First Year Residential Colleges at Case Western Reserve University

1
First Year Residential Colleges at Case Western
Reserve University

• Karl Rishe, Rachel Tuttle Vicky Wright
• Coordinators of First Year Residence Education

2
Objectives

• History of Residential Colleges
• The Undergraduate Experience at CWRU
• The Residential College Model at CWRU
• Question Answer

3
What is a RC?

• Our Vision
• The residential colleges help students transition
  into their new communities, connecting them with
  the university through academic support, campus
  activities, residence hall programs, and other
  events. Our goal is to help each resident
  establish a foundation for future success.
• A dormitory is organized to provide food and
  shelter a college, to provide for the students
  intellectual, social, and personal development.
• Mark B. Ryan, A Collegiate Way of Living

4
A Very Short History on RCs

• Early 16th century scholars rented a hall for
  students to live, a fellow was elected to
  principal the hall.
• Mid 16th century, change in student population
  and change in curriculum (loco parentis).
• Mid 17th Century, appointed one person over the
  hall, unified by the English government to
  influence future leaders and make a profit.

5
A Very Short History on RCs Cont.

• 1840s and 1860s curriculum overhaul, birth of
  university life, university teaching as a
  profession.
• United States education is modeled after the
  German model.
• Princeton Universitys Woodrow Wilson and
  Harvards Abbott Lowell looked to develop the
  whole man and looked towards the English model.
  

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The Birth of Residence Halls

• Wilson and Lowell thought the residential
  experience was an integral part of the
  undergraduate curriculum.
• Colleges and universities have tried to simulate
  the Residential College structure and ideals
  since.

7
History at CWRU

• Western Reserve College was founded in 1826 in
  Hudson, Ohio.
• Case School of Applied Sciences was founded in
  1877 in Cleveland.
• In 1967, after being neighbors for 81 years, the
  two schools federated to become Case Western
  Reserve University.
• 15 Nobel Prize winners have been tied to Case.
• More than 75 of CWRU undergrads go on to
  graduate school.

8
CWRU at a Glance

• Located in Cleveland's University Circle
• Institutional type (Carnegie classification)
  Research University (Very High Research Activity)
• Enrollment (fall 2009) Undergraduate 4,228
  Graduate and Professional 5,510 States
  represented 50Countries represented 82
  http//www.case.edu/president/cir/glance.htm

9
Concerns

• Repetition of negative traditions (vandalism,
  pranks, professionals not viewed favorably)
• Students not recommending CWRU to other students
• Low satisfaction of student experience
• Students passed burden on to other students
  (academic struggles, apathy)
• No progression in living situations
• Residence Life positions not desirable

10
Charge

• Director of Residence Life and Director of
  Housing were charged by President of the
  University to come up with a model to solve these
  concerns.

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Eight Types of Programs That Enhance Student
Learning

• First-Year Experiences
• Learning Communities
• Internships/Co-ops
• Undergraduate Research/Creative Projects
• Service Learning
• Study Abroad
• Writing in the Disciplines
• Senior Capstone

Americas Best Colleges 2003, U.S. News and
World Report, September 23, 2002.
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Intentional Program Model

• 1. Work collaboratively with students,
  faculty, and staff to establish common and shared
  learning outcomes for each class year.
• 2. Utilize established learning outcomes as a
  guide to develop programs and support services
  within the residential villages and individual
  communities.
• 3. Utilize established and shared learning
  outcomes to enhance the academic advising
  experience.
• 4. Develop assessment strategies to measure and
  evaluate learning outcomes.
• 5. Market CWRU as the first Private Research
  University to exemplify a comprehensive,
  developmental Challenge and Support residential
  experience.

13
An Innovative Vision of Residence Education for
CWRU

• The vision of the CWRU residential program is
  to create an intentional, developmental and
  comprehensive residential experience that
  enhances the undergraduate education of students
  during their first, second, third and fourth year
  at CWRU.

