Residence Hall Room Research Articles

Risk factors for infection with influenza A(H3N2) virus on a US university campus, October-November 2021.

Knowledge of the specific dynamics of influenza introduction and spread in university settings is limited. Persons with acute respiratory illness symptoms received influenza testing by molecular assay during October 6-November 23, 2022. Viral sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were conducted on nasal swab samples from case-patients. Case-control analysis of a voluntary survey of persons tested was used to identify factors associated with influenza; logistic regression was conducted to calculate odds ratios and 95% CIs. A subset of case-patients tested during the first month of the outbreak was interviewed to identify sources of introduction and early spread. Among 3268 persons tested, 788 (24.1%) tested positive for influenza; 744 (22.8%) were included in the survey analysis. All 380 sequenced specimens were influenza A (H3N2) virus clade 3C.2a1b.2a.2, suggesting rapid transmission. Influenza (OR [95% CI]) was associated with indoor congregate dining (1.43 [1.002-2.03]), attending large gatherings indoors (1.83 [1.26-2.66]) or outdoors (2.33 [1.64-3.31]), and varied by residence type (apartment with ≥1 roommate: 2.93 [1.21-7.11], residence hall room alone: 4.18 [1.31-13.31], or with roommate: 6.09 [2.46-15.06], or fraternity/sorority house: 15.13 [4.30-53.21], all compared with single-dwelling apartment). Odds of influenza were lower among persons who left campus for ≥1day during the week before their influenza test (0.49 [0.32-0.75]). Almost all early cases reported attending large events. Congregate living and activity settings on university campuses can lead to rapid spread of influenza following introduction. Isolating following a positive influenza test or administering antiviral medications to exposed persons may help mitigate outbreaks.

Did court dismiss student's Title IX claim?

Jane Doe was a member of Morgan State University's track and field team. In August 2017, another track athlete sexually assaulted Doe in her residence hall room. Doe's mother learned of the assault the following month and reported it to the university's athletics director.

Did court dismiss student's Title IX claim?

Jane Doe was a member of Morgan State University's track and field team. In August 2017, another track athlete sexually assaulted Doe in her residence hall room. Doe's mother learned of the assault the following month and reported it to the university's athletics director.

Did court dismiss student's Title IX claim?

Jane Doe was a member of Morgan State University's track and field team. In August 2017, another track athlete sexually assaulted Doe in her residence hall room. Doe's mother learned of the assault the following month and reported it to the university's athletics director.

Did university's search of fraternity students violate their constitutional rights?

Three students at Indiana University, Bloomington decided to pledge Beta Theta Pi fraternity. The students, like all students at the university, were required to carry a university identification card as a condition of their attendance. The identification card tracked every time they entered or used a university facility, including residence hall rooms, elevators, and residence hall common areas. It also tracked other swipe data, such as library book checkouts, parking garage/meter access, meal purchases at dining halls, and more.

Responding in Crisis: Considerations for Administrators and Faculty

Responding in Crisis: Considerations for Administrators and Faculty

Was student subjected to unfair disciplinary procedures?

Claremont McKenna College student John Doe was notified in March 2015 that Scripps College student Jane Roe had accused him of sexually assaulting her in his residence hall room.

Navigating Disability in Campus Housing: An Ecological Analysis of Student Affairs Work

Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model (1979, 1993), we analyzed grounded theory data from 31 student affairs professionals about supporting students with and without disabilities in, and beyond, the university microsystem of housing. Participants described the challenge of simultaneously meeting the needs of students with and without disabilities with regard to: assigning of single residence hall rooms, allowing service/comfort animals on campus, and navigating interpersonal conflicts. Student affairs professionals also expressed the need for cross-campus collaborations.

Did college have duty to respond to student's accommodations requests?

Carleton College conducted a disciplinary hearing in 2011 to resolve claims by first‐year student Elizabeth Shank that she had been raped in her residence hall room by a male student who lived in her residence hall. The hearing panel decided the accused student had violated Carleton's sexual assault policy. However, Shank claimed the only sanction was an order prohibiting him from contacting her. She also maintained the male student had violated the order with little response from Carleton.

