REF: another unknown Conn acronym to some and a great resource to those who know more about it. When it comes to programming, the Residential Education Fellows are a hidden gem.
Nearly each house on campus has a REF floor governor who works closely with the REF professors involved in the program. After going through a selection process, tenured professors are elected to the position and allotted a $1,000 budget to work with throughout the year, creating an endless amount of possibilities.
Professor Katherine Stock, the head faculty of the program who serves as a liaison between Residential Education and Living and the professors sees the REF program as an “opportunity for professors to be creative and connect with students.” In her eyes, the professors selected who have the most success and are happiest with the results of the program are “comfortable crossing the boundary between a professional relationships with students and one a bit more informal.” The program is more than just bringing intellectual life outside the classroom, it also shows a different side of both professors and students.
Seen as a useful forum for discussing issues of diversity, whether ideological, political or a variety of other things, REF programs provide a safe space that’s not within the four walls of a classroom. Kevin Zevallos ’16, the Knowlton REF Floor Governor finds that the best asset REF programs have is their ability to “expand on ideas and topics in an informal setting while building relationships with faculty outside of the classroom.”
REF events aren’t only extensions of topics discussed in class. Many professors use the program as a way to introduce their own personal hobbies or interests to students, exposing their personable side while briefly masking the more formal side seen in the classroom. This past fall, Associate Professor of History David Canton took a group of students hiking at Sleeping Giant State Park in New Haven, followed by lunch at a local diner. The hike consisted of chatter and laughter, and served as a break from the bubble students often find themselves in on campus and as a window into a city Professor Canton knows well. Professor Katherine Stock took a group of students to see The Social Network when it first premiered a few years ago. Though Professor Stock teaches in the History department, this event was well attended by computer science majors causing her to challenge herself and shift her thinking during their conversation over pizza following the movie. The learning happens for both the professors and students through programs such as these.
The programs also bring forth a certain synergy between students and faculty as they cultivate new ideas together. Open to almost any idea, floor governors are allowed to work with residents, friends, classmates and other staff members to create unique programs. Collaborative events have been extremely successful for the REF program this past year. Most recently, a large group of REF floor governors hosted the “KB in KB” event, which brought together a variety of students to engage in an informal Q &A session with President Bergeron. Delicious desserts and dinners provided through the substantial budget also add a bit of enticement for students to attend events.
Connecting faculty and students from a variety of interests, REF professor Marc Zimmer’s favorite part about being involved in the program is “having contact with students I wouldn’t normally meet and getting to show them some cool science.” The REF program allows professors and students to branch out and explore topics completely outside their area of study. Kaitlin Cunningham ’16, the KB REF Floor Governor, never interacted with science, but teamed up with a fellow REF to do an event on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and ended up learning about a subject she never would have discovered on her own.
This year, in an effort to become more widely known on campus, the REF program engaged in a Six for Six Program catered towars freshmen. The program consisted of six events for freshmen only and took place over six weeks at the beginning of the fall semester. The idea behind the program was that the freshman class would meet new people or find common interests among friends through the program, as well as engage with different professors whom they may encounter later during their college career. A stepping stone into greater plans for next year’s freshman class, the Six for Six Program was a success.
The REF program is a vast resource on campus that is widely underused. While low attendance events are sometimes most successful, producing engaging and intimate conversation, most students would be surprised by what they can gain both intellectually and personally from attending REF events. With that, the REF Program encourages students to reach out to floor governors and faculty and participate in programs.
The misconception that the programs are purely educational may be what’s causing students to be hesitant to attend, but there is no definition of the “educational” aspect. A hike, cooking class, chemistry experiments, movie screening and even a local meat barbecue can be made into something educational. After all, the main goal of REF program is to complement our liberal arts education and expand what educational can really mean. •
