Faced with the most drastic economic downturn since the Great Depression, public institutions of higher education have been increasing tuition, cutting programs, and finding creative ways to generate more revenue since 2008. Higher rates of housing occupancy lead to greater financial stability for colleges and universities (Mitchell &…

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…

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…

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…

In an effort to attract the best and brightest undergraduate students, administrators at U.S. colleges and universities are beginning to leverage their physical facilities as major assets. Academic institutions across the country are launching ambitious, long-term programs that include the construction and renovation of academic buildings. They…

Entering the UC Merced campus and turning onto Scholars Lane, students saw, in this order, large cow pastures surrounding the campus, tall chainlink fences enclosing construction materials, orange fences stating "limits of construction," and across the small road, the residence facilities. Students who were willing to brave this…