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Recommendations

• Improve Undergraduate Education and Life
• by focusing on
• Curriculum
• Experiential learning
• Seamless learning environment
• Faculty/student Interaction
• Academic Advising
• Student Life
• Campus traditions
• New Student Life facilities

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Fundamental Questions

• What do you know about your student population?
• How would you describe a typical student on your
  campus?
• To make each year significant and meaningful what
  needs to happen?
• Focusing more on the what and less on
• the why, makes the how more evident.

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The Case Undergraduate Experience
Class Year
Class Themes
Class Descriptor
Talented and motivated, interpersonally
inexperienced, striving to balance freedom
responsibility, problem-solving skills
underdeveloped
Transitions Foundations Connection
1st Year
Exploration Engagement Personal Vision
Middle child syndrome, trying to find their
niche, academic culture shock, academically
consumed
2nd Year
Focused Experience Application Future Preparation
Preoccupied with graduate/professional school
admissions tests, campus leaders, Junior Year
Abroad, Co-op
Upperclass
Reflection Transition Connections Celebrations
Preparing for the future, academically engaged,
senioritis, concerned about life skill issues
Graduating Senior
17
THE CASE WAYA snap shot of the Undergraduate
Experience
Lifelong Scholar
Active Global Citizen
Ethical Leader
Case Western Reserve University 2009
18
Because of New Approach to Undergraduate
Experience

• First Year Dean (Undergraduate Studies)
• Faculty In-Residence
• Seminar Approach to General Education and
  Scholarship (SAGES)
• Class Cohorts
• New Orientation Structure
• Second Year Institute

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CWRU Residential Colleges
MISTLETOE Residential College Hitchcock
House Pierce House Storrs House
JUNIPER Residential College Sherman House Norton
House Raymond House
CEDAR Residential College Smith House Taft
House Tyler House
Theme Knowledge through Multiculturalism
Theme Growth through the Arts
Theme Leadership through Service
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Common Components of CWRUs Residential College

• Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator
• Themes and theme-based programming
• Opening Ceremonies
• Crests
• Traditions
• Shirts and lanyards
• Multiple buildings belonging to one RC
• End of the Year Celebration

21
Because of the RCs at CWRU

• The undergraduate experience is in line with the
  Case Way (transitions, foundations, and
  connections)
• Students have a sense of identity before they
  come to campus and a continued identity and pride
  after moving out of residential college
• Wear t-shirts all 4 years
• Alumni boards have been formed that program for
  current RC residents

22
Because of the RCs Cont.

• Students have the opportunity to live with others
  with common interests
• Much of the programming is focused around the RC
  theme
• Residents from multiple buildings feel connected
  to each other
• Residence Life positions are desirable and highly
  competitive

23
Things Needed to Make the RCs Happen

• Ability to borrow money
• President that was supportive of initiative
• Faculty was supportive of initiative
• Spike in enrollment
• Overall need to strengthen morale of student body

24
Your First College Year Survey

• Students in 2008 rated the overall sense of
  community among students significantly higher
  than did their peers in 2005. (year the RCs
  started)
• Institutional Research, 2008

25
A CWRU Undergraduate

• Life-Long Scholar
• Educated learners awake to new possibilities
• Ethical Leader
• Preparing moral and socially responsible
  life-long leaders
• Active Citizen
• Prepared and engaged to serve humanity

26

• Questions?

27
Thank you for your time!

• Contact Information and our RC Website!
• Karl Rishe, karl.rishe_at_case.edu
• Rachel Tuttle, rachel.tuttle_at_case.edu
• Vicky Wright, vicky.wright_at_case.edu
• http//studentaffairs.case.edu/living/residencelif
  e/firstyear/

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References

• Duke, A. (1996). Importing Oxbridge English
  residential colleges and American universities.
  Yale University.
• Case Western Reserve University, The Case Way,
  2009. Please see presenters if you would like a
  copy.