Research Grants

A Grounded Theory Study of Interpersonal Conflict Avoidance among College Roommates

Research Team: Jeff Godowski (PI)

• 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.

Examining the Influence of ‘Busy Culture’ on Residence Life Professionals’ Career Satisfaction and Persistence

Research Team: Charlie Potts (PI)

• The culture of busyness in residence life and student housing is influencing job satisfaction and career persistence for newer professionals. The central research question of this project – How does the culture of busyness influence newer (1-5 years) residence life professionals’ career satisfaction and persistence? – will be addressed using a qualitative approach. Interviews will be conducted with 16-20 newer (1-5 years of experience) residence life professionals to explore their perceptions of busyness in their work. At the center of this research is a need to find tangible and meaningful ways to dismantle ideal worker norms in residence life & housing organizations. This research will inform leaders on how to identify ideal worker norms, how to address concerns about ideal worker norms within their office culture and provide tangible methods for co-creating new norms with entry-level employees.

Belonging in the Curricular Approach: A Mixed Methods Sequential Explanatory Case Study Exploring the Experiences of First-Time, First-Year Residential Students

Research Team: Erica Thompson (PI)

• Understanding the impact of a curricular approach on students’ sense of belonging can enhance the work of student affairs educators in both broad and specific ways. The results of this study can help educators at this specific institution interrogate the design and implementation of their curricular approach against the intended outcomes, allowing them to meet the needs of students more effectively. This research can also contribute more broadly to gaps in the small body of literature on the impact of a curricular approach. Existing research on the curricular approach focuses on organizational impact (Lichterman, 2016), implementation (Kropf, 2020), and the experiences of the staff implementing the curricular approach (Gardner, 2021; Pernotto, 2021). This research will focus on exploring the impact of a curricular approach on students’ sense of belonging. In addition, the data from this study may serve as a framework for institutions with a curricular approach to assess and evaluate their work (Kerr et al., 2020). Through mixed methods sequential explanatory design rooted in constructivism, the study aims to describe relationships among variables, illuminate individual perspectives, and integrate the data to develop a greater understanding of the research topic.

Amplifying the Student Voice: A Participatory Action Research Approach to Improving Residential Student Academic Readiness & Success

Research Team: Jason Titus (PI), Craig Allen (PI)

• University housing departments have a long history of academic engagement. In more recent times, the emergence of living learning communities (LLCs), residential curriculums, and the hosting of academic campus partners have become commonplace. At Texas Christian University (TCU), the Housing and Residence Life (HRL) department has created academic initiatives which seek to address deficiencies in college student readiness and academic success. Across the nation, many students who are qualified for college are not prepared. TCU HRL, which houses over 97% of first year students and 94% of second year students, seeks to be a primary campus intervention in getting residential students prepared for academic course rigors. This project uses participatory action research (PAR) to incorporate a valued student perspective to pursue programmatic change within the academic initiatives provided to residential students in university housing. A research team consisting of student peer leaders operating as co-researchers work collaboratively to identify barriers hindering student academic readiness and success, create actions to improve current residential academic initiatives, and create new initiatives to progress resident academic performance. Researchers will identify problem areas, organize and interpret data, take action based on data, and reflect on their experience.

Exploring the Experiences of Black Resident Advisors at Historically White Institutions

Research Team: Morgan Murray (PI)

• The resident advisor (RA) position is one of the most complex and important roles on college campuses in the United States. There are few other student staff positions that require the same level of training and have the same level of responsibilities (Blimling, 2003; Cheng & Chan, 2020; Letarte, 2013). While these staff members serve many functions, a primary responsibility of RAs is to make their residents feel welcomed and valued in their community. Black students who take on the RA role at historically White institutions (HWIs) are charged with creating welcoming environments for students and making them feel valued in the community while often not feeling welcomed or valued themselves in these same environments due to the stereotypes and racism they encounter on their campuses (Harper, 2011; Hardaway, 2020; Roland & Agosto, 2017). There is currently a body of research on the experiences of resident advisors, but there is a gap in the research as it pertains to specifically addressing the needs and experiences of Black RAs. The proposed study is a qualitative phenomenological study to explore the lived experiences of Black students serving in the RA role at HWIs and where they find belonging and support in their residence life department. This study will share the stories of these students using interviews and photovoice. The words and images captured by these students will be used to better understand the needs of Black RAs.

