As the national discussion about the affordability of U.S. higher education has become a pressing social topic, more university leaders are considering ways to reduce debt burdens and even tuition for today's college students. Housing is a big contributor and often an influence on cost increases for campus life. According to the College Board, the…

Gender-neutral housing has recently become an option at colleges and universities across the U.S. Chief housing officers at Association of College and University Housing Officers-International member institutions were surveyed online about the status of gender-neutral housing at their respective campuses, using an instrument adapted by the…

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…

This qualitative study explores the moral behavior in the lived experience of resident assistants who administer disciplinary policy at a large, public, urban institution located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The 12 participants volunteered to be interviewed by the first author utilizing the research question, "What is the…

American college housing is beginning to introduce gender-neutral housing, or the housing of students in the same room regardless of gender. This study provides a descriptive overview of gender-neutral housing from 148 universities and documents central areas of debate in current policy discussions. Information regarding gender-neutral housing…

Like most schools, College of William and Mary is not shy about touting its amenities. The Webpage that advertises the college's housing and dining options begins with, "Wireless and Starbucks? Thomas Jefferson never had it this good." Advertising of this sort is a double-edged public-relations sword. Colleges and universities clearly want to…

What's wrong with the sustainability movement, the author contends, is the uncritical homogenization of humanity. Sustainability advocates inevitably seek to homogenize people's deepest values, because their goal is to save Earth from ecological, economic, and social disaster. Everyone must participate--everyone must share the same key values and…

More than 1,700 students between the ages of 18 and 24 die each year from alcohol-related causes, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). These students succumb to alcohol poisoning, cardiac arrest, or injuries from falls off dorm room balconies or other heights on campus. The problem of binge drinking, defined…

Today's community colleges are experiencing tremendous growth at a time when higher education is experiencing little success in the fierce battle for public funding. Administrators believe that providing housing on college campuses increases enrollment and improves access, but they are having difficulty meeting students' demands for both quantity…

The "Hamilton College community" (New York) is a term which appears to describe those who are students or staff of the college, who are bound by the close housing (set up on a hill, to be further separated), who share a common philosophy (wanting to learn or to teach), and who are familiar with many members of the "community."…

This paper reports the findings of a 1990 nationwide survey of chief student affairs administrators addressing college and university campus safety issues. Respondents (N=701 out of a total of 1,091 recipients) completed a 24 item questionnaire, and the results were analyzed using frequencies and cross-tabulations for comparisons by size of…

This program was developed to help students address how they can create solutions to persistent problems in their residence halls and on campus. Too often diversity programs are inwardly-focused and far removed from practical action that could increase understanding and reduce conflict. This program seeks to combine self-reflection with active…

The present spatial organization of the average campus is destructive to the best interests of the changing academic community. (Editor/IR)

Steps colleges can take to minimize the likelihood of violent crime on campuses are recommended, and administrative responsibilities are identified. Important basics are to inform campus members about security risks and about procedures for summoning aid during an emergency. While attending to educational values, colleges should consider whether…

Legal opinion and case law concerning door-to-door solicitation in student residence halls and other campus facilities are discussed in order to assist administrators in policy development and review. Conclusions include the following: colleges' regulation of solicitation is limited by First Amendment free speech guarantees; in deciding what areas…