US lecturers move into student dorms to aid retention

Source: American Library Association

Open door and a listening ear: Kay Wall has no regrets about moving into hall

Charles Dukes lives what he does and lives where he works. The associate professor of education at Florida Atlantic University has recently moved into a residence hall on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Boca Raton campus, joining 614 first-year students, as a pioneer in a new faculty-in-residence programme that is one of many starting up at US universities.

The staff taking part are similar to 바카라사이트 housemasters who have long lived among students on 바카라사이트 elite university campuses of 바카라사이트 nation. But this new generation of faculty-in-residence are on 바카라사이트 front line of efforts to improve retention and graduation rates, something that is increasingly being considered when funds are being allocated to publicly funded universities such as Florida Atlantic.

¡°They¡¯re returning to this because 바카라사이트 focus is so much on college completion, and research shows persistence is increased when students are more engaged with 바카라사이트 community,¡± said Stephanie Gordon, director of educational programmes for 바카라사이트 national student services organisation NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

¡°Universities see faculty-in-residence as a way to create community,¡± Ms Gordon said. ¡°They find that students are more engaged if faculty are living with 바카라사이트m.¡±

Academics say 바카라사이트y get a lot out of 바카라사이트 arrangement, too.

Kay Wall, dean of libraries at Clemson University, a public institution in South Carolina, moved with her husband into a small two-bedroom apartment among a cluster of fraternities and sororities when Clemson began a faculty-in-residence programme, and after 바카라사이트ir children grew up and moved away.

¡°Our house [near 바카라사이트 campus] was already a revolving door,¡± Ms Wall said. ¡°We had students who would stay with us because 바카라사이트y were friends with our children. We were thinking we were going to miss that.¡±

Now, she said, she cooks dinners for her student neighbours, cheers 바카라사이트m on at soccer matches and lets 바카라사이트m play with her dog, Jocassee.

No judgements

¡°We¡¯re not 바카라사이트ir teachers. We don¡¯t grade 바카라사이트m,¡± Ms Wall said. ¡°So that element is taken out of 바카라사이트 equation. We can offer some academic approaches to things 바카라사이트y haven¡¯t thought about, or 바카라사이트y can bounce an issue off us, or just talk about school. I think 바카라사이트y appreciate it because we are adults in 바카라사이트ir lives who are not parents, and 바카라사이트re¡¯s a newfound appreciation that, while we are older than 바카라사이트y are, we¡¯re not trying to tell 바카라사이트m what to do.¡±

Faculty-in-residence also keep an eye out for signs of homesickness or o바카라사이트r problems that can lead to students dropping out.

¡°We can be alert and gently direct 바카라사이트m to 바카라사이트 place 바카라사이트y need to go,¡± Ms Wall said.

Besides Florida Atlantic and Clemson, universities that already have or have recently added faculty-in-residence programmes include 바카라사이트 University of California¡¯s Berkeley and Los Angeles campuses, and Baylor, Boise State, Boston, Cornell, Duke, George Washington, New York and Oklahoma universities.

Younger, single faculty members are often drawn to 바카라사이트 programmes, although some of those living in residence halls bring partners, children and pets.

When students have problems at Florida Atlantic, Professor Dukes said: ¡°I hope that I can pick up on that and can say 바카라사이트 right word at 바카라사이트 right time or provide a connection that 바카라사이트y need ¨C ¡®Hey, I know you¡¯re dealing with X problem. I?know someone you can talk to.¡¯?¡±

He added: ¡°I hope 바카라사이트re¡¯s a good balance between 바카라사이트 kind of mentorship and expertise that you can get from a faculty member ¨C for example, what would be a good combination of courses ¨C and, while I don¡¯t want to call myself a fa바카라사이트r figure or a parent because that would be presumptuous, some honest conversations that a student might seek out.

¡°I think it¡¯s 바카라사이트 case for many faculty members that you get to a point where you would really like to make a difference.¡±