THE RESIDENT’S PROGRAM EXPERIENCE: A STUDY ON ATTENDANCE AND INTEREST IN CAMPUS HOUSING PROGRAMS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
Abstract
The purpose of this action research was to determine program attendance, program interest and whether the present program model offered by the housing department at The University of Southern Mississippi was beneficial to campus housing students. An additional purpose was to generate data that would guide future changes of the program model to increase the engagement and participation level of campus housing residents. The researcher collected data from a sample group of 178 returning campus housing residents, who had experienced at least one academic year of hall programming. The findings revealed that majority of the program participants where females, possessed a high GPA, and notated an overall interest in Academic programs. The results were compared to previous literature and were found to have similar outcomes. This study included several recommendations to increase the resident’s participation in campus housing programs.