Residential Life

The Chinese undergraduate student population currently represents 12.8% of all international students enrolled in the United States (Institute for International Education, 2015a). In an effort to understand the experiences of this population in their first year of college in the United States, a phenomenological study was conducted using a conceptual framework comprising Schlossberg’s Transition Model (Schlossberg, Waters, & Goodman, 1995) and the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Model (Museus, 2014). Three transition types were identified – academic, social/personal, and linguistic – and participants’ preparation, sources of institutional support, and coping strategies for moving through these transitions were examined. Recommendations for practice include: multi-faceted, mandatory orientation programs; ongoing workshops and resources beyond orientation; and improvements to housing and residential life opportunities and experiences.

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Social Media Encourages Sense of Belonging among Off-Campus University Students

Cases on Formal and Informal E-Learning Environments - Advances in Mobile and Distance Learning ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-1930-2.ch004 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 68-80

Author(s):

Kine Dorum ◽

Craig Bartle ◽

Martin Pennington

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Social Integration ◽

Sense Of Belonging ◽

Attitude Scale ◽

Dropping Out ◽

Significant Interaction Effect ◽

Residential Life ◽

The Face ◽

The Difference ◽

Use Of Social Media

Research has shown that students who live off-campus during the academic year experience greater difficulty with social integration, and are at higher risk of dropping out. The aim of the present study was to explore patterns that may give an indication of the extent to which the use of social media websites can help social and academic integration among students who are living off-campus. A survey was distributed among a cohort of 370 first year undergraduate students, measuring their sense of belonging to the institution and their attitudes towards student life. Students who lived on-campus and who used social media websites reported a stronger sense of belonging than students living off-campus. A significant interaction effect indicated that using social media websites reduced the difference in sense of belonging between students living on- and off-campus. Scores on the attitude scale were significantly related to sense of belonging. The results suggest that online networking can aid social integration among students who do not have the advantage of the face-to-face interaction that takes place in residential life on-campus.

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