FIR Program

The Faculty-in-Residence (FIR) program operates under the auspices of the Dean of Students Office and Residence Life and serves as a profound educational initiative that increases the impact of teaching and research through residential interactions between professors and undergraduates. The program dates from 1974 and in its infancy, had a singular goal: to provide opportunities for students and faculty members to interact on an informal, day-to-day basis outside the classroom. Today, this group of individuals represents a vanguard of the University faculty in that they are uniquely positioned to pioneer the inventive, collaborative, and creative elements that make “One BU” possible outside the classroom. Indeed, they are the gatekeepers who can unlock doors to meaningful experiences with undergraduates, experiences that mark the distinctive elements of a Boston University residential education.

The FIR program expands the Boston University classroom by providing a residential experience that is connected, interdisciplinary, innovative, and meaningful. Toward this end, FIRs are in place to:

• Serve as role models, resources, and advocates for the students with whom they live and learn;
• Cultivate interactions with undergraduates that empower students to grow, develop, and refine their values;
• Integrate curricular and co-curricular activities across the University’s schools and programs; and
• Blaze trails toward the synthesis of knowledge and experience—trails that are provocative, innovative, collaborative, and emblematic of “One BU.”

Faculty members who are selected to participate in the program receive an on-campus apartment, a partial meal plan, and the opportunity to fully contribute to the lives of students outside the classroom.