Rhett Talks: The development,implementation,and assessment of a faculty-in-residence program

Student-faculty interactions outside the classroom have long been touted as beneficial to students’ success at an institution of higher education. However, obstacles to realizing these interactions have also been well-documented. This case study profiles how student affairs administrators and faculty-in-residence overcame these obstacles to develop, implement, and assess an award-winning program for facilitating student-faculty interactions outside the classroom. Named after the Boston University (BU) mascot (Rhett the Boston terrier) and inspired by the popular online lecture series (TED Talks), Rhett Talks has met BU’s unique campus needs, facilitated potent student-faculty interactions, and demonstrated effective partnering between student affairs and academic affairs.