State Hall transforms into learning community

State Hall has become an EDGE Residential College, a living and learning community focused on liberal arts disciples for faculty and “academic ambassadors” with a shared interest in liberal arts, global education and civic engagement.
The EDGE is a plan for students in the College of Liberal Arts. In recognition of this globally informed and actively engaged curriculum, the College now identifies itself as “EDucating for Global Engagement.”  The EDGE is University of Central Arkansas’ college of Liberal Arts a strategic plan initiated in 2008. The main goal is to educate the students with an extensive global curriculum that is sure to set a presidence.
The EDGE offers courses in world literature, world history, geography of world regions, world religions, world philosophies, and cultural studies, and many others, as part of the university’s general education program for freshmen.
While a full range of general education courses will be taught in EDGE Residential College, the special thematic focus of the college will be active global learning, and studying on a more in-depth level than ever before provided at UCA.
“All of our classes in one way or another will do this, they’re built to better sculpt themselves. The classes will improve writing, our philosophy classes will make students more philosophically engaged, geography will make them more geographically engaged. It’s all just going to keep building them into better students” Tanya Jeffcoat, adjunct instructor and resident master of the EDGE Residential College, said.
Students will now be able to gain knowledge and skills while working on undergraduate research projects with professors. Students will also be able to participate in service learning and civic engagement activities as part of a select number of classes.
The EDGE will build on UCA’s degree program for students who study international relations, comparative politics, languages and literatures from across the world, Asian philosophy and religion, geography of Russia and of Pacific Asia, modern Japan and  Islamic Middle East, to name a few.
The residential college will offer more than just a residence where students can improve the skills on a global level—it will also open the doors and provide a wide array of opportunities for those willing to immerse themselves in the global curriculum provided.
Students can gain cultural experience by participating in study abroad courses and they can gain professional experience in internships. The EDGE has a formal institutional agreement with the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars.
“We want students to be more aware of the world around them and to understand the events that are happening in their communities, and what’s happening all around the world.  We don’t live in an isolated world anymore. We’re all connected. Our food comes from all over the world. We’re closer on a political level,” Jeffcoat said.