This mixed methodological study examines the relationship between participation in a residential commons system and sense of belonging in the context of an elite, highly residential liberal arts institution. Students of color, students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and students who do not participate in Greek letter organizations reported…

Objective: We assessed whether college-student characteristics associate with food security and fruit and vegetable (FV) intake and whether these associations differ in students in housing with and without food provision. Participants: 514 randomly-sampled students from a large, Midwestern, public university in 2012 and 2013 Methods: Ordered…

The purpose of this study was to compare the Experiences of students residing in on-campus housing with those of students residing in fraternity/sorority housing, specifically to explore the differences in academic success, alcohol use, and perceptions of the living environment as a function of students' living arrangement and gender. The…

Using longitudinal data from the 2001 cohort of applicants to the Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) program, the authors examined scaled measures of academic and social engagement in relation to labor market earnings to test whether the economic value of student engagement among high-achieving students of color differs by student characteristics.…

Alcohol consumption and related problems are common among underage college students, yet qualitative, in-depth information on how/where these students obtain alcohol is limited. We conducted focus groups pertaining to access to alcohol and related issues with 19 underage college students. They reported that alcohol is easy to obtain from a variety…

Because of segregation in neighborhoods and schools, college may provide the first opportunity for many young adults to interact closely with members of different racial and ethnic groups. Little research has examined how interracial friendships form during this period. This article investigates changes in the racial composition of friendship…

The purpose of this study was to determine alcohol use (particularly heavy drinking) and social normative estimations of alcohol use according to student residence (fraternity, sorority, residence hall, or apartment complex). To achieve this purpose, a survey was conducted in all 34 sections of a general education core English class at a…

Describes and analyzes the communication perspectives of freshman as they adjust to the new environment and their role as university students. Focuses on how their communication perspectives might differ in conjunction with differences in residence arrangements (campus dormitories, greek sororities or fraternity houses, and at home with parents).…

Campus environments easily impact the ability of higher education professionals to establish campus community. Campus buildings, settings, and environment are important aspects of the development and maintenance of community. This article provides an introduction to environmental impact and one institution's approach in redesigning their Greek…

Examined relationship between student residence (on-campus university housing, on-campus fraternity/sorority housing, off-campus nonuniversity housing) and alcohol use by investigating how drinking patterns and irresponsible acts related to drinking vary with gender and with housing arrangement. Results from 1,097 college students revealed that…

College students have been shown to consistently overestimate the drinking of their peers. As a result, social norms approaches are effective in correcting these misperceived norms to reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. In this review of literature, the authors critically evaluated the effectiveness of personalized normative…

Examined rape-supportive attitudes among male college students (n=160) who varied by campus housing arrangement (single-sex residence halls, coeducational residence halls, fraternities) and exposure to education on sexual violence. Findings suggest that coeducational residence hall residents hold significantly less traditional ideas of gender…

Tested model of college drinking behavior which included alcohol expectancies, living environment, peer influence, and gender. Findings from 92 college students revealed that 3 (alcohol expectancies, social assertion, college living arrangement) of the 4 variables of the model were predictive of present alcohol use. Only gender did not…

The Greek system is seen as an important element in securing the loyalty of alumni at Lafayette College. Many new students say they chose Colby College because of its decision to abolish fraternities and sororities, and because the college provides an environment that is open and accessible to all. (MLW)