Hall will serve
- Basic understanding of who you want to participate (all campus members, specific groups, or invitation-only)
Setting Up Your First Study Hall
Step 1: Access Your Campus Dashboard
Guide your members (or yourself, if you’re setting this up) to the WordPress dashboard. In the left sidebar, you’ll see your campus platform menu. Click on Study Halls from the navigation.
Why this matters: This is where all your Study Halls live—think of it as the directory of focused learning spaces in your campus. Your members will eventually create their own Study Halls here (if you give them permission), so they’ll need to know where to find this.
Once you’re in the Study Halls panel, you’ll see any existing Study Halls. To create a new one, click the New Study Hall button.
A pop-up will appear asking what you want to create: Study Hall, Learning Path, or Link. Choose Study Hall.
Screenshot placeholder: Pop-up showing “New Study Hall” option selection
Step 2: Configure Study Hall Details
A new window appears with several fields to fill in. Here’s what each one means and how to approach it:
Study Hall Title
Give your Study Hall a clear, benefit-focused name that tells members exactly what they’ll get. Instead of generic titles like “Marketing Study Hall,” try “Launch Your First Digital Product in 30 Days” or “Daily Accountability for Course Creators.”
Tip for 45+ creators: Your members want to know “what’s in it for me” immediately. Lead with outcomes, not topics.
Study Hall Slug
This is the URL-friendly version of your title (e.g., “launch-digital-product-30-days”). The system usually creates this automatically, but you can customize it. This becomes part of the Study Hall’s web address, making it easy to share direct links.
Study Hall Description
Write 2-3 sentences explaining what members will learn, who this is for, and what makes this Study Hall valuable. This appears on your Study Hall directory page, so make it compelling.
Example: “A focused 30-day sprint where course creators support each other through launching their first digital product. Perfect for beginners who need accountability, daily check-ins, and a proven roadmap to their first sale.”
Privacy Settings
Choose who can see and access this Study Hall:
- Public – Anyone can see and join this Study Hall (great for building your campus audience)
- Private – Only members who join can see the content (creates exclusivity and focus)
- Secret – Hidden from Study Hall directory; only accessible via direct invite (perfect for premium cohorts or special programs)
For beginners: Start with Private until you’re comfortable. This gives you room to experiment without worrying about “getting it perfect” first.
Lock Screen Type
This controls what non-members see when they discover your Study Hall. You can show a preview to entice them to join, or completely lock it down. For most campus builders, showing a preview of the description and recent activity works well—it creates curiosity without giving everything away.
Main Group
If you’ve organized your Study Halls into groups (like “Beginner Track,” “Advanced Track,” “Monthly Cohorts”), choose which group this belongs to. This helps members navigate your campus more easily.
Who Can View Study Hall Members
Decide who can see the member list for this Study Hall:
- Member Only – Only people in this Study Hall can see who else is in it
- Admin/Moderator Only – You control who sees the member list
- Any Logged-in User – All campus members can see who’s in this Study Hall
- Anyone – Public visibility (not recommended for most campus builders)
Recommendation for 45+ creators: Choose “Member Only” to create a sense of privacy and safety. Your members will engage more openly when they know the space is contained.
Once you’ve filled in these details, click Continue to move to customization options.
Screenshot placeholder: Study Hall details form with all fields filled in
Step 3: Customize Study Hall Settings
This next screen lets you fine-tune how your Study Hall operates. Here’s what each setting controls and when to use it:
Only Admin or Moderator Can Create Posts
Enable this if you want to control the content flow and ensure high-quality discussions. Disable it if you want members to freely start conversations and share insights.
When to use it: Enable for structured programs where you’re leading the conversation. Disable for peer-led accountability groups where member participation drives engagement.
Show Right Sidebar in the Study Hall
This displays additional information like Study Hall guidelines, pinned resources, or upcoming events in a sidebar.
For most campus builders: Enable this—it keeps important context visible while members scroll through discussions.
