ITech Res College awarded top honor

The University's Information Technologies Residential College is considered the top residential college in the nation.

The ITRC was awarded Jan. 12 a Gold Award in the National Association of Student Personnel Administrator's 2005 National Excellence Awards. The Gold Award is the most prestigious award given in each category.

"You're looking at one of the top programs in the country here," said Kevin Kruger, NASPA's associate executive director. "The Gold Award is very prestigious because there's only one given per category, out of eight categories. It's recognition of really fine work."

The ITRC, a technology-themed freshman residential college, received the award for the Housing, Residence Life, Campus Security, Contracted Services, Judicial and related programs and services category.

John F. Yaun III, assistant director of education for Residential Life, teamed with ITRC Rector Sandy Granger and Broussard Hall Residence Life Coordinator Monelle Wyman to prepare the competition application.

"What you're going to find with ITRC here is it provides our first-year students with a very intense training and practice in computer applications, taking place in a supportive academic setting," Yaun said. "There's cutting-edge technology, co-curricular programming, faculty interaction and support and leadership opportunities provided."

Yuan said many people were involved with helping ITRC receive the award.

"It was a team effort," Granger said. "We decided if we were going to talk the talk, we were going to walk the walk. Competing as the IT residential college, we were going to make an electronic submission as well."

Kruger said the ITRC competed with submissions from more than 100 other universities.

Committee members took into account factors such as program efficiency and the overall quality of the program when choosing winners, Kruger said.

"I wasn't sure what we would win, but I did expect some recognition because I knew how well the ITRC is regarded around the University and how well it does in meeting student needs," Yaun said.

Granger was very proud of the recognition.

"We worked very hard," she said. "We think our program is superb. We know we have a good program, but we feel that this national confirmation is very special. You don't create programs like this for awards. The award is lagniappe."

Yaun said the other three University residential colleges have award-winning potential as well.

"They all serve a very unique yet different purpose," he said. "If there was an awards category, we could nominate one of them as well. Considering the things we were looking to nominate for and judge the program on, compared to others, the ITRC fit best."

Kruger said the ITRC, along with the other Gold Award recipients, will be recognized at an awards luncheon in Washington and be eligible for receiving national honors. "[Winning] would be one of the pinnacles of my career," Granger said.

Contact Parker Wishik at pwishik@lsureveille.com