Aversive control measures in the form of punishment and negative reinforcement are widely used in business and other organizations. The purpose of the present study was to systematically evaluate an alternative to aversive control. The effect of a package intervention consisting of a weighted checklist, weekly graphic feedback, and contingent social positive reinforcement in the form of praise was used with a university housing staff to increase duty performance. Five undergraduate Resident Assistants served as participants. A multiple baseline across staff members was used to evaluate the effect of the intervention. Results indicate that the intervention increased performance by an average of 45% and decreased variability in performance. These results suggest that interventions based on feedback and positive reinforcement are effective, cost efficient, and represent a practical alternative to aversive control measures.

With more people in the United States renting now than at any point since 1965, there is an amorphous temporality in the dwellings of many Americans (Cilluffo, Fry, 2022). This provides flexibility and thus, more freedom for upward mobility, an enticing attribute for younger people living on their own for the first time. However, this lack of permanence can create challenges in establishing a “sense of place”. When residents don’t feel a strong connection to their spaces, they can feel as if they don’t belong. This issue is especially prevalent in dormitories, where a feeling of belonging is vital to student success (Strayhorn, 2019, p.217). These obstacles present a formidable design opportunity for architects to alter their existing planning and design of dormitories. This thesis explores the inherent power struggles dormitories present, as well as the shifting definition of “home” as both a space of belonging and a set of qualities imbued into a space. The goal of this project is to establish an understanding of the role of placemaking in temporary dwellings and discuss the difficulty one can face with creating a sense of “permanence”. and ultimately, to create a framework for designing student housing with a particularly strong “sense of place”. With a focus on housing solutions for university students who are currently experiencing both a shortage of on-campus housing, this thesis offers a set of guidelines for effectively designing student housing with a strong sense of place, with an emphasis on creating a sense of permanence in temporary dwellings.

No description available.

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.

The relationship between student-environment fit and sense of competence and academic achievement among freshmen at a large, land-grant university in the southeast was examined. Fit scores derived from the University Residence Environment Scale (URES) were used as independent measures. Sense of competence, one's level of interpersonal and intellectual confidence, was measured by scores on the Sense of Competence Scale (SCS) developed by the researcher. Grade point averages served as the measure of academic achievement. These latter measures, sense of competence and academic achievement, were used as dependent measures. Multiple regression was used to examine the relationship between these two sets of variables. A stratified sample of 600 freshmen students was selected from a freshmen class of 4280 who were required to live in residence halls. Of the 600, 428 (71.3%) returned usable questionnaires. Respondents indicated that the residence hall environment was not as emotionally supportive nor intellectually stimulating as expected. They reported that the residence hall environment was too competitive and that there needed to be more opportunity for student influence. The relationships between student-environment fit and sense of competence, and student-environment fit and academic achievement were not strong. Actual discrepancy scores proved to be the better measure of fit when compared to perceived discrepancy scores. / Ed. D.

While the graduate assistantship experience exists as an opportunity for aspiring professionals to gain practical experience, little research exists regarding one's selfefficacy beliefs related to specific responsibilities of an assistantship. This study of assistant residence hall directors at Ball State University aided seasoned Student Affairs professionals as they trained, supervised and mentored graduate students. Four first-year and four second-year assistant residence hall directors and three full-time residence hall directors, who were alumni of the graduate program and assistantship at the University were interviewed during April of the Spring 2004 semester. The researcher created an interview guide using Bandura's (1977) concept of self-efficacy. The researcher and later an unbiased individual identified themes within the data and offered recommendations for the application of the findings as well as recommendations for possible future studies. / Department of Educational Studies

Due to a living and learning work environment that is filled with role ambiguity, resident assistants often handle situations that require clear and competent ethical decision making. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the various aspects of ethics that affect the lives and job performance of resident assistants. Through an examination of the levels of moral development and the ethical issues faced by resident assistants, the intentionality and the quality of values education for resident assistants is hoped to be improved. One hundred and seventeen resident assistants at a mid-sized, Midwestern, public university created the sample population. All 117 participants completed the survey resulting in a 100 percent return rate.Resident assistants at Ball State University do not have a unique profile of moral development. As a group they tend to make decisions based upon the established rules of society rather than individual rights or universal principles. Results from the Defining Issues Test showed that they have a principled morality score of 37.07% in comparison to the standardized mean score for college students of 42.3%. In their work environments, they report situations involving dating or relationship issues as occurring most often. Colleagues dating their residents was perceived as the least serious out of 16 ethical situations. Situations of racial, gender, or religious intolerance were considered quite serious by the resident assistants. Out of the 117 participants, 109 resident assistants reported situations which created personal ethical or moral dilemmas. Dilemmas that included issues of the enforcement of or the belief in housing policies were reported 21 times. Director or staff conflicts involving a variety of situations were reported as an issue by 17 resident assistants. Relationships with residents that are based upon friendship and/or respect along with perceived issues of resident assistant harassment created the third largest category out of 15 categories of moral dilemmas.Resident assistants are paraprofessionals with a great amount of responsibility and are often put in situations which involve unconscious ethical decision making. Suggestions for hiring, training and role modeling are given in order to better meet the needs of resident assistants. Professionals and researchers must continue to examine the areas of moral development and ethical issues because understanding the issues that concern resident assistants is an important step in creating an ethical campus community. / Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education

"The problem of this study was to find out if there were any causative factors inherent within the North Texas State College new men's dormitory, the Quadrangle, which were detrimental to the development of incoming college male students."--1.

The purpose of this study was to determine differences in satisfaction of public university Resident Assistants (RAs) with regard to several job satisfaction factors identified on the Resident Assistant Satisfaction Survey (RASS), specifically as compared to Casey’s (2009) normative sample of RAs in privatized university housing. The RASS outlined eight Employment Aspect Factors and three Criterion Factors to determine RA job satisfaction. This study also determined if there were differences in job satisfaction for public university RAs based on gender, racial ethnic identification, or academic class standing. Resident Assistants from three Research I Florida institutions in the United States completed the RASS. There has been very little research identifying the factors influencing job satisfaction of paraprofessional RAs, specifically at Florida public institutions of higher education and as compared to a privatized university housing Company. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015 / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Wong Yuen Wai. / "Architecture Department, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Master of Architecture Programme 2006-2007, design report." / Prologue / Observation --- p.6 / Background / Living in Hong Kong --- p.10 / Architecture Reborn --- p.12 / Industrial Buildings in Hong Kong --- p.14 / The Site / General Information --- p.22 / Precedent Study / Gifu Kitagata Apartment by Kazuyo Sejima --- p.38 / User Preference Study / Programme Requirement --- p.42 / Scale & Proportion --- p.44 / Tectonic Analysis / Volume --- p.49 / Space --- p.67 / Strategy --- p.81 / Conclusion --- p.100