Student Demographics and Experiences of Deeper Life Interactions within Residential Learning Communities

Learning Communities Research and Practice / April 2020


male and female students talking in calss

This article discusses the influence of demographic characteristics upon students’ deeper life interactions with peers, faculty, and staff within the context of residential learning communities. When examining student demographic characteristics, the authors found that Students of Color and first-generation students have lower satisfaction with deeper life interactions with peers, but sophomores, juniors, or seniors had higher satisfaction with deeper life interactions with peers. Students did not differ on their deeper life interactions with faculty based on students’ demographic characteristics. The authors discuss further the implications of the findings for student engagement and academic success across diverse populations and offer recommendations for maximizing the positive impact of residential learning communities on efforts to promote inclusive excellence. The article concludes with a series of recommendations for current practice and future research focused specifically on how different types of student interactions with different groups influence student outcomes.

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