“Professors are always helpful, and with a smaller classroom setting there is the opportunity to form a personal relationship, both with professors and all the students, because we all live in the same area,” he said.

In addition to being home to the college’s students, the renovated Snyder-Phillips Hall also houses classrooms, workshops, offices, dining facilities, a multipurpose theater room, art studios, an art gallery and music practice rooms. Some of the classrooms and offices continued construction during the academic year, but all the facilities have been up and running since January.

Stephen Esquith, dean of the college, said he feels as if the college responded to what people thought was an important need for the arts and humanities to be connected to the community.

“I think the curriculum is shaping up in a very exciting way for students and faculty,” Esquith said. “Another thing is that everyone is enjoying this space. Having classes, faculty offices, workshops and a theater all under one roof has (proven) very valuable.”

The college features music and language mentors in addition to resident artists, who interact with students in the classroom and during lectures and creative workshops.

And Esquith said things are improving. The college likely will add about four to five faculty members in the fall and have seven to eight resident artists throughout the year.

The college hasn’t struggled to recruit students or faculty, Esquith said, and the college likely will have a waiting list for the second year to fill its enrollment cap of 125 students.

Bekah Galang, a freshman in the college, said she headed into her first year without a lot of expectations. She was just happy to be a part of the program.

“It was really exciting, but kind of strange,” Galang said. “We didn’t really know what we were getting into.”

Deciding which pathway to wander down, Galang said, is a bit like choosing a major all over again.

Suggested pathways, which include childhood and society, art and public life, nature and culture, and technology and creativity, give students an idea of what faculty had in mind when they were envisioning the college, Galang said.

Since she’s interested in exploring society and its needs, Galang said she’s leaning toward art and public life or nature and culture pathways.

Seth Anderson, a freshman in the college, said he’s not sure where he’s headed career-wise, so the college seemed like a good place to start.

“It gives us the opportunity to branch out and try and figure out what we want to do instead of someone telling us what to do,” he said. “Eventually, I will sit down and figure that out.”

Although he’s currently considering teaching history, Morrison said being in the college gives him the opportunity to pursue his musical and artistic interests. He played the saxophone in high school, picked up guitar-playing a couple years ago and has been playing the piano since he was 4 years old.

“Since I play a couple instruments, I’ve been using the music practice rooms pretty often,” Morrison said. “It’s a pretty solitary little place so you’re not feeling self-conscious about what you’re playing.”

Anderson said the study rooms have come in handy while working on group projects, and he has gone to the music practice rooms. But he said he hopes the college will put in a dark room for students interested in photography.

“I think the whole building, including the cafeteria, has been really good about taking suggestions and carrying them out pretty well with students’ interests in mind to the best of their abilities,” he said.

Morrison said the first year has been about growing one big family.

“We’ve been a close-knit group this first year, and that’s been a huge benefit to what (the college) wants to accomplish in making it a living-learning community,” he said.