For some of you, college will be the first time you will ever be away from home for any length of time – it might even be your first time out of state (or even abroad)! The University of Arizona developed the Faculty Fellows program back in 1984 in order to help students just like you make the transition to college a little less jarring.
Courtesy of University of Arizona
Of course, there are plenty of resources that can help you adjust to college (like our website, this blog, and annual magazine for starters) but we haven’t heard about such a comprehensive college program…until now! My College Guide thought you might like to know about this one – so we spoke with Lynette Cook Francis, the Assistant VP for Student Affairs, at the University of Arizona to learn more.
Why a Faculty Fellows Program? What is it?
The Faculty Fellows program lowers the barriers between students and faculty by placing faculty in environments on students’ home turf: residence halls, athletics, cultural centers and Greek houses.
Faculty hold regular hours in these facilities, getting to know the students, mentoring, participating in events and hosting their own events. There are about 35 fellows in over 30 locations.
What role do these faculty members play in helping a new student smoothly make the transition to college?
Fellows often help make the transition from having a parent around all the time to having a caring adult who will listen and with whom they can check in with when they need to. The goal of the program includes helping students to make a smooth transition from high school to university, more effective decision making, an ever-deepening love of learning and, ultimately, graduation from the University.
Courtesy of University of Arizona
Do faculty fellows and their students take part in any activities or events?
A key part of being a fellow is to bring a unique interest to the students, Fellows are famous for engaging in all kinds of activities. Some include cooking for their residence hall every month, engaging students in a semester-long mural project; working with students on sustainability projects; taking students to performances; and tutoring and doing study skills workshops or practice job interviewing.
There you have it! The University of Arizona’s Faculty Fellows program looks like a great way to incoming students successfully make the transition to college and so much more! And what college student can resist the offer of a home-cooked dinner?
Related posts:
- PREFACE Program: University of South Carolina Upstate Promises First Year Success
- Large Campus Body Small Campus Feel: Common Experience Program at Texas State University San Marcos
- Arizona State University Simplifies the Dorm Move-In Process
- Making the Mental Transition from High School to College
- Open Doors: The New School Interdisciplinary Program
Tags: college campus, College Life, faculty fellows, transitioning as a college freshmen, transitioning to college, u of a, university of arizona
Having caring faculty definitely makes the college experience better, not just when you’re starting out! This sounds like a great idea to proactively pair students and faculty!