SEAHO Report - Winter 2013 - (Page 15)

SEAHO FEATURE Bridging Academic & Student Life Missions: Faculty-Inclusive Community Building in Residence Halls By Brian W. Samble University of Tennessee, Knoxville The contemporary American collegiate experience may seem in stark contrast to the romanticized notions of the historical colonial college. Complex organizational diagrams, reporting structures, and increasing demands levied upon faculty and staff from increasing enrollments in a prolonged period of resource-scarcity following the recent recession may lead some divisions to operate in a paradigm of silos. The rich opportunities for the professoriate to re-enter the residence halls, plan community builders alongside our student leaders, and contribute to character-building and mentoring opportunities remains possible. Following recent efforts at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville I remain optimistic at the prospect of faculty-inclusive programming. The contribution faculty offer to undergraduate students is supported in the literature. A recent study found a relationship between how often students interact with faculty and the students’ rates of attrition1. Residential college environments have also been found to play a role in increasing student learning curiosities and abilities, suggesting academic and student affairs professionals collaborate to promote student faculty-interaction2. Some universities have even established funding for facultyinclusive programming beyond the classroom, including the University of Arizona3. Residence Halls at the Franklin & Marshall College and Southern Methodist University have moved in the direction of constructing house systems with live-in faculty, with Franklin and Marshall observing a retention rate boost among freshmen and sophomores over this period4. The scholarly and practical implications of these efforts to promote faculty-student interaction are important and should be emphasized. This is particularly the case for those of us whose institutions are located in states with performance-based or outcomes-based funding formulas where the financial fate of the college or university may be linked with retention rates. Rates that could be uplifted through a stronger relationship between academic and student affairs professionals. While the house systems may be far from a near-term option for most institutions, many alternative and effective endeavors are available for us in housing to advance student-faculty interaction and, thereby, better our retention rates and bridging the residence halls to the student’s academic experience and mission of the university. North Carrick Hall at the University of Tennessee began its mission this past year to embed Faculty Friends community-builders into residence hall program expectations. One community-builder, “CASNR Night” (short for the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources) featured a professor who led a slideshow presentation about cultural cuisines and exotic foods from around the world, followed by a discussion of academic programs offered by the college to the students in our largely freshmen population hall that also includes a learning community geared toward exploratory students. “Finance & Credit” introduced a professor from the Finance Department to residents who came in to speak with students about making appropriate financial decisions in order to maintain good credit and manage credit card usage, while “Capitalism & Entrepreneurship” introduced a professor to speak with students about qualities necessary for professional success and discussed courses he would be teaching. Music Department and Accounting 1 Lillis, M.P. (2011). Faculty emotional intelligence and student-faculty interactions: Implications for student retention. Journal of College Student Retention, 13(2), pp. 155-178. 2 Jessup-Anger, J.E. (2012). Examining how residential college environments inspire the life of the mind. Review of Higher Education, 35(3), pp. 431-462. 3 University of Arizona. Student/faculty interaction grants program. Retrieved from, http://www.studentaffairs.arizona.edu/faculty/grants/ 4 Peterkin, C. (2013, Jan 25). Colleges design new housing to engage and retain students. The Chronicle of Higher Education, LIX(20), pp. A6. SEAHO Report Winter 2013 15 http://www.studentaffairs.arizona.edu/faculty/grants/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SEAHO Report - Winter 2013

SEAHO Report - Winter 2013
Contents
SEAHO President
SEAHO “Editor”
SEAHO News
Officer Elections
RELI – 10th Annual Institute
SEAHO 2013 Conference Schedule
Bridging Academic & Student Life Missions: Faculty- Inclusive Community Building in Residence Halls
Are We Ready?
Staff Development Tactics
Sustaining Sustainability: How Housing and Residence Life Can Impact the Sustainability Movement
Starting something that Matters—James Madison University partners with TOMS Shoes
Putting Professional Competencies into Practice
Ten Tips to Revolutionize Your Work Using Your iPad
Advising 101
Hiring Practices and Staff Supervision: Integrating Multicultural Competency to Foster an Inclusive Work Environment
Shifting Sands: Technology and the Shifting Landscape of Residence Hall Student Leadership
Best Practices: Student Athlete Population in Housing
Student Affairs Around the Region
Alabama Updates
Florida Updates
Kentucky Updates
Mississippi Updates
North Carolina Updates
Tennessee Updates
Virginia Updates

SEAHO Report - Winter 2013