Successes of an Engineering Residential College Program Within an Emerging Residential Culture

Boise State University is in the process of transforming from a historically “commuter” campus into a metropolitan research university which includes a growing residential culture (currently 8% of students live in residence halls). First time, full time freshmen age 18 or younger have increased from 61% of the incoming class in 2000 to 72% of the incoming class in 2008. To support our growing residential culture, University Housing, in cooperation with six academic colleges, began the Residential College (RC) program in 2004. Key among the five current RC communities is the College of Engineering. The Engineering Residential College (ERC) admits first and second year students with declared majors in one of our six undergraduate programs (civil engineering, computer science, construction management, electrical engineering, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering) and undeclared engineering. The 20072008 academic year was the first during which an engineering faculty member lived in residence, the Faculty-in-Residence (FiR), with the 26 members of the ERC. The physical structure of the ERC supported collaborative work and study with student community members. Daily interaction of student ERC community members with the FiR and structured activities outside the classroom facilitated learning that enhanced engineering academics. In this paper, we discuss the qualitative life skills and quantitative academic successes of this living-learning community facilitated by a live-in engineering faculty member during the past three semesters and make recommendations for improving the overall ERC experience. Introduction and Background Living-learning communities are enhancing student success and enriching campus culture as Boise State University transforms from a historically “commuter” campus into a metropolitan research university. Freshmen, age 18 or younger, have increased from 61% of the incoming class in 2000 to 72% of the incoming class in 2008. More of our students are following a traditional approach to their education, which includes residing in on-campus housing during their first and second years. Living-learning communities support overall student academic success and retention. To support the growing residential culture at Boise State University (currently 8% of students live in residence halls), University Housing, in cooperation with six academic colleges, began the Residential College (RC) program in 2004. Five communities were formed around similar majors or academic interests where students live and learn together. These five communities include: Arts and Humanities, Business and Economics, Civic Leadership, Engineering, and Health Professions. The Engineering Residential College (ERC) is a living-learning option for first and second year students with declared majors in one of our six undergraduate programs (civil engineering, computer science, construction management, electrical engineering, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering) and undecided engineering. It is generally understood that student cohorts experience greater academic success and retention. Research shows that students who make meaningful connections with faculty are academically more successful. The RC program at Boise State University is further enhanced P ge 14094.2 by an individual faculty member, known as Faculty-in-Residence (FiR), who lives and learns in each of the five communities with students. The RC program enriches student learning through direct connection with live-in faculty who bridge academic and personal life, fostering interdisciplinary inquiry. Each of the five communities is bound together by the common values of academic success, civic engagement, intellectual curiosity, and the pursuit of lifelong learning. Students from all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds interested in a RC community must complete an additional step in their application to University Housing. Application to participate in a RC community does not guarantee admission. Students must submit (1) a resume outlining past work experience, volunteer and extra-curricular activities, and (2) an essay explaining their interest and commitment to the RC program. Academic record is not a consideration in the resident selections process, so there is no bias toward students with the highest academic potential. The ERC admission process also does not specifically focus on at-risk students. Any student who academically qualifies for acceptance to Boise State University can choose to major in engineering or computer science (i.e., there are no additional academic requirements) and may apply for admission to the ERC. All student applications are reviewed by the FiR and selections are made based on students’ overall commitment to learning and community. The resume provides the FiR an indication of students’ life experiences and commitments in high school to aid in building a diverse community. A grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) was utilized to award scholarships to students who are academically capable (i.e., high school GPA greater than 3.0 out of 4.0) with financial need. Students who qualified for this scholarship were provided with additional funding for University Housing costs to encourage participation in the ERC because community building is one of the scholarship’s tenets. Academic eligibility for this scholarship is relatively moderate, giving financially needy students with diverse backgrounds the opportunity to attend college. In this way, students participating in the ERC and NSF scholarship recipients are representative of our engineering student population. Participation in the ERC by NSF scholarship recipients included: 10 of 28 in the fall 2007 semester, 9 of 26 in the spring 2008 semester, and 6 of 22 in the fall 2008 semester). Each RC community is supported by a program assistant (PA) who works in close relationship with the FiR in planning and executing living-learning activities. The PA is generally a second year student who has been a member of a previous RC community. As compensation, the PA receives a stipend, which includes a modest salary, and a room and meal plan. Applicants for PA must submit a resume and essay similar to students seeking only community membership. Candidates are interviewed to determine their level of maturity, commitment to the RC program, leadership ability, and optimal fit with their intended community. The PA plays a major role in providing a bridge between the FiR and student RC community members. Selection of the faculty member for the FiR position is based on interest in exploring innovative teaching opportunities. Candidates for the FiR position must demonstrate a commitment to teaching and must be willing to serve in the position of a minimum of two years. Marital and tenure status are not part of the FiR selection process. Faculty members selected for the FiR position have a range of family situations, both married and single, and some have children. P ge 14094.3 Living arrangements, in the form of a fully functioning separate apartment, are provided for each FiR’s family to reside comfortably during their appointment. Further, four of the five current FiR are pre-tenured and in their second or third year as tenure-track faculty at Boise State University. Applicants for FiR submit a letter of interest and letters of support from their college’s dean and department chair to the Assistant Director of Residential Education. Candidates are interviewed to determine optimal fit with their intended community’s curricular component and within a residence hall system where relationship building is a critical element of the position. Serving as FiR is considered part of the faculty’s teaching workload and faculty receive course release for one semester during each year of service in this capacity. Membership in a RC community incurs no additional cost to the students beyond that of their University Housing contract. The University, as a whole, has made a commitment to the success of our living-learning communities by pledging financial and in-kind support. University Housing, which is organizationally part of the Division of Student Affairs, has committed approximately 95% of the financial support to the RC program in the form of providing FiR apartments, meal plans, parking permit fees, PA stipends, and half of each RC community’s activities budget (approximately $100 per student). The Provost’s Office and involved Colleges, which is organizationally part of the Division of Academic Affairs, has provided matching funds to the RC community’s activities budget and in-kind support in the form of course release time for participating FiR. The 2007-2008 academic year was the first during which an engineering faculty member lived in residence with the 26 members of the ERC. The physical structure of the ERC was such that students lived in suites with a shared common meeting space, which facilitated collaborative work and study. Through structured activities outside of the classroom, the FiR facilitated learning that enhanced engineering academics (e.g., advising, study groups, tutors), community building (e.g., informal drop-in coffee nights, rock climbing), and supported the RC program common values. Success of these programmatic activities was assessed qualitatively (i.e., student’s perceptions articulated through reflective writing) and quantitatively (i.e., academic performance in key freshman engineering courses). Qualitative Life Skills Successes To fully assess the successes of the ERC, we chose to first qualitatively examine the experiences of residents over the past three semesters. One of the major changes implemented in the ERC in the fall 2008 semester was a once a week required 50-minute seminar during which ERC students were exposed to aspects of engineering not typically taught in traditional engineering courses. The seminar syllabus was structur