Understanding student-faculty interaction within faculty-in-residence programs.

Abstract

Student-faculty interaction within faculty-in-residence programs is a unique phenomenon within colleges and universities. This study aimed to develop a model for explaining how student-faculty interaction occurs within faculty-in-residence programs in residential colleges. The faculty-in-residence survey instrument was administered to students in five residential colleges at three institutions across the nation. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to develop an empirically-tested model for describing student-faculty interaction within faculty-in-residence programs. A causal model of student-faculty interaction resulted from the data analysis. The model suggests that student-faculty interaction within faculty-in-residence programs can be described through five factors: Knowledge of the faculty-in-residence position; Social Interaction; Academic Interaction; Value in the faculty-in-residence position; and Deeper Life Interaction. Deeper Life Interaction is particularly important as it encourages student affairs administrators and faculty to reimagine their role in transforming the lives of students through higher education.