Twenty-two students sit pinched side-by-side in a room lit only by a projector and dreary 9:30 a.m. sunlight. At the beginning of a freshman biology and chemistry session in only the third week of class, these University College students are animatedly gossiping and joking with each other.
"Is he a consumerist conservative?" one asked a girl across the table.
"I can't wait to party," another announced.
"Steven won't be here, guys - he's so sick," a third reports to the room in general.
The University College, a pilot program for first-year students that groups them together in residence halls and common seminar classes, appears to have been successful, especially on the social front. Now in its second year, students in the program said their floors had many events together such as pancake breakfasts, movie nights and trips to the monuments, and many of their closest friends lived on their University College floor.
"Because we were put in the same situation, we bonded like crazy glue," said Savannah Chin, who was forced to transfer to a school in New York this year because of financial issues.
"Some of them are still hoping that through some act of God, I'll return next semester," Chin said.
Both students and teachers said the classes were more engaging and ran more smoothly than regular general education classes because the students lived together. Theater professor Caleen Jennings said her students jumped right into involved discussions and collaborated better than most first-year students, even acting out scenes together before they came to class.
"By the second time we met, they were bonded. It's rare in a university setting to find students that will do that extra, outside-of-class work," she said.
Christopher Tudge, biology professor for the program, said he thinks the University College classes are better than regular classes because the students are selected based on their heightened interest in the specific seminar classes.
"If there is any incipient enthusiasm for biology there, it should be contagious among them," Tudge said with a wry grin.
Jacqueline Salamack, a freshman, said she had been hopeful about the level of student involvement in seminars but scoffed at the idea that students would discuss the classes outside of regular hours. Then one morning she found herself debating with another student about a play they read for homework. They were brushing their teeth in the dorm bathroom at 7 a.m.
Karen Froslid-Jones, director of the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, said 93.6 percent of University College freshmen returned this fall, which is a "very, very good rate." She also said 90 percent of the original University College students chose to live with the same roommates this year.
Is this worth the extra money spent by the university? Senior budget officer Marilyn Shields said the university made an initial investment of $85,000 in development funds for the program and a recurring annual budget allocation of $200,000, but there is no way to say for sure how much the program is costing the university.
"These costs are all imbedded within the operating budget and impractical to isolate to provide a reliable representation," Shields said.
There are still many problems with the program, some of which are being targeted this year. Tiffany Sanchez, director of New Student Programs, said students, teachers and program associates (upperclassmen mentors who live on the same floor as the students and attend their seminars) were all surveyed to help make changes to this year's programs.
Former program associate Katie Young said one of the problems last year was professors who were not used to teaching freshmen and used difficult and dry techniques like the Socratic Method. Jenn Fantasia, who has been both a student and associate with the program, said another problem was some students' failure to get involved in other university activities. She said she tries hard to make sure this year's students do not miss out on the rest of the college experience.
Several students from last year said cliques were a problem. Students also may not be able to move out of forced triples because there aren't spaces on their University College floors. Martin do Nascimento and Stephen Meli, sophomores who were in the program last year, said not everyone on their floor got along.
"By the end of the year it was kind of claustrophobic," do Nascimento said. He still lives with Meli and another friend from the University College.
Meli and do Nascimento also both say they think the program should be longer than a year and the seminar should continue into the spring to make it worthwhile.
"I don't know what they wanted to accomplish with one semester," Meli said. "Is it really any different?"
Dean of Academic Affairs Haig Mardirosian said it is unlikely that the program, which will pilot for at least one more freshman class, will expand past one year or to the entire freshman class because of organization and cost.
Young said she thinks that is a shame. "I was so excited for them because of their growth," she said.
"If I could design the world, I would have all freshmen in [University College], including honors"
