Discusses how one college's experience with a tragic fire in one of its residence halls prompted a reevaluation of its fire-prevention-and-response strategies. Staff training, sprinkler installation, new alarm systems, and exit hardware to help make building exiting more efficient are discussed. (GR)

Describes an award-winning design of a new residence hall at the University of Toronto's St. George campus. The new residence's plan, designed by Saucier and Perrotte Architectes, emphasizes a spirit of communal interaction. Includes design drawings and schematics. (EV)

Explains how technology will influence classroom design and furniture selection in today's college facilities. Discusses ergonomic and efficiency considerations and furnishings for specialized areas such as computer labs. Addresses dormitory rooms and the flexibility of room-furniture layout and the inclusion of telecommunications capabilities.…

Reveals how today's college planners and architects are rethinking residence hall design to enhance a sense of community. Offers design ideas for creating living spaces that are more conducive to student social and academic interaction. (GR)

Study suggests that residence hall students at a predominantly White university perceive the racial climate of residence halls differently depending on their cultural group. Statistical significances occurred between Whites and one or more of the cultural minority groups. There were no significant differences between any of the ethnic minority…

This publication includes over 1,350 stories that illustrate the continued expansion of sustainability practices into every sector of campus. Initiatives from nearly 700 institutions are organized into 28 chapters, spanning education and research, campus operations, and administration and finance. In addition, the publication contains over 90 new…

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…

Presents four notions about community: values, developmental socialization, identity, and group living; and discusses why each must receive the attention of professionals if residence halls are to achieve a sense of community. (Author/PG)

This report presents a strong case for integrating academic advising into the residential setting. It is pointed out that a certain degree of friendliness and informality exists in these settings that encourages discussion and information exchange, and the professional staffs who work in residence halls are specifically trained to address…

Control over environmental events has been shown to reduce the behavioral and psychological impact of environmental stress. To assess the effect of residence hall judicial policies on attitudes toward rule violating behavior, 93 college freshmen (36 males, 56 females, 1 unreported), randomly assigned to one of four dormitories (social contract or…

Examines some of the changes in the relative status of predominantly black and predominantly white institutions which occurred between 1956 and 1968 by comparing matched samples on eight variables, including faculty composition, library facilities, dormitory facilities, and size of campus. (Author/JM)

Social and psychological effects of residing in overloaded social environments are discussed. Data are presented suggesting that the interior architecture of the corridor-design dormitories requires residents to interact with too many others, leading residents to experience stress and develop potentially stress-reducing behavior. (JR)

To hold down construction costs of student housing, Brockport College decided on a fixed-cost competition, in which architects had to team up with contractors. The winning firm used a French industrialized building system and exterior panels of weathered steel to construct a village of 27 four-story buildings. (JG)

Because of a high vacancy rate and widespread vandalism in its highrise dormitories, the University of Massachusetts commissioned an environmental consultant to assess the problem. A two-year study showed that occupancy increased and vandalism decreased in an experimental dormitory where students were allowed greater freedom to arrange their own…

Women who elect coeducational living when first available do differ from those who do not. Such differences are quite comparable to differences found between volunteers a) for a psychological experiment and b) for creativity training and their respective nonvolunteer classmates. (Author)