Hide Member Count From Study Halls Page
You can hide how many members are in a Study Hall from the directory page. This is useful if you’re just starting and don’t want low numbers to discourage joining.
For beginners: Hide the count initially until you build momentum. Once you hit 20-30+ active members, show it—social proof works.
Enable File and Document Library for this Study Hall
This allows members to upload, share, and organize files, worksheets, templates, and resources within the Study Hall.
Recommendation: Always enable this—members love having a shared resource library they can access anytime. It becomes a valuable repository of peer-created tools and examples.
Default Layout Style
Choose between Grid View (shows Study Hall posts as cards in a grid) or List View (shows posts in a traditional forum-style list).
For 45+ creators: List View is usually clearer and more familiar if your members come from traditional forums or Facebook groups. Grid View works well for visual content like design feedback or photo-based discussions.
Group Chat
Enable this to create a live chat space connected to this Study Hall. Members can have real-time conversations alongside the async discussions.
When to use it: Great for cohort-based programs or accountability groups. Skip it if you want to keep all conversations in threaded discussions (easier to follow for busy members).
Thumbnail Image
Upload a small square image (recommended: 400x400px) that represents this Study Hall. This appears in directory listings and helps members quickly identify different Study Halls visually.
Pro tip: Use simple, bold graphics with minimal text. Think icon-style rather than detailed photos.
Featured Image
Upload a larger banner image (recommended: 1200x600px) that appears at the top of your Study Hall page. This sets the visual tone and creates a sense of place.
For non-designers: Use Canva templates or stock photos. The image matters less than the community you build—don’t let design perfectionism delay your launch.
Once you’ve configured these settings, click Create to bring your Study Hall to life.
Screenshot placeholder: Customization settings screen with recommended options selected
What Your Members See Next
After creation, your new Study Hall appears in the Study Halls panel and (depending on privacy settings) in your campus directory. Your members can now:
- Join the Study Hall to start participating
- Create posts to share insights, ask questions, or start discussions (if you allowed member posts)
- Respond to each other and build peer connections
- Access shared resources in the file library
- Track their progress as they engage with the community
Common Questions from 45+ Campus Builders
Q: How many Study Halls should I start with?
A: Start with one well-defined Study Hall. Get 20-30 members actively participating before creating a second. Too many empty Study Halls kill momentum.
Q: What if nobody posts anything?
A: Seed the conversation yourself with 3-4 valuable posts before inviting members. Ask specific, answerable questions rather than broad “introduce yourself” prompts. Example: “What’s the #1 marketing channel that brought you your first 10 customers?”
Q: Should I make Study Halls public or private?
A: Private for most campus builders. Public works if you’re using your campus as a lead generation tool, but private creates stronger bonds and more open sharing.
Q: Can members create their own Study Halls?
A: Yes, but wait until your campus has 100+ active members. Early on, you want to control the structure. Later, member-led Study Halls become powerful engagement drivers.
Q: How is this different from a Facebook Group?
A: You own the platform, the data, and the member relationships. No algorithm hiding your content. No distractions or ads. It’s YOUR space that you can monetize, customize, and control completely.
What to Do Next
Now that you’ve created your first Study Hall:
- Write a welcome post explaining what this Study Hall is for and what members can expect
- Invite 5-10 ideal members personally (don’t just announce it—direct invitations create commitment)
- Seed 3-4 valuable discussion posts so new members see activity immediately
- Set up Study Hall guidelines (create a pinned post with participation expectations)
- Schedule your first facilitation session where you guide members through a specific challenge or topic
Remember: The goal isn’t to create perfect Study Halls—it’s to create spaces where your members connect, learn from each other, and experience transformation through community. Start simple, facilitate actively, and let your members shape the culture.
Related Articles
- Managing Privacy of Study Halls
- Adding Members to Your Study Hall
- Creating Engaging Posts That Drive Discussion
- Study Hall Moderation Best Practices
Need help? Join our Campus Builders Community where 1,000+ course creators support each other in building thriving Personally Branded Campuses.