University colleges are lining up for the chance to have residential colleges for their students. The Department of Residential Life offers residence halls to students of related majors so they can benefit from being at a large university and living in a small academic and social community. ResLife Director Steve Waller said the current residential colleges are such a success that his department is no longer searching for colleges to have residence halls. Rather, colleges on campus are approaching ResLife about residential colleges in order to provide a better environment for their students. “We used to have to go recruit them,” Waller said. “Now we have a kind of waiting list.” Waller said both the College of Basic Sciences and the Manship School of Mass Communication have expressed interest in having one. Kevin Carman, dean of the College of Basic Sciences, said he voiced interest in getting a residential college earlier this semester. “I certainly endorse the concept of a living and learning environment,” Carman said. Carman said the College of Basic Sciences, which has the most students on campus, definitely has a need for a residential college. Carman said because residential colleges have been so successful for other colleges, ResLife did not have to “sell” him on the idea of starting a residential college. Carman said the college and ResLife are currently early in their discussions. He said he is unsure whether a basic sciences residential college would be housed in a current residence hall or would require a new building. But Waller said ResLife would most likely need more buildings to support new residential colleges. The newest residential college – the Agricultural Residential College – is being added to Blake Hall. Waller said ResLife plans to have the residential college open for students by this fall. With the addition of this residential college, ResLife will have six on campus. David Kurpius, associate dean of the Manship School, said although a residential college is something he is interested in, he is not sure the department will get one. “We’ve talked [to ResLife] about it a little,” Kurpius said. “One of the issues is that we’re such a small college that we’re worried we wouldn’t have enough people for a residential college.”
—-Contact Ben Bourgeois at [email protected]