Resident Assistants and Title IX: Perceptions, attitudes, and experiences impacting RA help-seeking behavior

Research Team: Beth Paris, Ph.D. (PI)

• This study focuses on the perceptions, beliefs, and experiences of college students who have served as Resident Assistants, as they relate to Title IX services on their campus. The goal of this study is to learn about how RAs perceive Title IX, and how such perceptions affect their own help-seeking when impacted by incidents of sexual harassment or assault. Findings may help add context to our understanding of student staff roles, and identify barriers that may be unintentionally affecting student safety and success.

Surviving Anti-Asian Hate: Asian/Asian American Students’ Experiences Living in the Residence Hall During COVID-19 and Beyond

Research Team: Gudrun Nyunt (PI), Jacquelin Mac, Ph.D.

• The community built in residence halls positively impacts student retention but microaggressions and discrimination encountered in the halls can negatively impact students’ experiences. Asian American students, in particular, may perceive residence hall racial climates more negatively than other racially marginalized groups. Considering the recent rise in anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic and drawing on Critical Race Theory and AsianCrit, this phenomenological study sheds light on what it means to be an Asian/Asian American residential student during times of increased anti-Asian hate.

Exploring Relationships Among Trauma Exposure, Resilience, and First-Year Student Success at Historically Black Universities

Research Team: R. Jason Lynch (PI)

• Before arriving on campus, 40% of students are likely to have experienced one or more traumatic events, with Black youth experiencing higher exposure rates (61%). These experiences have negative impacts on outcomes including academics, social mobility, and health. While scholars continue to explore the impact of trauma on college campuses, few center the context of HBCUs. This cross-sectional quantitative study seeks to understand the extent to which trauma exposure and resilience relate to success outcomes for students at HBCUs, as well as outcomes based on social identity.

Equality and a Built Environment of Differences: Towards More Equitable Residential Life Experiences 

Research Team: Josh Brown (PI), Fred Volk, Joseph Kush

• This study examines the extent to which different residence hall designs may be associated with first-year student outcomes in the form of student interactions and student learning. Using five years of archival data, we investigate multiple possible interactions between three primary factors and their relationship with academic outcomes. The three primary factors include: residence hall type (i.e., traditional corridor, apartment suite, hybrid luxury), race (i.e., Asian American, Black, Latino, White), and hall-specific socialization processes (i.e., homophily opportunity, composition of socio-economic status, composition of class level) while controlling for previous high school academic performance.

Grant Year: 2019

The Experiences of Resident Advisors (RAs) Facilitating Social Justice Interactions in the Residential Curriculum Model

Research Team: Patty Witkowsky (PI), Megan Bell

• The adoption of curricular approaches to strengthen student learning is spreading rapidly within student affairs. With residence halls as the space that on-campus students spend the majority of their time, the development and implementation of the Residential Curriculum Model (RCM) throughout the U.S. is worthy of exploration. There is an overall lack of empirical research about the RCM, and more specifically, little is known about the pivotal role of Resident Advisors (RAs) in the model. Thus, this study seeks to fill that gap through an exploration of the lived experiences of RAs involved in the delivery of an RCM, with a particular focus on resident interactions related to social justice/diversity outcomes

Exploring the Multidimensional Outcomes of Living, Learning, and Leading in Residence Life for Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students

Research Team: Krista Soria (PI)

• The purpose of this study is to investigate multidimensional outcomes for socioeconomically disadvantaged students who are living, learning, and leading in residence life. I will use propensity score matching and regression to analyze data from two multi-institutional undergraduate surveys and investigate the prosocial, academic, and career-related outcomes associated with living on campus, serving as a resident assistant, participating in a living-learning program, and participating in a living-learning leadership program. I will also explore the whether the effects of residence life participation in those four areas differs by students’ intersectional identities.

