The door of Keith and Christine Garbutt’s apartment is always open. And, their dog Huxley is there to greet whoever walks in the door.

Since moving into the West Virginia University Honors Hall to serve as resident faculty leaders in the fall of 2009, the Honors College dean and his wife have gained a family of 360 students.

And “family” is just the right word to use; “One student even calls me ‘Mom,’” Christine laughs.

Residents have even become part of the Sunnyside community where the Honors Hall is located, doing their part to help revitalize and clean up the area.
Keith Garbutt
Click to hear the Garbutts talk about their "family"

“We are part of the community and we want to contribute as much as possible,” Keith said.

Also, the students, in conjunction with SunnysideUp, have held a basketball toss to raise money for charity.

Back at “home,” students visit at all hours, sometimes, to cook a meal or find a quiet place to study, other times for advice and guidance.

And frequently, Christine said, the students come to borrow things – everything from a needle and thread to bowls.

On weekday nights, the Garbutts plan activities for the students that include books at bed time, board games, s’mores around an outside fire pit, cooking and dinners with faculty members, among other things.

One week last semester, the hall celebrated Banned Books Week and brought different faculty and staff members into their apartment to read one of their favorite banned books – many of them even came in character.

During the holidays, they brought in a tree and students helped to put decorations on it.

“It is about helping them feel at home,” Keith said. “The whole point of the program is to bring an academic presence into the residence hall to value academics and learning in its broadest sense. And, it gives the students a place where they can feel safe and when they have an issue they can come down here and talk to us.”

And, the students agree.

“I feel so safe here,” said Caraline Griffith, a sophomore aerospace and mechanical engineering major of Drawdy. “The atmosphere in the hall is great. The Garbutts know everyone’s names and they are really nice. If I ever need anything I feel comfortable knowing they are there.”

On weekends, the Garbutts organize trips that include hiking, snow tubing, visits to museums, movies and other things. They also try to bring in their own culture.

Christine is from Wales, Great Britain and Keith is from England and on Nov. 5 they held their annual Guy Fawkes celebration. Christine cooked a variety of traditional food, and they showed the students the film “V for Vendetta.”

“I am a great believer that not all education happens in the classroom,” Keith said. “There is a lot of experiential learning and mentoring going on. We are always trying to sneak in those teachable moments, and when they happen it is just great.”

When the Garbutts moved into their apartment, located on the first floor of the new Honors Hall on 2nd Street in the Sunnyside area of Morgantown, they told the designer to take the TV out. Instead, they put in book shelves that now house hundreds of novels and books covering a wide range of topics.

The living room of the apartment, complete with leather couches, is conducive to having discussions and it creates a relaxing, comfortable, family environment.

“This is a place for conversation,” Keith said. “We are here to listen to them.”

For more information on WVU’s Honors College, visit http://honors.wvu.edu .

By Colleen DeHart
Communications Specialist
WVU News and Information Services

-WVU-

cd/03/19/10

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