“Keep Your Spirit Aligned”: A Case Study on Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Students Defining and Practicing Spirituality

“Keep Your Spirit Aligned”: A Case Study on Black Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Queer Students Defining and Practicing Spirituality Darris R. Means (bio), Joan Collier (bio), Cori Bazemore-James (bio), Brittany M. Williams (bio), Raphael Coleman (bio), and Brenda Anderson Wadley (bio) Researchers have explored the juxtaposition of racial identity and spirituality and/or religious identity of Black collegians (Herndon, 2010; Stewart, 2009; K. L. Walker & Dixon, 2002). Though spirituality and religion are often (inter)connected, Hill and colleagues (2000) argued that religion is often associated with proscribing “a search for the sacred” or “search for non-sacred goals” (e.g., sense of belonging) that receives “validation and support from within an identifiable group of people” (e.g., a religious institution) and spirituality is about a search for the sacred that may or may not be proscribed by an organized entity (p. 66). Researchers have found that spirituality and religion are sources of resiliency for Black college students as they navigate predominantly White campus environments and/or academic demands (Herndon, 2010; Patton & McClure, 2009; Wood & Hilton, 2012); however, heteronormativity and homophobia can complicate the relationship between self and religion and spirituality for Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) students (McGuire, Cisneros, & McGuire, 2017; Means, 2017; Washington & Wall, 2010). Building on Patton and McClure’s (2009) study on African American women and the role of spirituality in their collegiate lives, we sought to better understand the role of spirituality in the lives of Black LGBQ students through a qualitative case study. Our research questions were: How do Black LGBQ undergraduate and graduate students define spirituality? and What resources and spaces are available to Black LGBQ undergraduate and graduate students to develop, practice, and/or exercise their spirituality? We were interested in how Black LGBQ students define spirituality, if religion is included in their definition, and how they exercise their spirituality. LITERATURE REVIEW In a qualitative study, Means and Jaeger (2016) found that Black gay and bisexual [End Page 618] men in college associated spirituality with religion when navigating their spirituality and spiritual spaces; however, students also discussed how their spirituality was informed by science, nature, and music. Regardless of how students defined spirituality and if religion was included, researchers have found religiosity can engender negative responses and memories for Black LGBQ adults but can also be used as a source of resiliency (Means, 2017; J. J. Walker & Longmire-Avital, 2013). In a study on religious faith and homonegativity for Black LGB emerging adults, J. J. Walker and Longmire-Avital (2013) found that “for those reporting high internalized homonegativity, religious faith was a significant contributor” for increased resiliency (p. 1727). Scholars have also discussed how Black gay and bisexual men experienced homophobia and racism as they navigated their spirituality or in spiritual spaces, specifically churches (Means, 2017; Means & Jaeger, 2016; Washington & Wall, 2010). Researchers have found that students were able to reconcile their racial, sexuality, and religious or spiritual identities by creating their own spiritual guidelines or by developing a personal relationship with a higher power (Means, 2017; Means & Jaeger, 2016). Means (2017) also found students were able to resist homophobic and racist messages during their spiritual journeys by finding or creating affirming spiritual spaces, including residence hall rooms, nature, music-based spaces, and open and affirming churches. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK We framed this study using quare theory (Johnson & Henderson, 2005), which combines ideologies of Black and queer studies to extend service of potentially exclusive rhetoric found in queer studies to the experiences of Black queer people. By utilizing quare theory, we sought to both affirm the sexual identity of our participants and center their experiences as Black students. Moreover, we were interested in examining the complexities of negotiating spirituality as Black queer people, which aligns with quare theory’s goal of capturing historical and cultural differences that impact experiences and expressions of queerness (Johnson & Henderson, 2005). METHOD We used case study methodology to study the phenomenon of Black LGBQ students defining, developing, and practicing spirituality. A case study is a rich description and analysis in a bounded context (Yin, 2014). Our bounded context was a large, public, predominantly White institution in the Southern United States. Participants in this study discussed the...

Unfulfilled Expectations: Influence of Chinese International Students’ Roommate Relationships on Sense of Belonging

Findings from this study indicate that more attention must be given to Chinese students’ interpersonal relationships with domestic students, particularly when considering the role of daily cross-cultural interactions in residential living. Participants who wanted American roommates anticipated an easier transition to U.S. culture. However, making meaningful connections with American students proved to be more challenging than anticipated. Participants reported that cultural differences within their residence hall room led to difficulty with communication and social connections.

