Monday, January 25, 1999
The professor next door
The faculty-in-residence program lets students and
instructors
interact on their own time
By Amy Tay
Daily Bruin Contributor
Some students go to lecture to talk to their professors. Others
go to office hours.
But at UCLA, some simply go to the room next door in their
residential hall, thanks to the Faculty in Residence program.
"The program is an attempt by the university to give students a
sort of small college feel; to give them a chance to actually have
contact with professors," said Josh Muldavin, a geography professor
who lives in Delta Terrace.
Started 33 years ago, the program places full-time,
undergraduate professors in all of the residential halls on campus.
and is organized by the Office of Residential Life (ORL).
The program was created for several reasons according to David
Baines, academic supporter coordinator at the ORL.
For one, it provides role models for undergraduates and exposes
them to the rigors of research. It also gives them additional
academic resources, he said.
However, the major focus of the program, according to Baines and
the professors involved, is to foster more fluid communication
between students and faculty.
The program does so by presenting students with an opportunity
to meet one-on-one with faculty members, a difficult task at a
large school such as UCLA.
By interacting with them in their daily lives, students begin to
see professors more as human beings than as the figures they see in
the classroom, Muldavin said.
"It creates an environment or bridge, through which residents
can become in touch with faculty members," added Fabian Wagmister,
a film professor living with his family in Delta Terrace.
The resident professors also help develop an intellectual
community in the residential area.
"They bring the classroom back to the residence halls," Baines
said.
Besides academic learning, the faculty members also give
students a broader vision of the world around them
"It’s not so much that what I’m here to do is share my academic
knowledge, but to share a broader set of cultural, personal and
intellectual interests," Wagmister said.
Although resident professors are only required to be faculty
members teaching undergraduate courses, there are other
qualifications for the job.
The professors must be sociable, interactive and accustomed to
communal lifestyle, both Muldavin and Wagmister explained. They
also need to represent a broad array of interests and have the time
to produce programs for the students. Additionally, they must enjoy
being in constant contact with students.
"I think anyone who takes on this job has to really love
students. You don’t live with thousands of students if you don’t
like it," Muldavin added.
Professors must also be willing to accept the many
responsibilities that come with the position.
For example, faculty members in the program are expected to
spend a minimum of twelve hours each week with resident students,
provide informal academic counseling, recruit other faculty members
into the program and write recommendation letters for
residents.
They are also required to attend weekly staff meetings and
monthly faculty-in-residence program meetings. Additionally, though
it is not mandatory, they usually attend ORL and residential hall
activities.
"I think what’s most important is we need to have a presence,"
Wagmister said.
The most visible responsibility of the resident faculty member,
however, is the programs they must develop and put on for the
students.
Although only required to put on one program per quarter, many
actually put on much more.
"I think some of their ideas are really cool and I wish I had
the time to do all the stuff they offer," said David Krames, a
first-year philosophy student.
"They come up with pretty creative activities. Sometimes I
wonder how they think it all up," said Agnes Liu, a second-year
design student.
Though programs vary from year to year, past programs have
included weekly coffee talks, rap groups, language tables at the
dining halls, dance lessons, Chinese New Year celebrations and
volunteer work days.
Specifically, Wagmister offers two programs regularly.
In one, entitled "Hablemos Espanol," he invites students
interested in Latino American culture to his apartment to sample
home-cooked dishes and listen to Latino music.
In the other program, "Media Talk," he meets with students
interested in all aspects of media and discusses the issues of the
day.
Muldavin puts on "Open Mic Night" every quarter in front of
Puzzles, an eatery in the dorm area. Providing a stage and an
audience, Muldavin encourages residents to express themselves in
front of their peers.
"I like to provide some sort of creative outlet for people,"
Muldavin said of his widely attended program.
Muldavin also offers periodic hikes in the Santa Monica
Mountains and goes camping at either Mt. Whitney or Joshua Tree
every spring.
"It was really fun and informative, especially when he knew so
much about geology," said Priscilla Chung, a first-year computer
science student, of Muldavin’s hiking trip.
"I would do it again if I was given the chance," she added.
However, the time and effort the professors put into the
faculty-in-residence program only adds to their teaching, research
and departmental responsibilities.
"It’s almost like another job," Baines said of participation in
the program.
Some people might wonder why these program participants take on
the extra tasks.
"Most of my colleagues think I am nuts that I would actually
want to do this,"Muldavin said.
While ORL offers incentives such as free room and board, free
meals and annual allocations for programs, less tangible benefits
also motivate the faculty members.
For one, they enjoy the convenience of living on campus and
having access to all of the university’s facilities.
"I love living here. I get to walk to school. I don’t have to
drive in traffic like all my colleagues," Muldavin said.
"We don’t need a yard (to play in), our children have the whole
campus," Wagmister added.
These professors also form unique bonds with students by staying
in contact longer and developing close friendships.
"I get a sense of what’s happening amongst young people that I
would never get just teaching, and that makes me a better teacher,"
Muldavin said.
Additionally, since the program involves professors from a broad
range of departments, faculty-in-residence participants meet
professors they would otherwise have never met. They also develop a
strong sense of camaraderie with each other.
"It’s very different from other faculty relationships. We’re in
this together, doing something very unique. I think we’re a great
team," Wagmister said of the intimate relations among the resident
faculty members.
Resident professors also say they get to know the campus better
and develop emotional connections with the school.
"I’m one of very few faculty members on this campus who can say
UCLA is my home, truly," Wagmister said.
Despite all of the program’s positive aspects, improvements can
still be made. For example, resident professors agreed that
expanding the program to include more professors would be
beneficial.
Currently, there are only two faculty members in each
residential hall, and none in the residential suites, making it
difficult for many of the students to access them.
Overall, however, both professors and students involved said
that the Faculty-in-Residence program has had a valuable impact, by
creating a sense of cooperation and unity among them.
"We are a wonderfully cohesive community where we are all
looking out for each other’s interests," Wagmister said.
Comments, feedback, problems?
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