 Undocumented College Students: Sense of Belonging from Living On Campus

Research Team: Leslie Jo Shelton, Ph.D. (PI)

• The purpose of this study is to understand how living on campus relates to undocumented college students’ sense of belonging. This topic is of significance given that residence halls are primary sites of facilitating student success, yet little is known about undocumented student experiences in campus housing, especially related to sense of belonging. The research questions guiding this study are: What are the experiences of undocumented college students living in campus residence halls? And, how do undocumented students perceive their on campus living experiences relate to their sense of belonging on campus? Findings will contribute to scholarship and inform student affairs practice.

Exploring How Academic, Social, and Deeper Life Interactions Influence Thriving for Living-Learning Community Students

Research Team: Ryan W. Erck, Ph.D. (PI), Rishi Sriram, Ph.D.

• Previous research on LLCs has underscored numerous student success outcomes such as academic achievement, engagement, and retention. Individually, however, such studies do little to capture the elusive idea of “student success.” This study utilizes the construct of student thriving to characterize success in a more holistic way. Utilizing SEM, this study measures how different types of interactions students having in LLCs contribute to their ability to thrive in college. Campus housing administrators can use the provided insight to inform decisions regarding programming and interventions such as LLCs.

A Cross Case Analysis of the Climate for Racial Diversity in Campus Residence Halls

Research Team: Zak Foste (PI)

• The purpose of this study is to examine the climate for racial diversity in residence halls across three universities. Cross case analysis will illuminate how various actors (e.g. housing administrators, hall directors, resident assistants, residents) interpret and make sense of the climate for racial diversity in the halls. Additionally, the study will explore how senior level administrators conceptualize the role of residence life in educating about racial diversity within the halls, how this work is communicated and implemented by hall directors, and how student staff are trained to engage their peers on difficult topics of race and racism

Impact of Living Learning Communities in LGBTQ* at a Large Research Institution

Research Team: Chester Miller (PI), Jamie Puglin, Ezinne Ofoegbu

• Research has shown that living and learning communities (LLCs) contribute to student success and sense of belonging. However, little research has examined the impact of LLCs on students who identify as LGBTQ*. This perspective may shed light on how LLCs impact the experiences of students who have historically been marginalized. The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of LLCs on the experiences of students who identify as LGBTQ*. This research will provide a better understanding of how LLCs are currently supporting these students and what additional work can be done to support them.

Exploring the Racial Battle Fatigue of First-Year Undergraduate Students of Color

Research Team: Cameron Beatty, Ph.D. (PI), Amber Manning-Ouellette, Ph.D.

• This study explores how first-year Students of Color develop leadership identity and navigate racial battle fatigue as student leaders in residential communities at historically white universities in the United States. Racial battle fatigue and critical race theory are applied as theoretical and analytical frameworks to explore how first-year Students of Color perceive themselves as leaders in historically white higher education environments, how they derive meaning from racial trauma, and build their leadership capacity. Through the use of counterstorytelling, dominant understandings around student leader experiences are addressed when considering the experiences of Students of Color as they navigate racial battle fatigue.

Grant Year: 2018

Residential Students on the Autism Spectrum: Belonging and Inclusion

Research Team: Florence A. Hamrick, Ph.D. (PI-Retired), Dayna Weintraub, Ph.D. (PI), Joan Collier, Ph.D., Justin Kelley, M.A., Amy Miele, M.A.

