Faculty-In-Residence are full-time Butler faculty members who live on campus in one of three residence halls: Residential College, Irvington House, and Fairview House. These are faculty who are committed to students and the learning experience that takes place outside of the classroom, planning and implementing educational and social initiatives within the residence halls.

Oscar Beltran Perez
Assistant Professor, Department of Health Sciences
Faculty-In-Residence

Why did you decide to become a Faculty-In-Residence (FIR)?
The program is an amazing opportunity for students to get to know faculty members and their families, but also for faculty members to get to know aspects of campus life that they would not experience otherwise. My spouse and I truly enjoy doing programming for students and attending events with them, and those activities are facilitated by the fact that we live on campus.

How do students, especially first-year students, benefit from a FIR? 
It is easy for students to arrive at college with the idea of a faculty member as a “sage on a stage,” a stereotype that is often promoted in the media. In this preconceived notion, professors are distant sources of knowledge that only exist within the classroom and during office hours. The Faculty-In-Residence program helps break down that stereotype and familiarizes students with the reality that faculty members are people with lives outside of what we study and teach. We are real people with families and hobbies, good days and not-so-good ones. This reality also helps some students begin to envision the professoriate as something that they could aspire to in the future. Having faculty members living on campus is also an extra level of reassurance for students who may be living away from home for the first time.

What types of activities or opportunities do you plan for your residents?
We like to do a variety of activities because we recognize that students have different interests as well as schedules. Some of our programming has to do with the arts, while other events involve sports. My spouse likes to do crafts, and takes the lead on those activities. I enjoy gaming and anime, so I try to incorporate those areas into some of my programming ideas. We try to provide activities for everyone.

What advice would you give a first-year student about connecting with their FIR?
We really want to get to know you! We make ourselves available to students in a number of ways, but please introduce yourselves or just say “hi” when you see us on campus.

What advice would you give families of prospective students who are considering sending their students to Butler?
Not all campuses have Faculty-In-Residence programs; in fact, most colleges and universities don’t have them. Butler has many excellent courses of study, as well as athletic and arts programs. The Faculty-In-Residence Program is another exceptional aspect of Butler that helps make our campus feel like a home.