The Future of University Housing: Why Values-Based Residential Living Fosters Belonging Among Undergraduates

Abstract

At universities in the United States, fostering a sense of belonging among students is a top priority. Many universities utilize residential communities to increase feelings of connection, belonging, and camaraderie. This study uses an action research paradigm to analyze the particular potency of values-based residential housing for undergraduate students. Theme Housing (i.e. student organizations and clubs living together in apartment-style housing), is an approach to values-based residential living taken by the University of the South, a rural small liberal arts college in Tennessee. In response to several Theme Houses being removed from the campus ahead of the 2023-2024 school year, we drew on qualitative action research methods to understand students’ perceptions of the impact of Theme Housing on campus-wide sense of belonging and the metrics used in the decision to remove Theme Houses. We engaged students as co-researchers in considering community-generated methods of allocating student-themed housing to increase process equity in the future. Drawing on focus group data, we discovered that students cared deeply about the future of housing on campus and its implications for sense of belonging. In focus groups, students shared a variety of practical strategies for leveraging Theme Housing and the housing selection process to improve programming, infrastructure, and relationships that are central to supporting students’ sense of belonging on campus. These student co-researchers mapped pathways for sustaining engagement, including drafting an equitable selection process and longevity plan for Theme Housing. The study concludes with implications for other universities to promote student well-being through values-based residential communities and equitable housing processes.