Academic Initiatives
Out-of-class faculty interaction with
students in active-learning communities
enhances students’ intellectual and
personal development, as well as their
overall evaluation of their undergraduate
experience.
- Improved academic achievement and quality of effort/persistence
- Leadership, programming, research, and peer teaching experience
- Knowledge of research and publications across the disciplines
- Opportunities for informal faculty mentorship and advising
- Faculty perspectives on current events and campus issues
- Integration into broader intellectual community on campus
- Engage students outside the classroom
- Pique the interest of first-year students in your discipline or field
- Raise student awareness of your courses, as well as departmental and college
minors and majors
- Share your research and expertise with first-year students
- Model exemplary teaching, discourse, and debate
- Network with UO colleagues and foster interdisciplinary connections with faculty
from sister institutions as well as community organizations
- Participate in a dynamic learning community that supports creative education and co-curriculum
- Ultimately, student-centered, residential living-learning communities complement the
pedagogical models of the classroom, and enable faculty to reinforce the development of higher-order cognitive skills from the classroom, such as critical thinking, problem solving, source analysis, quantitative reasoning, inquiry-based research, and dialogic learning.
Learn outside of the classroom with academic initiatives. Comprised of discussion panels, moderated debates, interactive workshops, science demonstrations, artistic performances, and much more, academic initiatives provide an engaging learning environment for residential and non-residential UO students. Besides providing opportunities for students to network with faculty and dive deeper into possible areas of study, these programs help spark curiosity about issues pertinent to our world today. With academic initiatives, we can create a community filled with academic and cultural thinkers and innovators.
Residential Freshman Interest Groups - FIGs
A residential FIG consists of twenty-five first-year students who take two general-education courses together during fall
term and live in the halls together throughout the year. We've found that FIG communities support the academic success of
their members (evidenced by higher grade point averages), while promoting students' independence and creativity.
Sign up for a residential FIG! When filling out your housing
application, select the FIG of your choice from our diverse list of choices.
Community Conversations
The student members of the Oregon Brain Tank (OBT) generate the
Community Conversations Series and enjoy the autonomy to plan, program,
and present four panel discussions each term. Community Conversations
offers a unique forum for faculty, students, and community members to
explore a breadth of academic, political, and popular culture topics.
Please drop by a OBT meeting and consider joining! Your ideas,
creativity, passion, and leadership contribute to an intellectually
stimulating residence hall living space. During the academic year Oregon
Brain Tank meets every Monday in the LLC Conference Room by DUX Bistro
at 12:30 p.m.
SuperNova
This student-led program hosts faculty, staff, and graduate students in the halls to showcase their recent and current
research in an intimate and interactive “fireside chat.” Students have consistently expressed their interest in learning
more about the research, field work and publishing that goes on “behind the scenes” at a major research university.
Leadership for the 21st Century
Leadership for the 21st Century is a 1-credit course that takes place during the Week of Welcome.
It’s a great way to get connected to the campus community and to learn how to get involved!
You can register for this course at IntroDUCKtion.
Dine with Faculty
When residence hall students invite a faculty member to eat with them at one of the many residence hall
venues, University Housing will pay for the faculty member’s meal.
This is a great opportunity to get to know a faculty member outside the classroom, talk about class work,
or explore career opportunities. Students are sometimes reluctant or shy about doing this, however faculty generally enjoy the opportunity to have a meal with students.
It may feel less awkward if
two or three residence hall students collectively invite a professor to a meal.
International House
The International House is home to several Freshman
Interest Groups with international themes. It
usually houses students from all over the world, and has two classrooms
where several International classes are held. The International House (Earl
Hall) is located near other
resources for international programs such as:
Priority is given to students who also sign up for Internationally themed FIGs.
The International House is popular, so be sure to sign up early and mark "International House" as your first choice
in the special interest hall section of the residence hall application.
Assistant Director-Intellectual Connections
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of History
kevhat@uoregon.edu / 541-346-1977
Residence Life Coordinator - Leadership & Academic Integration
heatherk@uoregon.edu / 541-346-4688
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