Editors’ note: In August 2014 SMU will debut the Residential Commons on-campus living model. Eleven Faculty-in-Residence were selected to live among students. This is part four of 11 FiR profiles.

In 2009, Mark Fontenot was the first faculty member to move on campus. The computer science professor worked with Residence Life and Student Housing the past four years developing the Residential Commons system.

“We knew we were on the path coming toward the Residential Commons system and the idea was to start working through some of the challenges,” Fontenot said.

Fontenot studied computer science as an undergraduate at McNeese State University in Louisiana before choosing SMU for graduate school. He was a teacher’s assistant during graduate school and was offered a teaching position in the computer science department upon graduation. He has been teaching full time
since 2005.

Fontenot hopes to use his campus life experience to show students that faculty are “humans with desires, passions and hobbies.” He himself is an organist for a Catholic church in Plano and has been playing for churches since he was 14.

“I think I can really help students understand that faculty are not scary people that they come to college thinking we are,” Fontenot said. “[I hope to] help students understand that, yes, we have high expectations, classes are hard, but, no, that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a friendship or mentorship with a faculty member. We’re not just here to stand up, teach and go home.”

After working for years with RLSH as a faculty representative in the development of the Residential Commons, Fontenot believes the system will improve student and faculty life. He said the FIR positions will be highly desired after the “Founding FiRs” three to four years come to an end.

“It’s going to make the educational experience much more impactful, meaningful and transformational,” he said. “It’s going to help us retain the best and the brightest students that choose to come to SMU. Those students can not only challenge each other, but challenge the faculty members. They can raise the level of discourse in the classroom. It’s going to make SMU that much better of a place to spend perhaps the most important four years of any student’s life.”

Fontenot said the administration’s efforts to create the Residential Commons are a big step to developing community on campus.

“Actions speak louder than words,” Fontenot said. “Saying we need to build community is one thing. Investing [$134.5 million] that could have been invested in other things speaks volumes to the importance [the administration sees] in what the Residential Commons system has to offer.”

Fontenot will live in the Loyd Residential Commons.