Faculty-in-Residence (FIR)

The FIR program was created in Fall 2016. Our FIR lives in the residential community, and plays an active part in the community, as well! Residents may find the FIR participating in Residence Life events, offering office hours to meet with residents, and coordinating monthly academic programs or workshops. Nationally, FIR programs have a long history of enhancing the academic experience of campus residents, and we are excited to have this tradition at UAA.

Meet the current faculty-in-residence

Alaska Native, Indigenous & Rural Outreach Program (ANIROP)

If you identify as Alaska Native, Native American, Indigenous, or come from a rural community, you may be interested in our ANIROP program. In 2005, we collaborated with several campus departments to bring the Cama-I Room and ANIROP to the UAA campus. The ANIROP's fundamental purpose is to provide care to Native and rural students, to support academic success, and to assist with the transition to college.

Through early and continuous outreach efforts, the staff connect these students to various services on campus.  Services may include academic support services, and culturally appropriate counseling services, when needed. The ANIROP coordinator serves in many roles to UAA students living on campus. These roles include mentor, advocate, transition liaison, personal and academic success ally, resource provider, referral source, and educator. As a campus liaison, the coordinator builds partnerships with businesses, corporations, agencies, and community members, encompassing the indigenous communities of Anchorage for the benefit of students living on campus.

Cama-i Room

The Cama-i Room is a social gathering place and study center for all UAA students. The Cama-i Room provides culturally-focused activities and a sense of "home-away-from-home" to ease the transition of native and indigenous students living on-campus. The room is located in the Gorsuch Commons, Room 104. Cama-i (pronounced Cha-my) is a Yupik and Alutiiq word for "welcome” and “hello,” and encompasses the spirit in which this space was created. The Cama-i Room is managed by the ANIROP Coordinator and a staff of students.