Student demographics are constantly evolving as new generations step onto college campuses for the first time. With each new cohort comes a different set of expectations for the physical learning environment, as well as interactions with faculty members. Faculty offices, both in locale and layout, factor into the ability for students and professors to establish meaningful relationships that help students navigate their collegiate years and beyond. So, I pose the question: How does the design of faculty and administration spaces contribute to student success?
To answer this question, we need a baseline definition of today’s student and why they rely more heavily on faculty engagement than previous generations.
According to the study Becoming a Student-Ready College: A New Culture of Leadership for Student Success, more than 44 percent of today’s students are over the age of 24; 30 percent are considered part-time students; 28 percent are taking care of children or other dependents; and 26 percent work full-time while enrolled. These figures indicate a student population that may not always be able to schedule their days around traditional office hours, and rely on serendipitous interaction with their faculty members before and after classes.
Shifts in student populations are driving institutions to rethink what the campus faculty and administrative workplace should provide, placing greater emphasis on ease of accessibility, viability, and flexibility that supports open collaboration and relationship building. In a traditional model, faculty offices are concentrated in separate buildings, many times outside the common travel path of students walking to and from class, making casual “water cooler” interactions nearly impossible. Today’s generation of students prefer frequent, informal interactions over scheduled, periodic communication.
There is a growing connection between how and where faculty workspaces take shape on campus, and the impact they have on student success. A Gallup-Purdue University study found graduates who actively interacted with professors during college were two times more likely to be engaged with their work and life after graduation. However, fewer than 14 percent of surveyed graduates reported actively engaging with faculty.