Abstract
ABSTRACT A heterogeneous student body is valued in part because diverse interactions among students help create educated and competent citizens and promote learning and development. Campus housing is a primary setting for diverse interactions as students navigate living with individuals who differ from themselves. This study investigated how the roommate assignment process influences interactional diversity and perceptions of the campus environment for first-year students living on campus, and if these relationships differ by race/ethnicity and national origin. On average, students whose roommates were assigned by the institution (as opposed to choosing their own roommates) did not interact with diverse others more often. At the same time, however, Asian, Black and multiracial students who were assigned roommates by the institution perceived a substantially less welcoming campus environment than their same-race peers who chose their roommates. This difference was not observed for White students.
Highlights
Diversity has become a core value within the academy, evidenced from mission statements to recruiting materials to the legal battles over affirmative action
Using a two-group t-test, we found no significant difference in Discussions with Diverse Others between students who were matched by their institution (M=.02, SD=.98) and those who chose to live with a friend or someone they met on social media (M=-0.01, SD=1.01; t(12,942)=1.85, p=.063)
Students who were matched by their institution (M=-0.02, SD=1.00) perceived a less supportive environment than their peers who lived with a friend or someone they found through social media (M=0.06, SD=1.00; t(12,991)=-4.62, p < .001)
Summary
Diversity has become a core value within the academy, evidenced from mission statements to recruiting materials to the legal battles over affirmative action. A heterogeneous student body is valued in part because interactional diversity helps create educated and competent citizens and influences student learning (Antonio, Chang, Hakuta, Kenny, Levin, & Milem, 2004; Chang, 1999; Gurin, Dey, Hurtado, & Gurin, 2002; Gurin, Nagda, & Lopez, 2004). Many bachelor’s degree-granting institutions require living on campus for the first year to provide students more convenient access to campus programming and support services designed for their success. By negotiating this new environment students’ housing experiences represent a prime way to increase learning and development regarding diversity. This study investigates whether the roommate assignment process influences students’ interactional diversity and perceptions of the campus environment
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