MILWAUKEE — Marquette University is piloting a new program where faculty and staff live on campus.

The goal of this program is to support student success, employee engagement, community relations and sustainability. Heidi Bostic, the dean of the Klinger College of Arts and Sciences and College of Education, and her husband, Stephen Pluháček, a professor of theology, moved in at the start of the fall semester. 

“Students feel free to reach out to you for support or to just have a conversation,” said Bostic. “Some students have shared with us especially those first generation college students, they feel a little intimidated by their professors and they may not go to office hours. If there’s somebody that lives down the hall who they see in the common areas they’ll be a lot more likely to approach that person and say how might I get help in that class I’m struggling in.” 

Pluháček said the program is helping them reduce their carbon footprint by not driving to work and living in a smaller housing arrangement. Their hope is for more faculty to join them by living on campus next fall.

“We’re getting organized right now,” said Bostic. “We have some in-house experts here on campus who do research on the effect of faculty and residence on student success.” 

Both said living on campus has broadened their engagement with the Marquette University community. 

“The church is there,” said Pluháček. “The library is there. Our offices are right here. We can go watch a women’s volleyball on the spur of the moment. We have everything we need in walking distance. It’s such a gift and blessing to be able to do that.”