University Housing staff will conduct a series of 18 live, interactive tours of residence halls this July and August.

#UARKHome Live! utilizes Facebook's live-streaming technology to allow parents and students to participate in guided tours and ask questions of the tour guide in real time.

These tours are viewable through any smartphone or computer. #UARKHome Live! begins at 10 a.m. Monday with a tour of Housing's oldest hall, Gibson Hall.

"We hope this digital initiative eases any anxieties and builds excitement among students who will arrive on campus in August," said Flo Johnson, assistant vice chancellor for Housing.

Housing leadership launched #UARKHome Live! in an effort to respond to questions about housing before students arrive on campus. These tours will be archived online after filming.

Housing staff offer an abbreviated series of tours during June's orientation sessions. However, not all students and parents can attend. Also, those tours do not include all residence halls because of time constraints.

Housing staff experimented with live-streaming in March for an event called Duncan Live!

"We used Periscope to show students what it means to live at Duncan," said Christopher Spencer, Housing's assistant director for marketing and strategic communications.

Periscope is a social media application that allows for live streaming from a smartphone.

"That effort led to 22 additional housing contracts, so we judged the open house and digital tours a success. More than that, we were able to speak directly to students through video and create a live record for the future."

The #UARKHome Live! schedule and RSVP information can be found on Housing's Move-In 2016 website.