RA, PhD?

Here is a story about the latest trend of faculty living with students at some dorms.

From the AP story:

When John Richardson wanted to avoid a lengthy commute to American University's campus, renting a nearby apartment just wouldn't do.
Instead, the easygoing 68-year-old professor decided to settle into a sprawling dormitory teeming with hundreds of students. It's not as unusual as it sounds: These days, catching sight of your professor on the way to the shower happens all the time.
Educators say a growing number of faculty are moving into dorms as colleges seek to revitalize campus life and shift away from the utilitarian, high-rise halls that sprouted when enrollment soared in the 1960s.
"There's been a separation between the culture of academic life and the culture of campus life," said Richardson, who suggested moving into a dorm after students complained that interaction with faculty was lacking outside the classroom.
There wasn't much structure to Richardson's living arrangement when he first moved into his one-bedroom suite in Anderson Hall about four years ago, said Gail Hanson, the university's vice president of campus life. The plan was to have him take it all in and see what happened.
Today, Richardson can be found handing out candy from a giant plastic bowl with a blinking red light attached as he greets bleary-eyed students during dozens of middle-of-the-night fire alarms. The well-traveled culinary enthusiast also prepares a buffet-style dinner for students a couple of nights each month, serving up Peking duck, Sri Lankan curry and Moroccan lamb.
"It kind of feels like you have a grandfather or an uncle living with you," said Aimee Malin, 20, a senior.