Document Type

Poster

Date of Original Version

3-27-2026

Abstract

Despite decades of research on student retention, first-year attrition continues to disproportionately affect first-generation, low-income, and racially minoritized students. Institutional responses have largely emphasized financial aid, advising reform, and classroom-based interventions. However, students spend much of their first year within residential environments; spaces that profoundly shape belonging, identity development, and daily engagement. This study argues that residential life is not merely a housing function but a critical, and often underexamined, site of equity-driven student persistence. Drawing on Tinto’s theory of academic and social integration and Museus’s Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model, this literature review synthesizes interdisciplinary research to examine how residential life influences first-year retention outcomes. Three interrelated domains are explored: Living-Learning Communities, residential staff engagement, and the built environment. Evidence demonstrates that Living-Learning Communities promote academic integration and peer accountability, particularly for first-generation and low-income students who may lack inherited institutional capital. Consistent and culturally responsive engagement from residential staff fosters belonging and institutional trust, especially for racially minoritized students navigating campus climates that may not consistently affirm their identities. Additionally, residence hall design including communal spaces, access to natural light, and intentional layout significantly influences mental well-being and opportunities for social connection. Informed by practitioner insight within residential life contexts, this analysis bridges theory and practice to illuminate how everyday residential structures shape equity outcomes. Collectively, the findings reposition residential life as a structural equity strategy embedded within the daily ecology of student experience. When intentionally designed, residence halls function as developmental ecosystems integrating academic, social, and cultural validation. When neglected, they risk reinforcing disparities in belonging and persistence. Aligned with the conference theme, “Many Paths, One Purpose: Researching for a Better Future,” this research demonstrates how diverse residential pathways including community design, staff relationships, and physical space converge toward a shared institutional goal: closing equity gaps in first-year persistence. The study concludes with actionable implications for policy, staff development, cross-divisional collaboration, and inclusive campus design aimed at advancing equitable student success.

Download

Share

COinS