Three faculty members are making their homes among students in ACU’s newest freshman residence halls as part of the university’s faculty-in-residence program.
Dr. Ken and Karen Cukrowski are residing in Wessel Hall, where they are part of the living-learning community for students from the Honors College. Ken is dean of the College of Biblical Studies and Karen is a college associate professor in the Department of Language and Literature. Beth Ann Fisher, instructor in the Department of Bible, Missions and Ministry, is the designated faculty in residence for Bullock Hall.
Although it’s not the first time professors have lived on campus among students, Bullock and Wessel halls were intentionally designed to support learning communities for freshmen, allowing for the creation of relationships between faculty and students outside of the usual classroom setting.
“The learning communities provide students with a different type of access to faculty and a different type of relational connection,” said Shannon Kaczmarek, dean of community living and wellness. “I really believe from all the research and from what we’ve seen take place at other universities that it is very meaningful for the student experience,” she said.
Not only do the communities provide students with a place and activities to foster a sense of belonging with their peers, they also provide opportunities to deepen their relationship with God through gatherings such as Bible studies, said Cukrowski.
Intitatives like this are one of the reasons ACU has achieved recognition for the sixth consecutive year in several U.S. News and World Report categories related to student success. For 2025, ACU ranked 14th in the nation in Learning Communities and 11th in First Year Experience, both categories enhanced by the faculty-in-residence program. [See ACU’s other national rankings for 2025.]
The faculty living in Bullock and Wessel participate in a variety of relationship-building activities with students, from Bible studies to movie nights to sharing home-cooked meals and home-baked cookies. In fact, Ken Cukrowski bakes 12 pounds of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough every Wednesday and hands the cookies out to students passing through.
“Living-learning communities create an environment where students can seamlessly blend academic engagement with personal connection,” said Dr. Jason Morris, dean of ACU’s Honors College. “By surrounding first-year Honors students with peers who share their drive and curiosity, we’re fostering a tight-knit community that supports both academic excellence and personal growth. We believe this high-impact higher education practice helps to set a strong foundation for their success, both in college and beyond.”
Bullock and Wessel Halls are part of a planned Freshman Village, set to be complete by 2030. As part of the village, Sewell Theatre is being transformed into a Residence Hall Hub where students can gather and student organizations can meet, and all freshman halls are grouped along East North 16th Street.
Learn more about residence life.
Nov. 21, 2024