Research shows that in a traditional college setting, resident assistants (RA) have access to and influence over students in several different ways. RAs are often utilized as academic and campus resources, counselors, problem solvers, and more. RAs have a unique access to students that no other administrator, faculty, or staff member does. Most…

LGBTQ+ students face several challenges and obstacles in college and university residence halls. Prior research shows that living-learning communities can be a space in which students develop a sense of belonging and community, as well as pursue academic success. Using the findings of a qualitative study that explored LGBTQ+ students' experiences…

Institutions of higher education, and more specifically residence halls within colleges and universities, pride themselves in offering and embracing a diverse community of students. A growing number of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are attending college and choosing to live on campus. While many are able to do so successfully, some…

Resident assistants (RAs) can serve as important suicide prevention gatekeepers. The purpose of the study was to determine if training improved RAs' crisis communications skills and suicide-related knowledge and to determine if the knowledge elements predicted crisis communications skills. New RAs showed significant improvement in all areas from…

This study described mental health and substance use referral practices of resident assistants (RAs). Interviews were conducted with 48 RAs at three campuses. RAs generally had positive attitudes toward helping residents, and believed that existing norms supported their referral actions. However, many perceived referring residents to be…

STAFF MEMBERS OF RESIDENCE HALLS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA WERE GIVEN COUNSELING-ORIENTED, IN-SERVICE TRAINING TO MEET THE EDUCATIONAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF RESIDENT STUDENTS. TRAINING MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES WERE DEVELOPED TO PROVIDE SUB-PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING SKILLS TO 12 HEAD RESIDENTS AND 12 UNDERGRADUATE ASSISTANTS. THERE WAS…

Concern for students with eating disorders and concern for the environment served as the catalyst for the development of a procedure for responding to eating disorders. The procedure, which relies heavily on residence hall staff, is presented here, with emphasis on training, prevention, and issues in implementation. (Author)

A 12-hour training program combined what is known about basic communication dimensions with the use of simulation and role playing in a housing setting. Analysis by covariance found significant increases for the treatment group on three communication scales. (Author)

Study surveyed 369 universities to determine how widespread resident assistant training courses are and how they are typically structured. Results suggest consistency in some course elements, like required enrollment, course text and lectures, but a lack of consensus in other components, such as topics, grading policies, and goals. (Author/RJM)