Get Involved
Faculty Friends
The Faculty Friends Program is designed to give students the opportunity to form positive relationships with faculty members. Research has shown that students who develop strong positive relationships with faculty members outside a classroom setting are more likely to persist to their sophomore year, earn better grades, and graduate sooner. Therefore, James Madison University has developed the Faculty Friends program to serve as a vehicle for casual and informal interaction between students and faculty.
About the program
For the past 20 years, the Office of Residence Life (ORL) has facilitated the Faculty Friends program. Through Faculty Friends, faculty members “adopt” a residence hall for an academic year. They work with the staff in that building to attend and/or present programs on various topics. This program is well established and is a great success in the halls. It is sponsored through the First Year Involvement Center (FYI) in ORL, and simply stated, creates opportunities for faculty and students to interact in casual settings outside of the classroom.
Why should you volunteer?
- You get to be a part of the campus community outside of your classroom
- You can help students better understand that faculty are real and caring people
- You can make an impact with individual students in a more personal setting
- You get to do fun things such as cooking, hiking, or attending campus events with students
- You are invited to fun receptions and banquets to celebrate the program
- You would be eligible for a departmental award for Faculty Friends
What do we need from you?
- If you are interested in participating, e-mail Kristin Stephens at steph2km@jmu.edu for more information.
- Attend a minimum of one event per month in your assigned hall. This is about six for the academic year.
PLEASE NOTE: These events almost always take place in the evening between 5 and 9pm. That is when the students tend to be available, thus you will be invited to programs during this time. The hall staff will do their best to work with your schedule. Your family members are always welcome to attend with you! - Commit to have fun with some JMU students.
The FYI Center supports this program by assigning each Faculty Friend to an appropriate hall and communicating regularly with faculty and hall staff. Each Faculty Friend will receive a training packet with supporting materials and information about the program.
Our Mission Statement
Photos
Trelawny Learning Community members take a road trip to Washington D.C. National Zoo
Roop Learning Community members take a trip to Kings Dominion in VA for a day filled with fun and physics study.
