New student residence halls are being built to meet students' demands and needs, creating complex living units that prioritize private spaces over social group spaces despite potential negative impacts on student success and well-being. This study examines all university residences located in a large urban center in Northern America, quantifying…

Students' privacy expectations in university housing have increased, a change that has been reflected in universities shifting from traditional units to increasing numbers of apartments and suites. This study examines privacy and territories in student university housing architecture, using architectural plans of 76 residences, relating the…

College students who reside in campus dormitories at public universities have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their dorm rooms that is protected by the fourth amendment; and officials cannot search these rooms for law enforcement purposes without a valid warrant. Non-students, however, have no such reasonable expectation of privacy in…

As University housing offices seek to maximize use of their available beds, it is valuable to understand the factors that are most important in influencing students to choose to move off campus. This study compares importance ratings on a wide range of housing factors for students who planned to stay on campus and those who planned to move off…

Resident Assistants (RAs) are often faced with working and living among residents who are struggling, in distress, and, at times, in crisis. This article provides a primer on identifying residents in crisis as well as the tasks faced when working with students in transition and crisis. A discussion of the prevalence of distress reported by…

The evolution of the resident assistant position and its history are important to understanding its increasing complexities. In this article we examine how court cases and federal legislation, along with changes in popular culture, have altered and shaped the role of the resident assistant. Our premise is that this role, originally relatively…

The complex issues of promoting student mental health, privacy and public safety, and the balance among them, weigh on the minds of institutional leaders, educational policymakers, and local, state and federal officials. American campuses have a proud history of intellectual freedom, openness and public accessibility to their communities. However,…

Discusses the effect of "Nero," holding that, where a college or university rents space to a student who has simply been accused of a criminal act, it may be held liable for subsequent criminal acts by that student. Argues for a middle ground of responsibility between the doctrine of "in loco parentis" and institutional…