Augustana is currently discussing the idea of themed housing in Residential Life next year. Swanson would be for Leadership and those partaking in the Emerge program, Andreen for Performing Arts, Seminary for Adventure, Westerlin for Wellness and Erickson for Internships and Careers.
Housing segregated into characteristics such as these would be detrimental to the Augustana experience. Students interested in the arts would be isolated from student athletes or student “leaders.” Not only would it force students to create an identity for themselves prematurely, it would also allow others to assign an identity to them based on where they live, changing perceptions of who students are and who they are not arbitrarily.
Though it may sound good in theory, themed housing goes against the whole idea of the Augustana liberal arts education. Yes, there are a wide variety of interests and talents across Augustana students, and they should be individually recognized.
However, parsing the students into living arrangements based off these interests diminishes the exploratory nature of being a first-year or sophomore.
A college that discourages students from choosing a major in their first year and sets course requirements from various perspectives cannot possibly reconcile themed housing with a true liberal arts experience.