About Unit One
The History of Unit One
This document has five sections:
- A summary description of Unit One composed Fall, 1994
- A historical survey: 1971-1985
- A "transition statement" composed inthe mid-1980s
- The report of the Council on Program Evaluation(COPE), 1983--A campus level evaluation committee
- The History of Allen Hall
Unit One Living/Learning Center
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Summary Description-Fall, 1994
Unit One is an academic program located in Allen Hall and is a part of the University of Illinois Residence Hall system. Unit One is co-sponsored by the Vice Chancellors for Academic and Student Affairs. The goal of Unit One is to provide an enriched academic program that also addresses the personal and developmental needs of its students while providing challenges and alternatives that are not usually available to lower division undergraduates at the University.
Unit One was established in 1972 by Chancellor Jack Pelteson is response to recommendations made by CRUEL (Committee on the Reform of Undergraduate Education). The program was established as an alternative education program that stressed faculty tutorials. During its formative years, Unit One was evaluated eight times. It was eliminated from the budget in 1978, 1979, and 1980 for not having met campus criteria for excellence. It was maintained in the budget because of the efforts of students, faculty, parents, and several administrators who believed that the program could meet its potential if it were properly supported and managed. Under the guidance of a thirteen member faculty advisory committee appointed by the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and with the support of the Office of Residence Life in the Housing Division, the program was reorganized in 1981 and evaluated at the campus level by COPE (Council on Program Evaluation) in 1983. COPE gave Unit One a strong endorsement for having significantly improved the quality and rigor of the program. The program has since been incorporated into the campus structure and has been expanded from its original 150 students to its present resident population of 655. During the period of reorganization, Unit One altered its academic focus from supporting students' working with faculty in tutorial situations to that of a focus that emphasizes class-oriented academic ventures, academic support, small group interaction, and educationally focused programming.
Allen Hall houses 655 students. Approximately 80% are freshmen/sophomores; their curricula mirror University enrollment patterns. Students learn about Unit One through a Housing Division brochure, from friends, through high school networks, and from campus visits. Assignment to live in Allen Hall is based on a random selection from the group of students who meet an April 15 application deadline. This process promotes a heterogenous student body and does not favor those students who are able to apply to the University early. In 1987, 800 students applied for 250 vacancies.
Unit One students are not required to participate in Unit One programs in any particular way. Non-residents of Allen Hall are welcome to use the programs and facilities of Allen Hall as long as residents are given first priority when space is restricted.
Unit One features several programs:
Credit courses: About 30 academic courses are taught each semester. Courses range from elective seminars and non-major art courses through general education requirements. Class sizes are small (5-35). All courses are credited through departments; all instructors have departmental appointments. Instructors come from the ranks of the faculty and teaching assistants. All faculty are offered the flexibility to try new ideas for course content and teaching methods. They are guaranteed small class sizes in seminar format, support services, office space, and free meals with their students.
Unit One courses are all taught as departmental offerings by instructors appointed by these departments. Students incorporate Unit One courses into their regular study load in their curricula as fulfilling requirement and/or elective credit. Semesterly enrollments range between 400-500.
Participation by regular faculty has always been problematic. Providing funds to these faculty has been one of the most successful recruitment methods.
"In Residence at Unit One" is a program whereby 6-8 guests are brought to live in Allen Hall each year for 2-4 weeks/visitor. These guests provide non-credit workshops, discussions, and classes for the students of Allen Hall and the campus community. Some of these guests are cosponsored by the Miller Endowment as Miller Visiting Professors and some of these guests are featured as MillerCom lecturers during their visit at Unit One. Guests include artists, social and political activists, journalists, etc. Guests are solicited by students and staff and range in public visibility from little to very high (e.g., John B. Anderson, 1980 presidential candidate). In addition to In-Residence guests, Unit One frequently houses visiting departmental faculty, who amongst these guests have been American historian Henry Steele Commager.
Non-credit programs: Non-credit programs evolve in response to student needs. In the course of a school year, typical programs include topical discussions, faculty lectures, speed reading and study skills courses, academic advising, tutoring in math, chemistry, and writing, field trips to such places as Chicago's Art Institute, outdoor trips, and the types of programs which are expected in all University Residence Halls such as blood drives, social events, films, etc. Many long-lasting student groups also exist in Unit One/Allen Hall (e.g., Writers' Club, Ecology Group, Volunteer Group, Actors Group, Comedy Group).
Unit One is staffed by a director, secretary, visual arts instructor (all full-time) and a part-time staff of 3 student advisors, ceramics instructor, academic counselor, In Residence coordinator, music coordinator, ca.15 rotating instructors, 4 tutors, and a residence hall staff that includes an area coordinator (associate director), resident director (assistant director), and 9 resident advisors.
In the past few years, Unit One has served as the academic model for the development of academic programs in other residence halls. In the Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Halls, several courses are offered and tutors are available. Resident advisors in the entire Housing system are also trained to be academic advising referral agents by the Unit One advising staff and are equipped with an advising referral handbook produced by Unit One, which is also distributed to the campus in hard copy and on Gopher.
Unit One appears to be fulfilling its mission and has met the recommendations made by the 1983 COPE study. Students give the program overwhelmingly positive evaluations. Student demand is very high, as evidenced by a higher proportion of returning students than most other residence halls and the high number of incoming freshmen who are turned away because of lack of space. The chronic problems for Unit One, which seem to be endemic amongst programs of this sort, are the dependable instructional participation by senior faculty and the acknowledgement by its lower division students that taking academic chances and exploring new territory are educationally rewarding experiences.