By Seth Helton
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkms/local-wkms-972835.mp3
Murray, KY – Fifteen years ago, Murray State University found itself at a crossroads. The University was experiencing a period of growth, and historically had a reputation as a student-oriented campus that fostered strong ties between students and the university. But, Vice President of Student Affairs Don Robertson says school officials were worried that as the university grew in size, students might feel more like a number than a person.
"One way to approach this was to break it down into smaller components, thus the residential colleges so that students would now be part of a smaller sub-unit of the entire university."
Robertson says another concern of was the university's retention rate at the time.
"Our retention and graduation rates for freshman and sophomores were only in the low 60s. We talked to students and a major reason they were leaving is because they did not feel a part of the campus."
Robertson served on the committee planning the workings of the system when Murray State made the switch. Dr. Kern Alexander, the president at the time, was inspired by the residential colleges of the schools he himself and his sons attended. The next step was to bring that system successfully from the East coast to West Kentucky.
"He saw the benefits. He saw how creating these smaller subunits within the university could give students a better sense of identity within the college. So it was his idea, and he charged me to actually coordinate the process."
The residential college system assigned all students and faculty to a residential college. Even students who commute belong to a residential college. Respected faculty members were placed as the heads of each individual residential college. Dr. Richard Scott is a professor at Murray State and the chair of the council of college heads.
"At the beginning a certain amount of resistance was there from faculty and staff. It's not your usual collegiate campus organization and concept. A lot of people didn't understand the logic behind doing something like this."
It did not take long to see results. Robertson says Murray State's retention rates rose from 60 percent of freshman and sophomores returning to 70 percent. The university has the highest graduation rate of any public regional institution in the state. Now more upper class students decide to remain on campus and stay involved through their residential college than before. Robertson says the results didn't stop there.
"December graduation is a direct result of the residential colleges. Before the residential colleges we had only one commencement and that was in May. We started the investiture ceremonies in December. Those became so popular and became so large that it developed into a full fledged commencement, so that now we have two."
On paper, the residential college system has been a clear asset to Murray State University's success and growth. But how do the students, the reason for the change, feel about the system? What difference does it make in their day to day life whether they live in a dorm or residential college? According to Bri Anderson, a junior from Indianapolis and resident of White College, the difference is in the "customer service."
"There is a product, and the product is education. Part of the getting an education here is being happy with where you stay. So when you come in the door, people are greeting you, people are asking you how you're doing. There is actually a care about what you're doing on campus and if you're succeeding. So that's what I mean by customer service. It's hard to fall through the cracks."
Dr. Alexander's original vision for Murray State is a place where students feel a sense of belonging. The primary goal of the residential college system is to give a campus of 12,000 students a sense of intimacy that would be unachievable otherwise. Anderson sums up the difference between a dormitory and residence hall as this:
"A dorm is more like a business, whereas a residential college is like a family."
As the Murray State University family continues to grow in size, the residential colleges adapt alongside them to better suit the needs of the campus. As for the physical campus, two new buildings better accommodate the community living style. And Dr. Robertson says planning is underway for work on older buildings to better accommodate students and the Residential College style.