Two earlier papers in this special issue detail staff and student perceptions of their higher education science and engineering learning communities for the New Zealand university and polytechnic sectors (Campbell et al. 2008; Cronje and Coll 2008). These findings suggest the students in these communities gradually come to share some of the views and values of the learning community as a whole; we can argue they become gradually enculturated into this learning community. The extent to which this happens, how it happens and the implications are considered here. The research findings suggest students are rapidly enculturated into their higher education learning communities and quickly take on board the culture developed by lecturers and tutors.