Students as teachers: What faculty learn by living on campus

Rishi R. Sriram, Baylor University
Frank Shushok Jr., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Jennifer Perkins, University of South Florida
Laine Scales, Baylor University

Abstract

In its recent history, American higher education has segmented the student experience, especially as research universities have grown in size and complexity. To increase the integration of undergraduate learning experiences, many efforts have combined the curricular and co-curricular worlds of students. In one practice, housing and residence life staff invite faculty members to live with students in residence halls and participate in the leadership of those communities. While research has found faculty-in-residence programs to positively impact students, what is the impact on faculty? This study examined the impact that living in residence has on faculty, their pedagogy, and their philosophy of education. Six faculty-in-residence representing six different academic disciplines at a single institution participated in this study. The resulting Faculty-in-Residence Development Model describes important ways in which faculty are influenced by a more holistic and integrated approach to learning.