Residence Life: Faculty Connections

Faculty Connections is a shared goal between Residence Life and faculty to be able to develop and offer opportunities for our students and faculty to connect outside of the classroom.

What is the goal of Faculty Connections?

Facilitate opportunities outside of the classroom for faculty and students to interact around topics including academic subjects, current events, hobbies, and more.

What are the benefits of Faculty Connections?

• Supports and challenges our students.
• Faculty interaction outside of the classroom is directly linked to student retention, enhanced learning, and increased social and intellectual development.
• Inspires active learning communities.
• Learning communities can build cohesiveness and transform a residential setting into an active, supportive, and exciting place to live and learn.
• Creates innovative teaching/mentoring pportunities.
• This is an opportunity to try new ways to engage students in their learning. The integration of diverse experiences from within and outside of the classroom can be a powerful teaching tool.

Faculty Connections Programs:

• House Calls: Faculty and Staff address first year students concerns or questions about the University to enhance success within the campus community and their transition to campus life.
• Meet and Eat: Students connect with faculty and staff while helping serve food in Penn Gate II.
• Adopt-A-Hall Program: Allows faculty and staff members to have the opportunity to “adopt” a program and educate students in an area of expertise.
• Campus Symposium: Faculty and Staff  bring rich, thought-provoking symposiums focused on various topics to the campus community.
• The Lounge: Provides faculty and staff members the opportunity to share their interests, specialties and hobbies with residential students.
• Pancake Palooza: A collaboration between Residence life and Housing and Food Services occurring the Friday before finals where faculty members come together to cook and serve the students a late-night breakfast as part of finals break snacks.