The developmental benefits of being a resident Assistant include several positive educational outcomes. This article explores the effects of being a resident assistant on intercultural effectiveness and socially responsible leadership over four years of college. This is a quantitative, longitudinal, multi-institutional exploration employing…

Participating in religious services has many benefits for college and university students. In this study, I examined qualitative data provided by college students regarding what they value and gain by participating in religious services. While the 58 student participants resided on campus at the time of data collection, they attended off-campus…

Non-religious college students can feel marginalized and isolated on college and university campuses when they feel they are being misunderstood or judged. This article explores the process of their revealing their non-religious status, or coming out, to others. Researchers interviewed 17 student members of a secular student group at a large…

Incorporating an understanding of religiosity and spirituality into the professional development of residence life staff can give them the knowledge and insights needed to successfully utilize students' already heightened awareness of their own religiosity, spirituality, and mindfulness, creating an environment that meets their emotional and…

Grounded in narrative inquiry, this study explored the ways in which graduate and undergraduate students representing different worldview identities come together in dyads to share stories that reflect their existential and spiritual development. The study revealed two contrasting types of exchange: (1) deep, personal exchanges that involved a…

In a qualitative study of Black undergraduate men at a predominantly White university in the Midwest, participants shared their experiences in residence halls, including roommate conflicts, interracial tensions, and disagreements with residence hall staff. This article focuses on Black male undergraduates' negotiation of racialized…

Using a case study approach , this article explores how men become restricted in experiencing a full range of emotions and human potential. After reviewing current literature describing the pressures men face to conform to traditional ideologies of masculinity, the case study methodology is described, results presented, and implications for…

In a qualitative study of Black undergraduate men at a predominantly White university in the Midwest, participants shared their experiences in residence halls, including roommate conflicts, interracial tensions, and disagreements with residence hall staff. This article focuses on Black male undergraduates' negotiation of racialized conceptions of…

Increasing numbers of college and university students are experiencing psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, and suicide ideation. Yet students in distress are unlikely to seek counseling services. Resident assistants (RAs) can serve an important function in identifying and referring students in distress. However, adequate…

Education and training for student affairs professionals does not end with a master's degree. Although graduate preparation programs establish the foundation and knowledge base upon which to build, ongoing professional development is required in order to be effective in addressing the needs of today's college and university students. With a…

This study investigated the five-factor structure of the Resident Assistant Cultural Diversity (RACD) instrument, which assesses resident assistant (RA) confidence in addressing issues of cultural diversity in college and university residence halls. The instrument has five components that explore RA confidence: (1) belief in the need for cultural…

Using data from both qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires from 32 undergraduate resident assistants (RAs) at a private, residential university, this study explored RAs' role conflict derived from their simultaneous positions as rule enforcers and friends, vis-a-vis their residents. Most RAs reported that they were friends with…

This study sought to explore and understand the perceptions that faculty members have of community development in living-learning communities at a large, private research institution in the Northeast. Boyer's (1990) tenets of community development provided a theoretical lens for the study. The article concludes with implications for practice and…

Whether contemplating a swim in a river or a dive into the expanse of the Atlantic ocean, I am definitely more comfortable when I can see or touch the bottom. The farther out I swim, the more anxious I get, mostly because of the unknown. This analogy seems to capture the tentativeness that faculty members sometimes feel, specifically at large…

Hypothesizes that student affairs professionals' low retention rate may be due to job stress. Examines the relationship between residence hall work environment and the degree of burnout experienced by full-time directors. Burnout was defined by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment and occurred when…