Academics & Research

Faculty lives in residential housing with students, bridges gaps

Graduate student and an assistant professor Lyle McKinney enjoys UH residential life. He likes working out at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, eating in the dining halls and washing his clothes in the community laundry rooms.

What sets him apart from other residents is that McKinney is a faculty member.

McKinney is one of half a dozen faculty-in-residence at UH, living in Law Hall, one of the residential halls in the Quadrangle, for the past month. He says that when he heard about the faculty-in-residence program, he was excited about the opportunity and still feels the same after experiencing it.

“You feel old, like you’re always professor McKinney,” he said. “And that takes a little bit of getting used to, but I wouldn’t trade it in a heartbeat — to be part of a campus life. And the energy on campus outshines any of that.”

McKinney said his job as a faculty-in-residence is to be a resource to the students and to link academic affairs to student life.

“Our job is to strengthen the intelligible climate in the residence halls,” McKinney said. “My duty is to try to keep students on top of their academics.”

McKinney says when he sees students who shout greetings to him in the recreation center or laundry room, he always asks how they’re doing in their classes.

McKinney is also conducting graduate research. Part of it is studying the effectiveness of universities in ensuring the success of undergraduates. Statistics have shown that sophomores can fall into a slump, which leads some of them to drop out.

McKinney’s interest in finding out what those students need to be successful was pivotal in his decision to live among undergraduates.

“I think if I can say that students know me and feel comfortable with me, asking me questions about their college experience, that I am a trusted resource for them and helped them in any way to graduate, then I would feel like I’ve been a success in my role,” McKinney said. “I  feel I am right in the heart of the action.”

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