The University will open a residential college geared toward a specific student interest next fall, breaking from its long-held model of grouping residential colleges by majors and colleges.
The new Global Connections Residential College will aim to internationalize the University and mold 100 students into global citizens, according to Meredith Veldman, history professor and rector of the residential college.
Students will inhabit half of Residential College One, South Hall, which currently houses the Engineering Residential College.
The student experience for the college will be two-fold. Fewer than 2 percent of University students study abroad, Veldman said, but the University accepts a large number of international students. One of the frustrations of international students is being clustered with only other international students and not meeting Americans, Veldman said.
The Global Connections Residential College will bridge that gap by housing University students who are American and want to learn about international studies and are considering studying abroad alongside international students. Veldman said she and other officials from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences want 25 percent of the residential college's occupants to be from abroad.
"This is an opportunity to meet people from around the world," Veldman said. "This is an opportunity to make connections in human terms, but also in intellectual terms."
While each University residential college is styled for whichever academic college sponsors it, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences will be the parent of the Global Connections Residential College.
Students will find international diversity in every corner of their living space, Veldman said. She said they hope to have a lobby with international news programs streaming and a library collection with international literature less academic and more pleasurable for students — like "Harry Potter" in Turkish.
These materials will enhance students' perspectives on a globalizing experience, said Robert Rohli, faculty director of residential colleges.
"We live in a world where globalization is a trend that has become an increasing part of our lives," he said.
Veldman agreed.
"We do live in a globalizing world," she said. "We also live in a world where competition for jobs and graduate schools is intense. International experience will help you."
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is applying for a Board of Regents Enhancement Grant for $120,000, and if it receives the grant, the money will go toward these ideas along with events most residential colleges offer, such as speaker series and resident dinners.
Veldman said while the College of Humanities and Social Sciences may not see direct monetary effects from this residential college, it does mean that certain sections of courses will be designated for members of the residential college. Thus, a professor who once taught a class of 300 may teach a class of 35 students from the residential college, leaving a gap in the professor-to-student ratio. That means the payment will be in balancing, Veldman said.
Students will have access to smaller class sizes and more faculty interaction from living in the residential college, Veldman said.
"It's a fantastic way to get a small liberal-arts experience without paying a small liberal-arts tuition," she said.
Jay High, communications manager for Residential Life, said the residential college is open to students of any major but especially geared toward incoming freshmen. Anyone can apply to live in the residential college, and High said the University is actively recruiting people for the college through the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and via high school visits.
"It's good for students who don't necessarily want a college for their majors but for their interests," he said.
____
Contact Andrea Gallo at agallo@lsureveille.com
is a member of the 
Be the first to comment on this article!