Residential Faculty and Faculty Fellows

Housing & Residential Life is looking for faculty members who are enthusiastic about creating connections with students and interacting with them outside of the classroom. When a Residential Faculty opening occurs, it is filled by selecting a former Faculty Fellow to serve in residence.

Interested in Becoming a Faculty Fellow?

Faculty Fellow Road Map

Click here for a full description of the position. 

Applications for the coming academic year open in January. Decisions will be announced by the end of the spring semester, and the position begins on August 1.

Interest Form

What Does an Average Week Look Like for a Residential Faculty Member?

Generally, our weekly responsibilities vary depending on whether it’s spring or fall semester, special events, or the timeline of the semester (for example, we may plan fewer activities when students are taking midterms or studying for finals). The responsibilities listed below reflect predictable and on-going commitments of Residential Faculty, although some week may be busier, such as move-in, orientation, and other events that tend to ebb and flow across the semester.

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  • Student Engagement

    Each week we have a planned 1-hr touchpoint with students in our building.

    • This event is the same each week across the semester and is designed to maintain a presence and connection with students.
    • Each faculty member approaches this differently and selects an activity based on their personal or professional interests. For instance, recent Residential Faculty engagements with students have included coffee talks, math mentoring, visiting with Residential Faculty pets, chemistry mentoring, explorations in VR, and chess, among others.

    Touchpoint Event

    Three times during the semester, Residential Faculty plan larger, more involved engagement with students.

    • These typically takes place in the evening (although this varies depending on the activity).
    • The purpose of these larger engagements is to leverage our own expertise or the expertise of our colleagues or invited guests to facilitate engaging discussions, presentations, and experiences on a wide range of academic, professional, civic, community, environmental, or other pressing societal topics.

    We also have planned and impromptu meetings with students throughout the week.

    • These meetings can be unplanned, resulting from our presence in the lobby or dining hall, or scheduled meetings with students who may be having a difficult time in classes, seeking career mentorship, advice in crafting scholarship narratives, or seeking letters of recommendation.

  • Team Meetings

    Residential faculty meet with senior staff in their buildings once a week.

    • In these meetings we discuss student and building issues, as well as plan upcoming engagements.

    We also meet once a week with the full building team which includes student staff.

    • A as a large proportion of event planning is facilitated by collaborating with student teams, it’s important to meet and coordinate these events together.

  • Special Events

    Throughout the semester, we may be invited by organizations on campus (e.g., the Butler Center, Office of Academic Enhancement, Student Organizations, Student Staff, etc.) to attend events, participate in fellowship/scholarship reviews, or otherwise assist with a student-focused endeavor on campus. We also regularly attend semi-monthly celebrations, such as Pancakes with Pat, a nighttime pancake party hosted by Dr. Pat Whitely that visits each residential college during the semester.

Residential Faculty Annual Report

We’re proud of what we do each year and enjoy sharing and celebrating our impact and successes. Click here to check out our review from last academic year.

If you've previously served as a Residential Faculty member or don't meet the criteria for the position but would still like to support the program by sharing your expertise, whether through a talk or at a student dinner, please fill out the form below. We'll reach out if an opportunity comes up!

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