• Informed by the results of a climate study at [COLLEGE], this phenomenological study explores the experiences of belonging and inclusion of students who identify with ASD and are current or former residents in university housing. Data and findings will lead to greater understandings of students on the autism spectrum and will aid housing and residence life professionals in identifying and developing engagement strategies to maximize opportunities for residential and co-curricular leadership and involvement (e.g., RA, peer mentor, residence hall government officer) by students on the autism spectrum.

Experiences of College Students in Addiction Recovery with On-Campus Living Experience: A Case Study

Research Team: Dory Hoffman (PI)

• This critical ethnographic case study is a study on college students in recovery from drug addiction that have lived on-campus. This study is designed to co-represent the social and educational experiences of college students in recovery. Full-time college students are more likely to live on campus especially and 23% of those students meet the medical (DSM-V, 2013) criteria for alcohol and other drug abuse (AOD) (Bell, 2009). This rate of use and abuse is significantly higher than the general population (8.5%) (Bell, 2009). This research fills a much-needed gap on students in recovery living on-campus without sober-housing options. As student interactions are among the most commonly reported threats to sobriety (Finch, 2010), participants will be asked about their challenges with student outcomes like on-time graduation, maintaining sobriety, holding a competitive GPA, and academic success.

Using Inclusion Assistants within a Residential Curriculum to Improve the Experiences and Success of Historically Marginalized Populations

Research Team: Anne M. Hornak, Ph.D. (PI), Ethan Kolek, Ed.D., Frim Ampaw, Ed.D., Matt Johnson, Ph.D., Kathleen Gardner

• Students from historically marginalized groups continue to face barriers to achieving success in college. To better support students with marginalized identities, educate students about equity and justice, and connect students with campus resources related to diversity, equity and inclusion, the institution that is the site of this study has created an inclusion assistants program; a part of a residential curriculum, grounded in Baxter-Magolda’s (2004) Learning Partnerships Model. The purpose of this proposed qualitative study is to understand how the Inclusion Assistants Program is fostering student success among historically marginalized populations at a public, rural, PWI in the Midwest.

 Leadership within Residence Hall Councils

Research Team: Darren Pierre, Ph.D. (PI)

• The purpose of this research study is to identify the impact that an individual’s involvement serving on hall/area council, has on their overall leadership development. We will conduct interviews with 12-students (from 4 institutions) who have served on a hall/area council within the past 2 years at four different institution types. By examining other residence hall leadership positions, we can assess how an understanding of leadership varies across student leaders, explore the impact leadership plays in one’s decision to become a student leader, and eliminate the assumption that the student leadership experience looks the same for all.

International Resident Assistant Job Description Content Analysis and Examination of Influence on Skill and Competency Development

Research Team: Kevin Conn, Ed.D. (PI), Katie Boone, Ed.D., Chris Heasley, Ed.D., Daniel Erosa

• This study is an examination of the qualities and responsibilities of live-in Resident Assistants (RAs). Given the ever-changing landscape of higher education in our global society and the need to support the iGen (Twenge, 2017) college student population, this essential position serves as a critical resource for our residential students and their learning (Boone, Davidson, & Bauman, 2016). This study will acquire and analyze the largest repository of RA position descriptions. The research team will investigate student learning and skill development through the RA role and its impact on the paraprofessional.

Grant Year: 2017

Grit and Academic Performance in a South African Higher Education Residence Context

Research Team: Sean Abrahams (PI)

• The study seeks to explore the relationship between grit, academic performance and student and residence demographics including type of residence, faculty, language, gender, year of study, and race. The sample is anticipated to be 1000 undergraduate residence students residing in undergraduate catering residences. Using the Short Grit Scale the research aims to broadly investigate the relationship between levels of grit, academic performance and factors of a residence (e.g. size, gender of residence). In addition to a quantitative approach, a qualitative approach is proposed to be added. In the qualitative section, it is proposed that qualitative interviews with students be assessed to determine the residence perspectives of grit within a higher education residence setting. A main focus would be upon the exploration of student perspectives on how a higher education residence system currently and may in future cultivate increased levels of grit in residence students.

