Affiliation: Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Degrees Offered: None
Minor Offered: None
Truman’s Residential College Program brings the intellectual vitality of the University inside the residence halls. For centuries, residential colleges have been places where faculty and students join together in pursuit of the liberal arts. Through its affiliated faculty, professional staff, facilities, and sponsored activities, the Residential College Program promotes a public liberal arts experience which is personally engaging to all members of the community. Truman established two residential colleges a decade ago to encourage learning in every facet of a student’s life and as a life-long habit. The expanded Residential College Program (RCP) inaugurated in 1999-2000 ensures that all Truman freshmen and most on-campus upperclassmen share in the benefits afforded by a living/learning emphasis.
ADVISING
A team consisting of a Head Academic Advisor and Academic Advisors provides residentially-based academic advising for all freshmen students and undeclared students at Truman. The advisors work closely with faculty in the academic divisions to provide a solid foundation in major programs while offering developmental academic counseling in the liberal arts. All resident students have access to the academic support services offered by this advising team. Whatever the needs may be–registration, tutoring, skills or career workshops, or referrals to faculty–all may be brought directly to the Residential College Program professional staff located in the residence halls. The Residential College Program advisors offer:
- Group and individual academic advising
- Advice on academic regulations and procedures
- Course registration planning and approval
- Liberal Studies Program workshops
- Liaisons with University offices and academic divisions
- Liberal Arts career counseling
- Study skills workshops
- Time management workshops
CURRICULAR AND CO-CURRICULAR PROGRAMS
In a variety of ways, the Residential College Program supports expanded and enriched learning opportunities for members of the residential community. Select sections of Liberal Arts and Sciences Program courses are taught by faculty in the residential classrooms, bringing living and learning together in a new way. The residential setting often promotes greater personal comfort and group cohesiveness in class, a greater willingness to participate in discussion, facilitates out-of-class small group activities and supplemental instruction, and heightens satisfaction with the teaching and learning process for students and faculty alike. In addition, the Residential College Program offers two eight-week long, one-credit courses graded pass/fail.
Co-curricular programming in the residence halls benefits from collaboration between the university faculty, Residence Life staff, and students. While developmental, social, and recreational programming is typically sponsored by the Residence Life Program, oftentimes initiated by the Student Advisor, Residential College Program activities are focused on expanding students’ cultural, intellectual, and public awareness. All-College banquets, “swing” dances, a Holiday Market for charity, International Week events, film series, panels and discussions with faculty, foreign language tables, fine arts performances, and speakers series are examples of some typical offerings. A highlight of each semester is a Night of Great Conversation where students, faculty and staff come together to discuss issues of mutual interest. Since students generate and help to carry out some of these programs, residents hone leadership skills while following their interests.
The RCP courses are listed in the “Course Descriptions” section of this Catalog under the INDV (Interdivisional) heading.
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