By Carmen Bourlon, Senior Staff Writer
Jim Buss
Mohamed Daadaoui
Residence life and academic affairs officials joined together to bring the university a new program which will, officials said, benefit students and faculty. The faculty-in-residence program was started this year to bridge the gap between academia and students.
From the three to five applicants, two were chosen for the pilot program. The faculty selections were announced June 15, 2010. The two professors chosen were Jim Buss, assistant professor of history, and Mohamed Daadaoui, assistant professor of political science. Both moved on campus last month to participate in the program.
“I’m very optimistic that as an experiment, this program is going to work,” Daadaoui said.
The program has been in planning stages since 2007, said John Riggs, dean of students. Riggs said he hopes that the program will accomplish two things. First he hopes it will give students the opportunity to meet professors they might have only seen in class and second he hopes it will give faculty more contact with students.
“It benefits both parties,” he said.
While the first year is a trial run for the program, Riggs said the program might extend to other dorms.
“We want to make this a program that faculty wants to do,” he said.
Professor Buss, who lives in apartment 102 in United Methodist Hall, formerly known as Centennial Residence Hall, said he hopes the program will make students more open to talking to professors.
Underclassmen are often intimidated by professors, he said.
“I want to make this an outreach for students,” Buss said.
He also said that with so many different departments, students can get frustrated when they don’t know who they need to talk to about their different issues.
“They don’t know who to go to, so most students just sort of give up,” he said.
Buss said he hopes students will come to him so he can help point them in the right direction. He said he also plans to sponsor different events for students, including showing films. He anticipates these events will be open not only to residents of United Methodist Hall, but to the entire student body.
“I really want to make it as open as possible,” he said.
Professor Daadaoui lives in Cokesbury Court apartments. He declined to comment about his apartment number for his privacy.
Daadaoui said he thinks the program will help students see faculty as more than teachers.
“We want to step outside the classroom environment,” he said. “I think learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom. It just makes sense.”
Daadaoui said he wants the program to be more than just academic.
“We want to empower students,” he said.
Daadaoui said students are welcome to come discuss non-academic matters with him.
“Students are encouraged to come knock on my door if they want to,” he said.
Students have had mixed reactions to the faculty living on campus.
Rile Reavis, dance performance sophomore, said he isn’t sure what he thinks about the program yet. He said he’d like to know more about what types of events the program will produce.
“I just don’t know what’s going to happen yet,” he said.
Emily Coleman, dance performance junior, said she didn’t know the professors plan to sponsor events and she hasn’t heard much about the program yet.
“I just don’t understand what the purpose of the program is,” she said. “No one’s explained it yet.”
Kayla Sampson, nursing freshman, said she isn’t sure if she would feel comfortable approaching either of the professors.
“If I knew them really well, I might,” she said. “But if I didn’t know them, I don’t think I would. But I think it’s cool that they’re there and we have the opportunity to go talk to them.”
Leave a Reply