A Narrative Exploration of the Experiences of First-Generation Undergraduates in a Living-Learning Community

Research Team: DeAnne Perry, C. Sean Robinson, Ph.D., Michael Parsons, Ed.D., Brenda Sanders DeDe, Ed.D.

• First-generation college students (FGCS) continue to progress at a lower rate than their non-first-generation counterparts in degree completion. Studies show that although enrollment for FGCS has increased, the number of FGCS who graduate is significantly lower than that of non-first-generation college students. The purpose of this study is to better understand the academic and social experiences of participants in a first-generation living learning community. Specifically, the researchers would like to know the lived experiences of a first-generation living-learning community (FG LLC) participant.

From Margin to Center: Understanding the Role of Residence Halls in Muslim Student Outcomes

Research Team: Nina Daoud, Ph.D. (PI)

• This project is a multi-site case study examining the college experiences of Muslim students, particularly as it relates to interactions across difference. Specifically, this study focuses on how Muslim students’ residential decisions (i.e., living on-campus vs. living off-campus) shape their college experiences. By doing so, this project addresses a dearth of scholarship regarding the role of residence halls in the outcomes of Muslim students. Findings from this study can be used to develop resources and systems of support to ensure Muslim collegians are achieving favorable outcomes.

Rejuvenating Cultural Perspectives: Minoritized Students’ Lived Experiences as Resident Assistants

Research Team: Max Schuster, Ph.D. (PI)

• There is a current need in higher education research to better understand the experiences of students who are minoritized due to their race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. This need extends to the experiences of student leaders, such as resident assistants, on college campuses. This study employs a cultural constructivist methodology informed by a constructivist theoretical perspective to explore the ways in which minoritized students serving as resident assistants experience, perceive, and make sense of their roles as resident assistants. Data will be collected through semi-structured one-on-one interviews and analyzed thematically.

Examination of Factors Contributing to International Students of Color’s Transition, Sense of Belonging, and Continued Success at a Predominantly White University

Research Team: Christina W. Yao, Ph.D. (PI), Katie Buell

• This case study will examine how first year international students of color, particularly those from non-White and non-English speaking countries, describe their residential experiences as they transition into their first year in college at a predominantly White institution (PWI). Specifically, factors that contribute to first year international students of color’s social transition, sense of belonging, and continued success at their U.S. residential institution of higher education will be illuminated. This study will provide implications that will contribute strategies for effectively supporting this growing student population within today’s global climate.

Grant Year: 2016

Comparing Students’ Sense of Community Based on Lived Experiences in a Campus Residence Hall or Public Private Partnership Developed Housing

Research Team: Chris Heasley, Ed.D., Katie Boone, Ed.D., Ph.D.

• Partnering with public-private developers is an emerging practice (George K. Baum & Co., 2011). Little is known about students’ experiences within public-private partnership facilities, especially in comparison to university-owned and managed student halls. In response to a lack of extant literature, this study seeks to determine differences in sense of community outcomes of college students based on their lived experience in a campus residence hall versus public-private partnership developed housing. To better serve the needs of students, it is important to comprehensively understand the impact these different student-housing arrangements may have on sense of community outcomes.

Access and Integration: On-Campus Living as an Important Aspect of Success for Students with Disabilities

Research Team: Kirsten R. Brown, Ph.D. (PI), Autumn K. Wilke, M.Ed., Nancy J. Evans, Ph.D., Ellen M. Broido, D.Ed.

• Approximately 11 percent of college students in the U.S. have a disability. Existing research on success and disabled students primarily focuses on legal requirements or academic accommodations and frames disability from adversity-based paradigms. Thus, we know little about what promotes success and social integration within the living environment. The purpose of this research is twofold: first, we explore how students with disabilities define success in college. Second, we seek to understand the impact of living on-campus and how the experience could be improved. We employ a critical constructivist case study approach, framing disability in a non-deficit perspective and centering ableism.

