The well-being of college students can be impacted by aspects of the physical environment, especially during key life transitions such as beginning college during a pandemic. This repeated cross-sectional study investigates the influence of a newly constructed living-learning neighborhood on first-year residents' mental well-being, specifically…

The purpose of this study was to explore sense of belonging across race and gender using Strayhorn's (2012) sense of belonging model as a conceptual framework to guide both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Survey data confirmed findings from previous literature concerning disparities between belongingness among…

A heterogeneous student body is valued in part because diverse interactions among students help create educated and competent citizens and promote learning and development. Campus housing is a primary setting for diverse interactions as students navigate living with individuals who differ from themselves. This study investigated how the roommate…

Sense of belonging is critical for students throughout their college experience, and even more so now, given the current concerns about undergraduate graduation rates. The purpose of this study was to explore how students' perception of their sense of belonging on campus is affected by where and with whom they live. We utilized a multidimensional…

This study investigates the impact of residence hall architecture on students' academic achievement, also considering the influence of race and homophily opportunity--a tendency to create social bonds with like others. We found that socializing architecture was positively associated with a higher first-semester grade point average, and that…

There are over 700,000 international students currently studying in the U.S. (McMurtrie, 2011) contributing close to $12 billion yearly to the U.S. economy (Altbach, 2004). Universities cannot take for granted that international students will choose U.S. institutions. While great attention and research efforts have been given to support programs…

The number of international students on U.S. campuses has increased more than 84 percent over the past decade (IIE, 2016). Although it has been well-established that interaction and friendship with local students is a key element for international student adjustment to a foreign university, few studies have grappled with how these intercultural…

First-year students often search for spaces in which they feel comfortable, safe, and at home. Even though existing research emphasizes the value of spaces in which college students, particularly students of color, are understood, little is known about how they navigate their search for home. Drawing upon a symbolic interactionist approach and…

Strengths-based approaches are expanding in higher education; however, little is known about the impacts of these approaches in housing and residence life settings. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between first-year students' strengths interactions in housing and their engagement and retention. The results suggest that…

While great attention has been given to the growth of international students at U.S. institutions, there is a gap in the literature examining support for this student population within residence halls. To address the gap, this quantitative study evaluated an international roommate-pairing program (IRP) by comparing the residential experience of…

Fostering a sense of community should be at the center of every housing and residence life professional's efforts. Research conducted by Braxton et al. (2014) revealed that students who are able to identify with their residence hall community, interact with peers in this community, and find solidarity within the community experience an increased…

Due to a greater number of students enrolling in higher educational institutions, an increase in demand for housing on college campuses exists putting a strain on infrastructure. In order to accommodate the students, some universities are tripling students in residential settings by putting three students in a room originally designed for two.…

Recent trends in higher education have called for renewed vitality in the connections between the in-class and out-of-class experiences. This movement has sparked increased interest in the interactions students have with each other, with instructional faculty, and with Student Affairs professionals. This article describes how residential learning…

Propelled by the reauthorization of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) and evidence that postsecondary education positively impacts employment and adult outcomes of individuals with intellectual disabilities (iD), inclusive living-learning opportunities for students with ID are emerging. accompanying the recent shift in…

This abstract covers the breadth of higher education activities in North Carolina in their quantitative aspect, from simple counts of enrollment and degrees conferred to complex analyses of the flow of student transfers among institutions. Collected and published annually, this wide range of information should be useful to members of the public…