ACUHO-I is committed to the creation and dissemination of knowledge about campus housing and the broader issues that impact the post-secondary experience.  

A funded research grant program was created to support ACUHO-I’s goal of cultivating knowledge resources for members. The aim of this program is to encourage scholars and practitioners to conduct high-quality research in support of ACUHO-I’s research agenda priorities and the Future of the Profession imperatives.  

Annually, ACUHO-I solicits grant proposals from faculty, practitioners, and graduate students within and outside of the United States. Through support from the ACUHO-I Foundation, accepted research grant proposals receive grant funds up to $7,000 (USD).  

After a comprehensive review process, ACUHO-I is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 Funded Research Grant. 

Research Team: 

  • Principal Investigator: Jeff Godowski, PhD Candidate in Community Research & Action, Binghamton University – State University of New York (SUNY) 
  • Faculty Advisor/Chair: Melvin A Whitehead, PhD, Assistant Professor, CCPA Higher Education and Student Affairs, Binghamton University – State University of New York (SUNY) 

A Grounded Theory Study of Interpersonal Conflict Avoidance among College Roommates 

While a great deal of research has been conducted exploring conflict in workplaces and organizations, no current study has explored interpersonal conflict among college roommates of the current generational cohort in a post-pandemic lockdown context. The purpose of this grounded theory study is to understand the processes by which college students navigate conflicts within their social networks, particularly conflicts that occur within roommate relationships. The proposed study addresses the priority research area of student learning by exploring new ways to address student conflict on campus and the impact of these conflict interactions on their learning. The following questions guide this study:

  1. How do residential college students experience conflict?
  2. What internal (intrapersonal) and external (interpersonal and systemic) processes are at play in student perceptions of conflict, and how do students make meaning of them? Individual semi-structured interviews and participant journals will be used to gather data.

A purposeful theory-based sampling of students experiencing roommate conflict will be conducted. Informants serving as residence life staff will assist in the recruitment of 20 to 30 participants recommended for grounded theory studies. By developing a new theory of conflict management that examines the experiences of today’s college roommates, residence life practitioners can better understand the needs of residential students and the impacts of conflict on university communities. With this understanding, student affairs practitioners and administrators can develop new interventions to support students through challenging processes. Researchers and practitioners can build from this new theory as a foundation for future research and pedagogy exploring how conflict avoidance impacts the effectiveness, fairness, perceptions of equity, and psychological safety in current residential life resolution processes.

Questions about the Funded Research Grant or ACUHO-I Research? Contact research@acuho-i.org for assistance. 

The ACUHO-I Funded Research Grant Program is supported by the ACUHO-I Foundation.