The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1 - 122

James Penven • Robert Stephens • Frank Shushok, Jr. • Caleb Keith

Kruger, 2001).
After the decline of the experimental colleges of the 1970s, the growth of residential
colleges was relatively small. Smith (1994)
suggests that the growth and development of
residential colleges and living-learning communities in the 1980s and 1990s was due to
three primary factors: (a) large institutions
attempting to create smaller learning communities, (b) private institutions using these
residential options to attract students from
competitors, and (c) state institutions creating
more “compact communities” to attract students from “metropolitan areas” (p. 259).
The current growth in the development of
residential colleges and living-learning communities reflects a continued commitment
by student affairs educators to advancing the
charge established in the early 1990s. Additionally, this growth in living-learning communities
may be supported due to the current climate for
accountability and quality at higher education
institutions. Improving the quality of student
learning was one of several pillars of focus outlined in the 2006 commission on higher education convened by Margaret Spellings (U.S.
Department of Education, 2006), and many
higher education institutions have made a
concerted effort to seek data that demonstrate
student outcomes pertaining to student learn-

Contrary to Gordon’s time, the
birth of today’s residential
colleges no longer rests solely
with academic faculty.
122

ing (Eaton, 2003; Elwell, 2001). Many campus
housing departments rely on residence halls to
create these meaningful learning opportunities
for students. National studies support this creation and implementation of learning communities by demonstrating a plethora of positive
outcomes for student participants, including
critical-thinking skills, increased civic engagement, and a smoother transition of first-year
students to college (Brower & Inkelas, 2010).
One might consider that if Gordon had access
to such empirical data, he may have made a
stronger argument championing the creation
and preservation of living-learning communities, despite their challenges.
Newly implemented residential colleges
and living-learning communities continue to
appear in the higher education environment.
O’Connor (2003) found that over 80% of research institutions (extensive and intensive)
participating in a 2002 Policy Center on the
First Year in College survey indicated some
form of learning community on their respective campuses.
Contrary to Gordon’s time, the birth of
today’s residential colleges no longer rests
solely with academic faculty. With its new paradigm focused on student learning, housing
and residence life administrators and other
student affairs professionals are joining their
faculty colleagues to explore this new possibility. These colleges vary from the experimental
colleges described by Gordon as reflecting “the
bent of the faculty creating the colleges” (1974,
p. 235). Certainly, differences exist among the
types of these new colleges. Some institutions
(Rice University and Murray State University,
for example) follow the Oxbridge model and
assign students to a particular college, where

THE JOURNAL OF COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENT HOUSING

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 39, No. 2 & Volume 40, No. 1