The purpose of this study was to describe public, two-year college residence hall programs, and compare them to nearby public, four-year college and university residence hall programs. Program comparisons were made using criteria of stated purposes, educational programs and services offered, selected institutional characteristics, and estimated effects on student development. Univariate statistics, including frequencies, percentages, t-Tests, and chi-square procedures were used to analyze the data collected by a 53-item questionnaire. Two-hundred ten public, two-year colleges were found to operate residence hall programs and they were compared to 110 public, four-year college and university residence hall programs. A response rate of 77.5% was achieved. Significant differences were found between the two- and four-year samples on each criteria applied. Two-year college residence hall programs differed from four-year college or university residence hall programs in stated purpose, in the range and type of educational programs and services provided, in the institutional characteristics, and in the estimated effects of residence hall programs on overall student development. Differences in scope and in quality of programs generally favored four-year colleges and universities. Perceptions of two-year colleges as institutions that enroll only commuter students may need to be altered. Approximately 21% of public, two-year colleges operate a residence hall program of some type. / Ed. D.

This study has two purposes. First is to dispel myths that there are no residence halls at community colleges. Second is to discuss the ways in which these residence halls are administered, the amenities offered to students, the benefits of residence halls, and their future in community colleges. The study is based upon the Katsinas, Lacey and Hardy 2004 classifications and divides community colleges into 7 categories: Urban multi campus, Urban single campus, Suburban multi campus, Suburban single campus, and Rural small, medium and large. Included in the study are tables of data received from an original survey sent to 232 community college CEOs who reported to the US Department of Education that they had residence halls at their campus. The results indicate that a significant number of community colleges with residence halls exist, particularly at rural community colleges, that they bring significant financial gain to the colleges, and they append numerous benefits to students and to student life at these colleges. Residence halls are housed in divisions of student services and directed by experienced student affairs professionals. The study concludes with recommendations for policy as well as practice, the most important of which calls for more accurate data collection regarding on-campus residence housing by the US Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics.