In the most recent SEMQ, Vanderbilt University researchers Natalee M. Erb, Matthew S. Sinclair, and John M. Braxton examine how fostering a sense of community in residence halls impacts the retention of first-year students.
“We conducted this research to assist colleges and universities in their efforts to improve their institution's retention rate,” said Braxton, professor of higher education in Vanderbilt’s Department of Leadership, Policy & Organizations. “We hold the perspective that policy and practices are best when grounded in theory and research, as fidelity in implementation and modification is more likely to occur.”
According to the authors’ research, fostering three dimensions of community— identity, interaction, and solidarity—positively impacts retention. The article offers several examples and suggestions for how campuses can do so, through such efforts as architectural design, signage and symbols, traditional events, faculty support, and purpose-driven programming.
“The various residential policies and practices are already in place in many colleges and universities,” Braxton said. “Hopefully, this article helps practitioners to see that such policies and practices may also function as levers for increasing student persistence. Put differently, we are trying to make the familiar seem strange.”
In addition to “Fostering a Sense of Community in Residence Halls: A Role for Housing and Residential Professionals in Increasing College Student Persistence,” other articles in SEMQ Volume 3, Number 2 include: “The Retention Challenge—Should We Include Parents?” by Brandy Mallory Cartmell, the University of Tennessee at Martin; “Formalizing a Talent Management Strategy through a Competency Model Framework,” by Tina J. Cajigas, Jane A. McGrath, and David H. Kalsbeek, DePaul University; and “Modeling Success: Using Pre-Enrolment Data to Identify Academically At-Risk Students,” by Ann M. Gansemer-Topf, Jonathan Compton, Darin Wohlgemuth, Greg Forbes and Ekaterina Ralston, Iowa State University.