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 one of 11 FiR profiles.

Ann Batenburg, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Simmons School Department of Teaching and Learning, will be one of 11 SMU faculty members to pioneer the new Faculty-in-Residence program when the university’s new Residential Commons opens in fall of 2014.

Batenburg spoke with The Daily Campus on some of her main goals for growing the new residential life program to deliver the most benefit for both students and the faculty living alongside them. Batenburg is no stranger to on-campus living — most recently, she served as a residential hall supervisor at a boarding school, where she worked with first-year high school students adapting to “the newness and the change.”

“It was a really rewarding experience to be able to help them [through their first year],” Batenburg said. “It was a very mutually-beneficial experience.”

Batenburg previously focused on elementary education. She believes that working so closely with university students will allow her to have a greater depth of insight into the learning styles of this age group.

“I don’t know this age group that well, so I figured this would help me get to know…the undergrad student[s]…and help me as a professor,” Batenburg explained.
With early planning already underway for both social and disciplinary engagement, Batenburg highlighted one Sunday night program she hopes to start: a weekly evening of baking and cooking for the student residents.

“Sometimes it’s kind of hard to come back after a weekend, dreading Monday morning,” Batenburg said. “[It will be] a place for people to get together and meet new people.”

A self-described “former hyper-achieving, straight-A student,” Batenburg aims to “start a perfectionists anonymous club” at a university where “everybody is an achiever” — in hopes of separating success from obsessiveness.

“Especially in light of the higher SAT scores, I really believe everyone at SMU is a high achiever,” Batenburg said.

“There are many times when my door will be open for anyone to come in and chat and get advice,” Batenburg said.

“It doesn’t really matter if they’re in your field or not in your field, you just need to talk something through with somebody.”

As for the integrated communities in the new residential life design, Batenburg said she’s already hearing of collaborative projects. With such instances like a music major and an engineering major coming together to create a new instrument. She only expects collaboration will continue once everyone lives interspersed.

“I think it will make for some interesting connections,” Batenburg said. “I think there are some fascinating opportunities.”