ResFac Data.csv

Faculty-in-Residence programs – where small cohorts of faculty live in residential colleges with students – are becoming more popular across the U.S. Despite the abundance of research highlighting the benefits of a robust Residential Faculty program for both students and universities, we know comparatively little of how faculty presence in residential colleges facilitates the support and community necessary to achieve these outcomes. To address this, we conduct a mixed-methods investigation to understand student perceptions of how Residential Faculty provide social support, and whether they are more likely to seek this support from Residential Faculty than general faculty on campus. Results detail the myriad types of support students seek from Residential Faculty and suggest that students are more likely to trust Residential Faculty over general faculty, report more efficacy interacting with Residential Faculty, and are more likely to seek out Residential Faculty for emotional support than general faculty. These outcomes are discussed in reference to their impact on theorizing in this area as well as practical outcomes relevant to student development and engagement.