With its rounded arches, aspiring colonnades and prominent vaults, Lourdes Hall might seem Italian or Romanesque, yet with its clay tile roof and arched porch drawn back into the building, it also reveals a touch of Spanish, even Mediterranean architectural influence.  Then there’s the grand dining center inside with chandeliers and balconies, which resembles the dining rooms of famous English universities.  The building’s form seems to suggest something classic. 

Yet the halls are populated with wireless internet hubs and Ethernet ports, and classrooms display plasma screens, laptop projector units, and digital audio/visual equipment. There is also a fitness center, heated swimming pool, game room, sundeck and 360 dorm rooms with access to fully-equipped kitchen lounges.  The building’s function is certainly contemporary.

It’s no wonder Lourdes Hall, and all its architectural uniqueness, is the centerpiece of Winona State University’s Residential College, which focuses its courses on diversity and interdisciplinary learning.  Just as the building reflects a merging of diverse styles, a synthesis of the traditional and the technological, of the classic and the modern, of the old and the new, the WSU Residential College reflects an eclectic approach to learning in which students can blend both academic and residence life, local and global opportunities, while constructing a wholly new and exciting knowledge base.

Located on the west side of Winona about one mile from WSU’s main campus, the Residential College officially started in 1991, after Winona State acquired Lourdes Hall from the former College of St. Teresa.  At that time only 50 students participated in the Residential College program.  The success of this unique living-learning setting has rapidly increased so much that, today, more

than 750 students are enrolled as residential learners, and WSU has integrated the surrounding Maria and Tau Center halls as part of its residential housing on the west campus.

Ron Elcombe, WSU’s Residential College director, said the distinctive opportunities available make this program an exciting learning place at WSU. 

“Students integrate both academic and social activities, and it all happens in one learning center,” Elcombe said. “The students here take classes, meet and receive assistance from professors that hold office hours in the building, and attend special speaker presentations.  Students are challenged to discover the love of learning, tolerance for individual difference, the advantages of a liberal education, and the enjoyment of a participative community.”

Elcombe explained that residential learning environments which bring students and faculty together, within and beyond the classroom, consistently benefit students in dynamic ways.

“We know that when students identify with a positive group, are challenged intellectually by something that interests them, and have contact with faculty and staff outside of the classroom, their chances of success in college greatly improve,” Elcombe said.

And he’s right.

According to the College Student Journal, students who attend college in academic residential learning communities report overall greater satisfaction with their college experience, participate in more co-curricular activities, earn higher grade-point averages and more credits, and interact more comfortably with faculty than students not engaged in a residential college. 

August Whipple, a WSU freshman and residential student, said enrolling at the Residential College is one of the best choices she’s ever made.

“Students get so much more attention here and the atmosphere is always relaxed and inviting,” said Whipple.  “Since we live here and have classes here, it’s like professors are visiting our home; it’s like learning in our living room.”

Whipple also mentioned how living at Lourdes opened many opportunities she might have otherwise missed.

“I went to poetry readings that I normally would not have traveled to hear and was amazed at how much I enjoyed it.  There were concerts, dinners, dances and seminars,” said Whipple. “For freshmen, the college transition can be difficult, but the opportunities, encouragement and atmosphere of the Residential College gave me the confidence to explore new things and get involved at Winona State University.”

One intriguing aspect of the WSU Residential College that helps integrate student and faculty involvement is the exclusive Meridian Living and Learning Communities.  A learning community is a group of students, faculty and staff who share an interest in a particular subject or issue, and students can choose from nearly fifteen different communities.  All WSU Residential College learning communities are organized by four main themes: The Global Village, Gender and Culture, Endings and Beginnings, and The

Mississippi River.  Enrolled residential students who participate in the Meridian Living and Learning Communities take combinations of courses that focus on a specific theme and engage in co-curricular activities during the semester. 

Whipple said the Living and Learning Communities have helped her make better connections not just with other students, but with the professors and the subject matter.

“The Living and Learning Communities are unique in that they are the perfect size to encourage diversity while maintaining a close and personal atmosphere,” said Whipple.  “I was in the Endings and Beginnings learning community, so I met students with interests similar to mine.   Plus, I had the same professor for speech and orientation, which was extremely helpful my first semester.”

Other co-curricular opportunities abound at the Residential College, and not just for residential students.  Lourdes Hall is home of the International Music Series, a program dedicated to bringing the sounds of the global village to Winona.  One feature of the International Music Series is the Winona Gamelan Ensemble, an Indonesian percussion orchestra featuring members from WSU and the Winona community, who expertly play hanging gongs, kettle gongs and bronze-keyed metallophones among other instruments.  

Another ever-popular event co-sponsored by the WSU Residential

College is the John S. Lucas Great River Reading Series, featuring nationally known authors who come to WSU to discuss their work.  Ranging from regional writers to Pulitzer-Prize winning authors, the Great River Reading Series has privileged the Winona community to listen to some of the most creative minds in the country.

Elizabeth Oness, novelist and WSU English professor, described some of the benefits of having these authors on campus.

“The writers usually visit a class, as well as give a reading, so students get a chance to meet writers and ask questions,” Oness said.  “Community members often attend readings as well.  Students begin to understand that their attendance at these readings is not just an assignment, but a cultural event that many community members are pleased to have the chance to attend.”

For many programs around campus, the WSU Residential College serves as a model for interdisciplinary studies, and offers faculty and staff the fertile ground necessary to experiment with learning styles and situations.  Elcombe said the Residential College and its interdisciplinary distinction among programs at WSU is ideal for trying new educational strategies.

“This is a great place to experiment with interdisciplinary studies,” Elcombe said.  “Faculty members are always encouraged to come out and teach.  The more co-curricular programs we offer, the more we benefit our students, and the more our students will be able to build their own education.”