Freedom dreaming offers a new paradigm that centers the experiences and realities of Latinx students on college and university campuses and re-imagines residence halls as liberatory spaces. Referencing the legacy of racism and the experiences that Latinx students have with microaggressions and other forms of oppression, this article highlights how…

The practice of duty rounds (also called community rounds or simply duty) is overdue for critical assessment, particularly because of its reliance on surveillance culture and the potential hazards of such surveillance to building authentic community. In this collaborative autoethnography, one Black residential life professional's experience with…

Bulletin boards are ubiquitous in residence halls and may not always capture students' attention, but when they do, they have the potential to engage students in meaningful learning experiences. Our study explores how arts-based methodologies can be used in student affairs and higher education research to expand possibilities for practitioners to…

Belonging is essential for college student success, yet little is known about how residence hall spaces affect this experience. This article reports on selected findings from a multi-year research project that aims to understand the multiple uses, experiences, and meanings of spaces in the residence halls. Qualitative analysis of student-created…

Fostering staff well-being can no longer be the responsibility of individual staff but needs to be built into structures, practices, and social norms in residence life departments. We drew on elements of participatory action research to provide guidance for departments striving to intentionally prioritize staff wellness. First, based on literature…

The residential community is a key part of the college experience simply because students spend a large majority of their time in the places where they live. Given this fact, a student's interactions and engagement with their community can positively impact their learning experience. We utilized a constructivist, qualitative, phenomenological…

Emotional support animals are increasingly common in residence halls. This study examines the benefits and challenges of having an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) while living in campus housing, from the perspective of the animals' owners and their roommates. Using a mixed methods case study approach, we collected qualitative and quantitative data…

The minoritized identities of many resident assistants are rarely a topic of studies that evaluate their campus experiences, yet these identities are crucial in making these experiences positive. This qualitative research study helps fill this gap in the literature by reporting the experiences of 21 resident assistants with minoritized identities…

The multidimensional role of entry-level, live-in residence life and housing staff has grown even more complex in recent years. These staff members, often referred to as resident directors, are frequently asked to go beyond the role of RA supervisor, community builder, and policy enforcer. Now they also serve to support students with significant…

Housing and residence life professionals help students through crises and traumatic events, which may affect their own well-being. Members of higher education student affairs professional organizations, including ACUHO-I, were surveyed to investigate the following relationships: (1) work factors (i.e., job demands, job resources, exposure to…

Using scholarly personal narratives as a research tool, we explored how the director of an LGBTQ+ living-learning program (LLP) created community within the constructs of an otherwise cis- and heteronormative residential environment. We reviewed the first author's reflections about community experiences and analyzed them for opportunities to upend…

Residence hall directors function as first responders during times of on-campus residential crisis and also train resident assistants on crisis procedures. These directors are often relied upon to serve as intermediaries for residential students when they are impeded by long wait times to see someone in campus counseling services. In addition,…

Significant literature exists exploring interview and selection processes broadly, but little research specific to Resident Assistant (RA) interviews is available. Studies on RA interview processes include quantitative studies connecting interview scores to job performance or discussions of bias within processes. The purpose of this qualitative…

The number of room change requests by first-year college students can be influenced by several factors, including race and socioeconomic status. This study adds to the body of research by also examining the role of residence hall architecture, roommate similarity, and academic performance in room change requests. Findings indicate that residence…

Adjudication of allegations of student misconduct in campus living facilities is one of many responsibilities often held by residence hall staff. After receiving an incident report, these administrators may address concerns like roommate conflicts, fire safety, vandalism, and alcohol consumption with their residents in formal or informal meetings…