The McKelvy Scholars Program is a unique coed community of about 25 intellectually curious students with different academic interests and personal backgrounds. It has been a part of the Lafayette experience since the 1960s with a resident faculty advisor anchoring the community. Most McKelvy Scholars live in the off-campus mansion, an 1880s Gothic revival on High St. in the College Hill neighborhood of Easton. Scholars foster a community there built around high-level academic work, broad leadership on campus and in the community, intellectual curiosity, creative expression, inclusive values, and a self-reflective sense of belonging. Scholars join the program after being nominated by a faculty member, applying through the recruitment period, and participating in an interview process with current Scholars early in the Spring semester. One mainstay of the program is a weekly student-led Sunday discussion series throughout the year, where Scholars take turns hosting the discussions on various topics. The forum is for all members of the college community and threaded through with principles of respect, inclusive dialog, and open debate.
The McKelvy program’s singular identity follows from not being a residence hall nor a living learning community but some combination of both. The House itself has a library, study spaces, unique living quarters, a large living room (where the weekly discussions are held), a full kitchen, laundry, storage, and gracious gardens in the back. The Resident Faculty Advisor lives in a private apartment that occupies a third of the first floor. College groundskeepers keep the McKelvy Gardens thriving. McKelvy Scholars use the space for studying, receptions, events, and respite. The Gardens are open for use by all College members and, as a house in the College Hill neighborhood of Easton, provide a welcome space for neighbors and children to play and relax.
Student responsibilities
With the honor of being a McKelvy Scholar comes responsibilities. Among them is the responsibility to maintain College standards of student conduct, as codified in the Student Handbook Code of Conduct. Alcohol policies, for example, are consistent with standard practices defined in the Code of Conduct. Because the House is a unique living context, McKelvy Scholars also have a responsibility to one another to build and maintain a community of mutual support and participation. The mainstay of that support and participation is attendance at all weekly discussions. Other specific responsibilities include attendance at and contributions to House meetings called by the RA and committee heads; consistent lines of communication with fellow residents and Scholars; and respectful use of the many features of the House itself (library, gardens, laundry, kitchen, etc.).
Students who are unable to honor the principles and responsibilities of the Scholars Program are expected to consult with the Faculty Advisor, Dean of Advising, and House Leadership about continuing membership in the program. Because the culture of the McKelvy Program is largely built by the Scholars themselves through ongoing dialog, discussions about concerns from students or about the Scholars program generally begin in consultation with House Leadership. Current McKelvy Scholars can read more about expectations at this password-protected link.
Advisor Role
The McKelvy House is the only program at the College with a Residential Faculty Advisor. The Advisor’s role is to oversee the Program, work with the Dean of Advising on material, educational, and financial issues surrounding the House’s daily operations, help coordinate student activities as needed, serve as support for student needs, and stand as a liaison and community connection for neighboring homes. Because of their range of responsibilities, the Advisor has a unique role that differs from a students’ academic advisor, differs from a house manager, and differs from a campus administrator, while blending parts of each.
The Advisor lives in an apartment that occupies one wing of the first floor. The apartment is a private residence, accessible only to the Advisor through an outside side door and an entry door from inside the main foyer. It is a separate space that is not part of the living quarters for the Scholars. The Advisor joins students in the House proper for weekly discussions, house meetings, and committee meetings. The Advisor might also attend activities planned by Scholars and host gatherings for them and the community on the veranda and garden patio.
Use of House Space for Meetings
Generally, Sunday Scholar discussions are held in the living room. Other student matters are most commonly discussed in shared spaces, like the living room or library. Students may have concerns that have them asking for consultation with the Advisor. The Advisor will generally meet with those students in the House library, the covered outdoor veranda, or, in some cases, the front study of the faculty apartment. (Though the faculty apartment is not a shared space that students use, in special circumstances the front study of that apartment can be closed off from the rest of the apartment to provide a space for meetings.)