Book cover for The Faculty Factor: Developing Faculty Engagement with Living Learning Communities
Buy in Print

ISBN: 9781642672534

January 2023

With vignette “Engaging with Students as Our Whole Selves” by Kevin Leander

This chapter describes common models of faculty involvement within residential learning communities (RLCs). It covers some of the advantages and disadvantages of the various types of faculty engagement in RLCs, recognizing different institutional needs. The authors then introduce a conceptual model of faculty engagement in RLCs, which organizes factors influencing faculty engagement in RLCs into four spheres: institutional context, organizational structure, professional motivations, and personal motivations.

Discussion Questions

  • What types of roles do faculty and staff play in residential learning communities at your institution?
  • What motivations might faculty and staff have for being involved in residential learning communities?
  • What value does your institution place on out-of-class involvement between faculty and students? Staff and students?
  • How are faculty compensated and recognized for their involvement with RLCs? How do these roles compare with compensation and recognition for other faculty roles at your institution that demand a similar time commitment and level of engagement with students outside of the classroom?
  • Are there opportunities to cultivate new or enhance existing partnerships between faculty and staff involved in RLCs?
  • Are there any particular academic departments that are over-represented among your currently involved faculty? If so, what type of alignment is there between that department’s values and out-of-class involvement between faculty and students?