In partnership with the University Career Center and The President’s Promise, the Department of Resident Life developed the Syn*Quest Collaborative to offer enriching programs for students. The Syn*Quest Collaborative has been uniquely designed to provide an engaging, friendly, and collaborative environment for the 2300+ residents of the Denton Community. This program encourages residence hall students to transcend traditional academic and social boundaries and enhance career development in preparation for living and working in a 21st century multicultural society. Capitalizing on a community where bright, diverse students live and study in close proximity, this program encourages students to engage with others who are different from them, collaborate in order to achieve common goals, and integrate their academic and co-curricular experiences through the process of planning, reflecting, and making meaning of those experiences together.
Students can choose from a variety of offerings including courses, collaborative study groups, field trips, and Common Ground dialogues to shape their own college experience. All students living in the four high-rise halls of the Denton Community are welcomed and encouraged to participate in the program.
Abilities
Ultimately, it is our hope that students will leave this program with a set of collective abilities that will prepare them for a successful future in a 21st century multicultural society. Employers and faculty want students to be able to describe these skills as they apply for jobs, graduate programs and professional programs. We want our students to learn how to:
- Listen and speak in order to achieve mutual understanding
- Contribute to and search for multiple perspectives in a group
- Understand the role of self and others in relation to the community
- Take constructive action in the absence of known models and structures
- Reflect, synthesize and make meaning of their curricular and co-curricular experiences
options.
The Name and Logo
Synergy + Quest = Syn*Quest
The Syn*Quest Collaborative name and logo share great significance with the program's purpose. The name is a combination of synergy and quest. Synergy represents community and collaboration between residents and peers. Quest represents the exploration of interests, majors, careers, and involvement opportunities.
The Syn*Quest logo is represented by an image of the unfurling fern of New Zealand known as the Koru. There are many meanings behind the image of the Koru, but it often signifies new beginnings and change. Multiple korus together represent interconnectedness and strong bonds found in friendships.