Drawing on narratives about the pursuit of community in a residence hall at Miami University's Western College Program, the paper discusses the opposing liberal and tribal visions of community and develops a political model of community to frame discourse for higher education, examining the ways students make meaning of their college experiences.…

Researchers examined the perspectives of 274 senior housing officers and 283 graduate students on the declining number of resident director candidates. Data from two separate surveys indicated that quality of life, remuneration, and interest in the residence life profession were significant issues. Implications for professional preparation,…

Examined how resident directors (RDs) and residential assistants (RAs) defined and enforced college alcohol policy in three freshman residence halls. Findings suggest that alcohol violations vary with academic quarters, that recidivism varies with alacrity of RD sanctions, and that RAs' reporting practices vary with gender. (Author/NB)

A survey of 73 residential schools for students with deafness found schools are committed to providing in-service education for dormitory employees but have minimal educational requirements for employment. Recommendations are made for updating Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf Certification Requirements…

This monograph contains 14 papers on residential colleges and their role in successful freshman year experiences. Residential colleges are defined as colleges in which the faculty live among the students. The papers are as follows: (1) "Introduction: Why a Monograph about First-Year Residential Colleges?" by Terry B. Smith; (2)…

Discusses quality circle programs in educational systems and describes a successful application of quality circles within a residential life program at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. Presents findings from program evaluation which focused on quality of committee products and which illustrated success of quality circle…

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)

The number of international students on college campuses is increasing dramatically. Some of these students live in residence halls. This article outlines a hall staff training program designed to include a multicultural focus. The program includes self-exploration for staff, multicultural awareness, and counseling skills exercises. (ABL)

A review of student development literature reveals that the goal of student affairs has changed from the mission of controlling and serving students to that of developing students. Implementing a residential life program grounded in student developmental strategies requires careful planning. Three developmental strategies incorporated with sound…

This paper addresses the issue of improving student retention and quality of life on campus through the application of principles expressed by Sabre (1980) involving community development. Sabre's ethical principle of nurturing the capacity for mutual persuasion is discussed as a central vision and purpose for organizing and guiding community…

This book presents a theory of judicious leadership for residence hall management that advocates the creation of an ethical and educational perspective based on the U.S. Bill of Rights. It argues that by recognizing college students' citizenship rights, providing them an opportunity to experience individual liberties, and helping them to…

Results of a survey of residential students at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, are presented, along with recommendations based on the findings. The Student Housing Evaluation was designed to assess student attitudes about the university's housing policy, facilities, and staff. The 610 respondents (46% response rate) consisted of a…

Residence hall students' (N = 1,186, 52% male, 90% White, 66% freshmen) involvement in their living community is influenced significantly by precollege student characteristics (gender, ethnicity), classification, attitudes (toward hall director, house cabinet, academic comfort, social environment, group study), and environmental variables (noise,…

Systematic review of dormitory programs at residential schools for the deaf can alleviate existing problems and prevent new ones. Allegations of sexual misconduct and child abuse, in particular, have raised serious concerns about the adequacy of staff training and experience and the maintenance of appropriate student-staff ratios to provide…