Pace faculty are traditionally seen interacting with students during classroom lectures or discussions and their office hours. However, a select group of faculty lives right next to the students in residence halls across campus. They are a part of Residence Life’s Faculty-in-Residence (FIR) program.

The program, which launched in fall 2015, is a collaboration between the Academic Colleges and Schools and Student Affairs. They aim to create a vibrant experience between students and faculty in non-classroom areas.

Faculty-in-Residence are commonly known as advocates, confidants, and resources for students, helping them enhance their interests and relationships through creative and interactive activities.

With an additional list of responsibilities, they are expected to maintain at least 5 programming- related contact hours with residents each week by participating in programming efforts focused on strengthening the student experience. These can vary from running writing workshops to taking trips to the city.

Specifically, Associate English Professor, Dr. Jane Collins, who lives in Alumni Hall, mentors the Body and Mind freshmen group.

“[I run a ] bi-weekly wellbeing series that includes workshops on topics like healthy eating, getting good sleep, managing stress, and mindfulness practices,” Collins said.

The program is a 2-year commitment and open to full-time professors at the assistant professional rank or above. In exchange for their services, FIRs are provided with a two-bedroom apartment in either Elm Hall or Alumni Hall, which includes free rent, utilities, cable, local telephone, and internet access. While the professors are given these housing benefits, the real prize, they said, is the chance to be involved with campus life and deeply engage with students outside of the classroom.

“Coming to a new place, I was able to immerse myself into the Pace community [and] find a home both literally and figuratively. Being on campus afforded me the chance to build social bonds and friendships [with students],” Assistant English Professor, Robert Mundy said.

Mundy recently moved out of Alumni Hall because his FIR appointment was complete. According to Mundy, these appointments cannot exceed 3 years.

Assistant Environmental Studies and Sciences Professor, Michael Finewood, lives in Elm Hall with his wife, daughter, and two dogs.

“When you live on campus, you learn a lot about how things work and get a good sense of the different roles everyone has,” Finewood said. “It’s a good way to strengthen relationships with other departments, like Residence Life or Student Life.”

Students even said they have benefited from having live-in professors. Enelisse Hernandez, a senior and resident in Elm Hall, said that having instant accessibility to faculty is “amazing.” She said that the various workshops, programs and events offered by FIRs provide great networking opportunities for students and allow them to make memorable experiences.

Overall, since the program’s launch, it has been a positive one, Mundy said.

“It’s [something] I will never forget– one that I am quite thankful for. As a result, I feel really connected to the campus, in a way I don’t think possible without ‘living in’ as they say.”