A new program called Faculty in Residence (FIR) is allowing faculty to engage with students living on campus in residence halls.

Faculty members host office hours and attend evening programs. Funding has recently been approved for faculty to host their own programs, according to Alex Karlheim, coordinator for academic initiatives.

There are currently eight faculty members participating in the program, with at least one assigned to every residence hall. They sign up on a volunteer basis, and some faculty were also recommended by residence assistants.

Karlheim creates academic initiatives for housing, and she works with faculty frequently. The FIR program is a creative way to bring faculty into housing.

“This was just one more way for us to get faculty involved,” Karlheim said.

In the future, she would like the program to branch out beyond programs and office hours, and would like to incorporate field trips and tutoring.

She believes the faculty will be heavily involved during registration time.

“I think there’s a lot of potential with this type of program and it’s just a matter of getting faculty on board, letting students know what it’s about and being creative,” Karlheim said.

While working at the university for the past four years, she has noticed that residence halls have become a place students do not associate with academics.

“By bringing faculty in, I think it creates another space where they believe learning can happen,” Karlheim said.

She believes the program humanizes the faculty, shows that they care and builds a faculty-student relationship. The biggest goal for the program is student success, and to allow students to thrive and feel connected.

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