MVP Model Prevents Gender Violence on Campus

MVP Model Prevents Gender Violence on Campus

The effect of influenza-like illness symptoms and laboratory confirmed influenza A on hand hygiene and other health habits among US University students

Background: Although hand hygiene and other non-pharmaceutical interventions have been used for mitigating influenza, the effect of influenza illness on adherence with these measures is unknown. Methods: Data analyzed came from a cluster randomized intervention trial held at the University during the 2007-2008 flu season. Immediate and sustained effects on hand hygiene and reduction in social contacts from clinically verified ILI and seasonal influenza A were examined using lagged regression to estimate beta ($) coefficients and 95% confidence intervals. Separate analyses were conducted for comparing (1) clinically verified ILI cases, non-clinically verified ILI cases, and healthy ILI-free controls (no reported ILI either clinically or on surveys); and (2) influenza A cases, clinically verified or survey reported ILI cases not positive or tested for influenza, and healthy ILI-free controls. Clinical ILI and influenza cases were further dichotomized by ILI symptom severity (ss) based on their mean value. Results: During the week of illness verification, clinically verified ILI cases reported washing hands less than participants with non-clinically verified ILI and healthy controls (i.e. nonclinical ILI cases) ($=-1.04, p=0.03; high ss cases vs. low ss/non-clinical ILI cases: $=-1.55, p=0.02; low ss cases vs. high ss/non-clinical ILI cases: $=-0.52, p=0.56). Clinical ILI cases also reported using hand sanitizer more, spending less time handwashing, and spending fewer hours in their own residence hall rooms during the week of illness verification (all p>0.05). Comparing influenza A cases to ILI only cases and controls (i.e. non-flu cases) during the week of viral confirmation, flu cases reported spending fewer hours in their own residence hall rooms ($=-2.56, p=0.01; high ss cases vs. low ss/non-flu cases: $=-3.52, p=0.03; low ss cases vs. high ss/non-flu cases: $=-1.60, p=0.56). However, flu cases reportedly had better hand hygiene than non-flu cases (all p>0.05). No sustained effects were observed. Conclusion: Although adherence to non-pharmaceutical interventions varied by clinical ILI and seasonal influenza A occurrence, the temporal changes were not statistically significant. Emphasis on the importance of complying with non-pharmaceutical recommendations such as hand hygiene and voluntary reduction in social contacts is needed to potentially mitigate disease spread among university students on campus. Abstracts for SupplementInternational Journal of Infectious DiseasesVol. 14Preview Full-Text PDF Open Archive

Ethical Elders: Campus Role Models for Moral Development

Dana is a graduate assistant in the second year of a master's program in student personnel. In a class discussion of assistantship issues, Dana reveals that he has decided not to enforce the university's policy of “writing up” all underage students who are in a residence hall room where alcohol is present. He says that in his opinion the punitive nature of the policy, which imposes a $200 fine, flies in the face of any opportunity for learning and drives the targeted behavior further underground. Dana says that the residence hall supervisors know about the decision and that they have discussed the possible ramifications and consequences. As an educator, what is your responsibility to both Dana and to others in the campus community? What are the obligations of others?The purpose of this article is to explore the layered dimensions of learning in the context of everyday ethical dilemmas and to examine the ways in which student affairs educators, classroom faculty, and institutional leaders can serve as ethical elders on campus. We believe that educators are obligated to serve as ethical role models, especially for students and younger colleagues who aspire to serve as educators themselves.

Residence Hall Room Type and Alcohol Use Among College Students Living on Campus

The objectives were to explore the relation between the built environment of residence halls and the alcohol use of college students living on campus from the perspective of the theory of routine activity. This exploratory study examined data from two samples on one college campus. Online surveys assessed alcohol use, attitudes toward alcohol use, perceptions of campus alcohol norms, and individual factors (i.e., gender). Data came from an Alcohol Norms Survey using a random sample ( N = 440) and a Resident Assessment Survey using a random sample ( N = 531) in 2006 and 2007. After controlling for other drinking behavior predictors (attitudes, gender, high school drinking, and perceptions of peer drinking), regression analysis showed that students living in suite halls had a higher odds of drinking more frequently, drinking more alcohol when they socialize, heavy episodic drinking, and drinking more often in their residence halls.

El Niño water leaks identify rooms with concealed mould growth and degraded indoor air quality

Residence hall rooms with and without a water leakage history during 1997–1998 El Niño storms were studied in 1999–2001 by destructive inspection (opening) of exterior walls for concealed mould growth and by sampling of room air for culturable fungi. Compared with air in non-leaky rooms and with outdoor air, rooms with 1997–1998 severe water leakages were found to have approximately an order of magnitude increase in levels of airborne Penicillium spp., e.g., P. chrysogenum , P. crustosum and P. aurantiogriseum . The rank order of pooled fungal taxa from leaky rooms was significantly different from the kinds of fungi found in outdoor air. However, the airborne fungi in non-leaky rooms resembled the fungi present in outdoor air. The surface area of visible mould growth concealed in wall cavities of exterior walls was at least 10-fold higher in leaky than in non-leaky rooms. This study showed that inspection for water leaks is of central importance in the evaluation of buildings for mould damage. In addition, the study showed that spores from hidden mould growth could enter rooms in sufficient quantity to significantly affect the rank order profile of taxa in the indoor air.

