House Calls 2007

To: UT Knoxville Faculty and Staff
From: Todd Diacon, Vice Provost for Academic Operations
Re: House Calls 2007
Date: September 5, 2007

Below is a message from Jerry Adams, assistant director of University Housing, announcing the House Calls 2007 program. Recent research demonstrates that students who have meaningful encounters with professors, staff and administrators develop loyalty to the institution, and persist to graduation at higher rates than students who do not experience positive encounters with campus personnel. In this spirit I encourage you to participate in the House Calls 2007 program. Thank you.

"'It was a great program. It made me feel that someone cares. I really enjoyed it.' These are the words of a UT freshman after participating in the House Calls program. Once again, the Department of University Housing will be sponsoring House Calls 2007 on Wednesday, September 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dinner and an organizational meeting will take place from 5 to 6:15 p.m. on the evening of the program in Arena Dining at Thompson-Boling Arena.

"The House Calls 2007 program is a campus community-building initiative designed to reach out to freshman students and to give them an opportunity to interact with faculty members, administrators and university personnel on a more personal level. This outreach program involves sending university community members around to each room of an assigned residence hall floor to knock on first-year students' doors and see if they need assistance with anything -- from questions about how to get involved on campus, room repairs, concerns about campus safety, when to get advised, and a variety of other areas. This program lets students know that the university cares about them having a successful freshman year and opens the door for communication.

"Last year 75 administrators, faculty and staff participated in the House Calls program and visited with almost 1,700 students. They answered questions ranging from 'How do I get a Spanish book?' to 'The ice tray is missing in my microfridge, how do I get a new one?'

"Please join the campus in welcoming the new freshman class to the university. To volunteer to participate, please contact Jerry R. Adams at jra@tennessee.edu or at 974-1426 or Kristi Nelms at knelms@utk.edu or 974-1871."