Students of Color and the Development of Support Networks in Residence Halls at Predominantly-White Institutions

Research Team: Michelle Boettcher, Ph.D. (PI), Kurt Earnest, Ph.D., Angel Eason, Leslie Lewis

• There is a gap in the literature related to how students of color build and sustain connections and networks of support. Existing literature has shown that relationships matter in terms of the persistence and success of students of color. Other scholarship has highlighted the fact that students of color who live on campus benefit developmentally. That said, there is a need for more scholarship connecting these two areas. This research study seeks to fill a void in the literature by exploring how students of color cultivate support systems in residence halls at PWIs.

Architecture of Belonging: Examining the Role of Residence Halls Spaces in Undergraduate College Students’ Experiences

Research Team: Michelle Samura, Ph.D. (PI), Paul Kang, Ph.D.

• Although belonging is understood to be a key to college student success, little is known about the role of residence hall spaces in the development of student belonging. Drawing upon typically disparate approaches from visual sociology, education, design, and architecture, this study will examine how a university’s residence hall spaces facilitate and hinder student belonging. Qualitative analysis of student-created photo journals and interviews will provide insight into students’ uses and meanings of spaces. Findings from this study can inform campus planning, space assessment, and program development efforts to more effectively facilitate student belonging and student success.

Grant Year: 2015

A Critical Narrative Inquiry of Gender Inclusive Housing as an Emerging Practice 

Research Team: Susan Marine, Ph.D. (PI), Z Nicolazzo, Ph.D., Rachel Wagner, Ed.D.

• More than 90% of U.S. colleges and universities have not yet adopted trans* inclusive housing, bathrooms, or offer gender inclusive non-discrimination policies (Rankin & Beemyn, 2012). For those that have, it is de facto assumed that these spaces are optimal for trans* student safety and sense of belonging in the residential community. This study will seek to determine the quality of trans* student experiences in gender-inclusive residential facilities across five different institutional settings, while critically analyzing the notion of inclusive housing as a ‘best practice.’

Developing a Conceptual Model of Residential Peer Staff’s Understanding of Student Success and Their Role in Promoting It

Research Team: Kristen Renn, Ph.D. (PI), Kathy Collins, Ph.D., Tom Fitz, Genyne Royal, Ph.D.

• In this qualitative study we will explore how residential peer staff (resident advisors, intercultural aides, success coaches) understand and enact their role in promoting student success. We are particularly interested in how they understand this role in relation to students who have historically encountered the greatest obstacles to success: Pell-eligible, first-generation students; new students taking pre-college writing and math; and provisionally-admitted international students. Based on interviews with 70 residential peer staff, we will create a framework for training and development.

How On-Campus Housing Responds to Off-Campus Competition: The Strategic Use of Public-Private Partnerships

Research Team: Kevin McClure, Ph.D. (PI), James M. DeVita, Ph.D., Andrew J. Ryder, Ph.D.

• The purpose of this study is to better understand how competition from off-campus housing influences the operations of on-campus student housing. More specifically, the study aims to examine why and how residence life departments have utilized public-private partnerships (PPPs) as one strategy for upgrading facilities to compete with off-campus student housing options. In addition to explaining the mission-driven value of PPPs, the study also intends to explore the nature and effects of PPPs for students and staff at three institutions through a multi-site case study.

Value of Living and Learning in Residence: A Multi-Institution Study of Canadian Universities

Research Team: Julie West (PI), Consortium of Canadian Institutions, OACUHO, Rod Skinkle, Jeremy Atkinson, Karen Lee

• Six mid-sized Canadian universities are collaborating on a project to explore the impact of living in residence on student grades, retention, and graduation rates for five to ten incoming cohorts of first-year students, approximately spanning the years 2008 to 2015 (including the time required to track all students to graduation). Residence type will be a major grouping variable, along with control factors such as incoming grades, age, gender, and nationality, among others.