"Learning and personal development occur through transactions between students and their environments broadly defined to include other people (faculty, student affairs staff, peers), physical spaces, and cultural milieus . . . Environments can be intentionally designed to promote student learning . . ." (The Student Learning Imperative, ACPA, 1996)

Academic Centers
Academic Services provides quality academic support for residential students and abundant opportunities for positive peer interaction through academic advising, tutoring, faculty interaction, technology, and programming. These services are supported by Academic Centers that are located throughout the residential communities. The student staffs that provide direct assistance to residents as well as creative programming to address students' needs are supervised and trained by full time, professional staff at each Center. All programs and services are evaluated by residents on a regular basis in order to insure that the Centers are a dynamic and relevant part of the learning communities in the residences.

Faculty Programs
Academic Services maintains an extensive list of faculty (300+) who have been recommended by residents, and who have agreed to participate in programs. These volunteer faculty members attend lunches and dinners in the dining commons and provide on-site lectures and seminars. In the spring of 2005, selected faculty members began living in the residential communities. Over the next few years, additional faculty apartments will become available within the residential communities. For more information about faculty involvement in the Academic Centers, please visit the For Faculty page on the Academic Center website.

Theme Programs
Academic Services collaborates with Residential Living and several academic departments to offer a variety of residential theme programs. These programs provide a rich opportunity for residents to connect to each other as well as to interested faculty members on common interests, values, and academic endeavors. For more information about applying to live in a theme program, please go to the Theme Programs webpage, or send your questions to theme@berkeley.edu.