Cross-cultural differences in the perception of crowding and privacy regulation: American and Turkish students

This study examines cross-cultural differences in the perception of crowding and privacy regulation between American and Turkish freshmen living in similar residence hall settings. The research was conducted at Oklahoma State University (OSU) in Oklahoma, USA and at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey. Participants were evenly divided across culture and gender. The total sample size was 408 freshmen living in double occupancy rooms. Results showed that American students desired more privacy in their residence hall rooms than Turkish students. Regardless of culture, males reported a greater desire for privacy than females. The crowding was significantly influenced by perceived privacy regulation. Students whose achieved privacy level was less than desired felt more crowded than either students whose level of achieved privacy was greater than what they desired or for those whose privacy was optimized (i.e. desired privacy=achieved privacy).

Enhancing the computer networking curriculum

An increasing number of students in computer science are requesting advanced study and active learning experiences in computer networking. Employers need graduates who not only understand the fundamentals of networking but those who can quickly be involved in network administration. Meeting these demands in the curriculum suggests that new and well-planned laboratory and internship experiences should be incorporated into the computer science curriculum. However, there are some major challenges in providing these experiences; it is much more complex than just adding another compiler or server to a laboratory. This paper describes several efforts the authors are making to meet these challenges.The environment in which these efforts have been studied is a small state-supported university, Northwest Missouri State University, in rural Missouri. Northwest has over 6,200 students pursuing baccalaureate, masters and specialist degrees. The networking environment at Northwest is more robust than one might expect. In 1987, the University became the first public institution in the United States to develop an "Electronic Campus" featuring University-provided, networked computing stations located in every residence hall room and faculty office. Then in 1999, each faculty member was issued a personal notebook computer and the residence halls were upgraded to Windows-based, networked desktop computers. [9]

Being at the Wrong Place, Wrong Time: Rethinking Trust in Qualitative Inquiry

N 1994, I COMPLETED AN 18-MONTH ethnographic study to understand a particular residential college's quest for community.' Each day I interacted with students in their residence hall rooms, seminars, and dining hall. As is the case with most ethnographic studies, I utilized three data collection methods: participant-observing students in their natural setting (Adler & Adler, 1994; Sanger, 1996), conducting open-ended interviews (Fontana & Frey, 1994; Spradley, 1979), and analyzing written and audiovisual documents (Hodder, 1994; Jorgensen, 1989). These three distinct yet complementary fieldwork methods helped me collect volumes of data. The technical aspects of my fieldwork satisfied me. I was organized (e.g., I drafted a comprehensive proposal that pleased the college's gatekeepers), diligent (e.g., I spent a few hours per day on site), and systematic (e.g., I wrote, transcribed, and analyzed my fieldnotes). Yet I remained uneasy and uncertain. A gnawing conceptual question persisted, Were the data I gathered any good? Inevitably, the rapport2 between my respondents and me ended up at the epicenter of my response to this question. In this article I first recount a short confessional tale (Van Maanen, 1988) based on a 20minute data collection segment of my 18-month field study. This tale highlights the importance of and the tensions surrounding trust in qualitative

Introduction to the Internet and World Wide Web.

A family plans a ski vacation in Utah, and their 10-year-old daughter browses the World Wide Web (WWW or Web) to find an inexpensive package tour. A college student plugs into the Internet jack in his residence hall room to communicate daily with friends and family via electronic mail (email). A health professions student subscribes to an electronic mail list and gains instant access to a lively dialog among her future colleagues on hot topics in their field. A man, worried about a tick bite a friend got on a Sunday hike, connects to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta to read the latest information about Lyme disease and to download color images of its characteristic skin rash. These are just a few examples that I know of the amazing ways the Internet and the WWW have changed our way of life. The Internet originated in December 1969 as a primitive link-up of 4 computers located at the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara campuses of the University of California, the Stanford Research Institute, and the University of Utah. It is doubtful that anyone then could have imagined just how fast their tiny computer network would grow. At the time of this writing, approximately 1/4 million registered local computer networks comprise more than 15 million host computers that serve more than 50 million users worldwide. These local networks are in turn joined into a single, vast, unified network, spanning more than 170 countries and linking computers of all different sizes, types, and operating systems with people who speak many different languages. One commonality among all these computers is their use of the same procedures for transmitting and receiving information over the net. These standards are embodied in the Internet Protocol (IP), which determines the conventions for addressing and routing information, and the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which governs how electronic messages are broken up into uniform-sized packets of data for transmission across the network and subsequent reassem-