Faculty-in-Residence: A Resource for Residential Students
One benefit to living on campus in a residence hall is the seamless blend of academic and residential life. Each first-year community offers first-year students the opportunity to live among other first year-students who have different interests and majors, as well as a Baylor faculty member who lives in the community with students as a Faculty-in-Residence (FIR). These individuals serve as a link between the classroom and the living room for residents.
This fall, Dr. Karenna Malavanti, a senior lecturer in psychology and neuroscience, will begin her fifth year as a FIR living with her family in Earle Hall, the home of Baylor’s Science & Health Living-Learning Community.
“Not only do I get to educate students in the classroom setting, but because I live on campus, I get to interact with them in the lobby of our hall, or in the dining halls, or working out at the SLC or walking around campus,” Malavanti says.
One of the benefits of having faculty like Malavanti live in the residence halls with students is the added layer of programming and opportunities for connection. Malavanti hosts weekly “Mindful Mondays” for her residents, where each week, they spend time together reflecting on intentional topics like seeking one’s purpose and calling and identifying and recovering from stress and burnout, as well as more practical conversations around how to plan a course schedule or get engaged with student organizations. Of course, Malavanti’s two dogs often join the activities to encourage students to “paws and de-stress.”
“Sometimes students miss home, and having a family in the hall can remind them of their families back home who are supporting them on their new journey. It also helps students remember that there are other people here on campus that care about them and their wellbeing,” Malavanti says.
Other times, Malavanti will bond with her residents over video games, dance nights and karaoke, or shaved ice. First-year communities often engage in community service work, cultural celebrations, and career exploration activities together.
“I want our residents to see me as a resource,” Malavanti says. “They might be interested in taking a class in my discipline, and I can offer them some advice, but there are many topics, such as AI, that have applications to any classes they’re taking. I’m interested in having genuine conversations with them, and they get to see that members of faculty are human beings with lives and thoughts and questions of our own.”
Faculty-in-residence are one member of a team of people designed to support students who live on campus. In addition to the hall director, each residence hall has a Resident Chaplain and a council of upper class undergraduate student leaders, who also plan programming for residents.
“The Faculty-in-Residence program reflects Baylor’s commitment to a holistic student experience,” Malavanti says. “At Baylor, we take a holistic view of the student experience that means we take care of our students not just academically, but spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. Having professional staff such as Faculty-in-Residence live on campus reflects our dedication to students thriving here.”