New program offers opportunities to enhance faculty-student interaction

When the student chapter of the National Society for Black Engineers works with faculty members to plan a three-week educational camp for high school students, NSBE members have unique opportunities to learn about their disciplines.

When students in disciplines that span the campus attend professional meetings with a Mississippi State faculty member, they have taken a step toward realizing their own professional development.

Increasing opportunities for such student-faculty interaction is the goal of a new program initiated by President Donald Zacharias. He has set aside $20,000 in income from the university's trademark licensing program to support new ideas for enhancing social and professional interaction between undergraduate students and faculty outside the classroom.

The program will allocate $1,000 to each of the seven academic colleges and schools with undergraduate programs on campus, the Office of Academic Affairs, and the Meridian Branch. The remaining $11,000 will be awarded to schools and colleges based on faculty and departmental proposals.

Proposals for the 1994 Student/Faculty Interaction Program are being accepted by the Office of the Provost until March 9. They will be evaluated by a committee and awards announced on March 21. Maximum awards will be $500 for an activity.

"Already there are many examples of faculty-student interaction on campus," said Dr. Miriam Shillingsburg, associate vice president for academic affairs. "These awards will allow our faculty members to create new programs or expand existing ones."

Colleges around campus say that having access to faculty members outside of the classroom is an important educational opportunity.

"We have substantial interaction between students and faculty in the College of Engineering," said Dean Robert A. Altenkirch. "We feel strongly that this is an important aspect of a student's overall education."

Student groups such as the Engineering Student Council, the NSBE, the Society of Women Engineers and the Engineering Ambassadors encourage students to work with faculty and foster opportunities for professional growth, Altenkirch said.

In addition, through such programs as the Research Experiences for Undergraduates at the Engineering Research Center, students work one-on-one with faculty members in current research projects, he said. "Faculty-student interaction will continue to be an emphasis in our programs," Altenkirch said.

In the College of Agriculture and Home Economics, students and faculty members participate in professional, technical, academic, and research society conferences, symposia, and workshops.

"These additional funds will assist our faculty, staff, and students in providing more participation in professional development activities," said Dean William R. Fox.

"One of our strategies for the college is to enhance programs to prepare graduates to assume visionary, creative, and persuasive leadership roles in society," he added. "We expect that our graduates will have significant mobility in their careers."

Each faculty member in Agriculture and Home Economics serves as a professional mentor for students and for student disciplinary clubs.

"Several hundred of our students work 'one-on-one' with faculty in research projects supported by extramural funds, as well as the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station," Fox said.