by Lynda Chambers, editor, InRoads

The residency model of RRU’s newly-designed MBA program was in part influenced by Rethinking Res: Envisioning Alternatives to Traditional RRU Residencies, a report produced by the Center for Teaching and Educational Technologies. __________

Stately Hatley Castle is the most readily recognizable – and undoubtedly dramatic – characteristic that sets Royal Roads University apart from other universities.

But there are additional defining traits. A target student population of working professionals, for example. An applied approach to online learning. An emphasis on teamwork.

Another key characteristic that sets Royal Roads University apart from other post-secondary institutions is its approach to residencies.

Instead of requiring that students commit to live on – or near – the Victoria campus for months on end, the university expects them to commit to residencies measured, rather, in weeks. These short-term stays, combined with online courses, form the basis of the university’s trademark “blended learning” model.

Regularly, RRU students report that their relatively brief but extremely intensive on-campus residencies provide an experience that contributes significantly to their success in, and enjoyment of, their program.

On the flip side, though, recruiters are hearing a significant number of potential students say the requirement for even a short-term residency is a deterrent to applying to RRU.

In response, some departments have been wondering whether there might be a way to keep the valuable face-to-face component of residencies and, at the same time, make their programs more accessible to a greater number of otherwise highly-qualified students.

______________

We invite students, staff, faculty and alumni to read our full report and contribute to this community-wide brainstorming activity.

______________

Residencies at RRU are intended to . . . accelerate and strengthen team and relationship building; orient learners to RRU’s setting, services and systems; introduce programs and the university’s culture and expectations; and facilitate the completion of credit course requirements. Residency activities include . . .  receptions and dinners short orientation sessions with the library and computer services, field trips, labs, course work, and just-for-fun activities such kayaking and tours.

What if residencies were offered in other cities across Canada, for example, or if three different one-week residencies were offered in three different cities with only two mandatory?

In light of the many variables associated with rethinking residency requirements, Steve Grundy issued a challenge not long ago. ”Let’s look at residencies differently!” said the associate vice president and chief information officer at RRU.

“So we did,” says Mary Burgess, director of the university’s Center for Teaching and Educational Technologies.

Burgess and her team reviewed current program schedules; engaged in casual conversations with staff and instructors; browsed the Internet; perused journals; and, of course, brainstormed. The team then produced a report entitled Rethinking Res: Envisioning Alternatives to Traditional RRU Residencies which is now being made available to the RRU community for further discussion.

“Our effort was not scientific or exhaustive but it has produced some intriguing ideas,” says Burgess. “Our hope is that what we have learned can be seen as the beginning of a conversation, and perhaps the beginning of a potential research project for a student who might want to further investigate alternatives to traditional residencies.”

In a nutshell, Rethinking Res: Envisioning Alternatives to Traditional RRU Residencies explores four possible alternative models:

• Shorter Residencies
• Conferences
• Online Residencies
• Cross-program Residencies

Cross-program residencies would offer activities and content common to a number of RRU programs and not just one. These might include sessions on research methods and writing skills, for example, along with sessions on leadership, marketing, communications, accounting and sustainability. __________

Shorter residencies would last five to 10 days instead of two to three weeks with multimedia tutorials and activities offered online prior to students coming to Victoria. “These would jump-start campus activities so the face-to-face time could be more effective and efficient,” says Burgess. Students could then meet faculty and staff from departments such as the Library, University Life and Computer Services at an informal evening reception. Some courses could begin online and then finish during the residency or vice versa. Shorter residencies could also be held where they make sense; at a relevant event that might be happening in Toronto or Halifax or Winnipeg, for example, and not necessarily at RRU.

Conferences in place of residencies – complete with proceedings, papers, dinners and networking opportunities – would suit some working professionals better because they could legitimately use business travel budgets and professional development time to attend. Students would both present and attend sessions related to their studies and could come together in any selected location or perhaps two locations joined by technology. Online activities would also be held before and after the conference.

Online residencies sounds like an oxymoron but isn’t necessarily. Students would be required to spend several hours online, synchronously, for three to five days straight. The experience, using web conferencing or text chats or social networking sites, could still be highly interactive and spontaneous if students completed asynchronous activities beforehand. And there’d be no need to spend time or money travelling. This model would require a serious commitment from students to set aside a time and a place – free from interruptions – to participate.

Cross-program residencies would offer activities and content common to a number of RRU programs and not just one. These might include sessions on research methods and writing skills, for example, along with sessions on leadership, marketing, communications, accounting and sustainability. Such residencies could be offered fairly frequently and they could be Toronto-based or Ottawa-based or Vancouver-based; providing students with the option to attend when and where it best suits. “While some programs now tailor courses to their specific discipline, it may be that a slightly more general approach could actually broaden perspectives and lay the foundation for future collaborations between disciplines,” says Burgess.

The team that produced Rethinking Res: Envisioning Alternatives to Traditional RRU Residencies also took Grundy’s challenge a step further – posing a second question.

What if students could choose what works best for them? Those who are able to travel to RRU or another designated location would do so. Those unable to travel would interact via technology allowing participants to be in the same room and/or connect with those at distant and diverse locations.

Regularly, RRU students report that their relatively brief but extremely intensive on-campus residencies provide an experience that contributes significantly to their success in, and enjoyment of, their program. __________

Next steps

There is no doubt that residencies at RRU demand a cost in travel and accommodation dollars as well as in time and energy for staff, faculty and students.

Ideally, if an RRU program could run a pilot of one of the models, the university could study the results and share them with the RRU community and beyond.

“For now, we invite students, staff, faculty and alumni to read our full report and contribute to this community-wide brainstorming activity,” concludes Burgess. “It would be really interesting to hear, in particular, what those who have experienced our current and previous residency models think about these new ideas.”

Contribute to the discussion now by emailing  Mary.Burgess@RoyalRoads.ca