Black male retention rates in college tend to be lower than they are for Asians, Whites, and Latino males as well as their gendered counterparts in college. Various factors play a role in the higher attrition rates of Black males in higher education. However, there are programmatic initiatives that can contribute to the academic and career success…

Emotional support animals are increasingly common in residence halls. This study examines the benefits and challenges of having an Emotional Support Animal (ESA) while living in campus housing, from the perspective of the animals' owners and their roommates. Using a mixed methods case study approach, we collected qualitative and quantitative data…

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged university housing operations regardless of the type of operational function. Since the pandemic began, residence life staff, maintenance and custodial staff, assignment coordinators, administrative staff, and senior housing officers have all likely had to readjust and revamp their operational protocols in…

The number of room change requests by first-year college students can be influenced by several factors, including race and socioeconomic status. This study adds to the body of research by also examining the role of residence hall architecture, roommate similarity, and academic performance in room change requests. Findings indicate that residence…

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique challenges and stressors that are testing the resilience of residential life staff in significant ways. Like many colleges and universities, this campus of study provided almost exclusively remote instruction during the 2020-21 academic year while providing housing for approximately 30% of the…

Well-being is pertinent concern in higher education, especially as it relates to residence life staff who have substantial outside-the-classroom responsibilities for students' health, safety, and development. Resident assistants (RAs) assume significant roles and can experience secondary trauma from encountering various crises during the course of…

Adjudication of allegations of student misconduct in campus living facilities is one of many responsibilities often held by residence hall staff. After receiving an incident report, these administrators may address concerns like roommate conflicts, fire safety, vandalism, and alcohol consumption with their residents in formal or informal meetings…

Gender-inclusive housing (GIH) continues to grow as an option for consideration at colleges and universities across the U.S. A follow-up to a 2016 study by Taub and colleagues was conducted to gauge and assess developmental growth trends of GIH within campus housing. A majority of 184 participants (n = 129) reported that their institution has…

Housing and residence life professionals help students through crises and traumatic events, which may affect their own well-being. Members of higher education student affairs professional organizations, including ACUHO-I, were surveyed to investigate the following relationships: (1) work factors (i.e., job demands, job resources, exposure to…

The multidimensional role of entry-level, live-in residence life and housing staff has grown even more complex in recent years. These staff members, often referred to as resident directors, are frequently asked to go beyond the role of RA supervisor, community builder, and policy enforcer. Now they also serve to support students with significant…

Residence hall directors function as first responders during times of on-campus residential crisis and also train resident assistants on crisis procedures. These directors are often relied upon to serve as intermediaries for residential students when they are impeded by long wait times to see someone in campus counseling services. In addition,…

The COVID-19 Pandemic has altered the ways that college men develop and interpret masculinity on campus. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, this study explores the experiences of 28 second- and third-year undergraduate men living in on-campus housing to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected masculinity and the…

Interactions across campus have long been documented as an important component of understanding the college student experience. This is especially salient in relation to interactions with faculty and peers during a student's first year, when susceptibility for departure is high. However, it is likewise critical to understand how distinctive types…

Employees in service-oriented, relationship-based jobs are prone to experiencing feelings of burnout. As such, paraprofessional staff in college housing environments, resident assistants (RAs), are not immune to its effects. Since navigating relationships is the root cause of burnout, it makes sense to focus on the relationships between…

Learning community programs, like many other forms of higher education, are at risk from the effects of financial constraints, systemic racism, and pressures from outside constituents that are forcing institutional leaders to face difficult decisions that result in cutting budgets and closing programs. During these tumultuous times, learning…