Sense of belonging is a key predictor of student success for college students (Strayhorn 2008; 2012). This sense of belonging can be enhanced when students find peers that they can identify with and develop relationships with (Gravett and Winstone 2020;…

By Mimi Benjamin, Jody Jessup-Anger, Shannon Lundeen, and Cara Lucia Download a printer-friendly [PDF] copy of the Elon Statement on Residential Learning Communities Twenty scholars participated in the Center for Engaged Learning research seminar on Residential Learning Communities (RLCs) as…

Nineteen years ago I was in the middle of my first year serving as head resident advisor (HRA) to an almost entirely first year residence hall. As the HRA I was responsible for organizing and providing monthly professional development for…

The Center for Engaged Learning will host two reading groups this fall for Elon University faculty, staff, and graduate students. Students as Partners 2017-2019 CEL Scholar Ketevan Kupatadze and 2018-2020 CEL Graduate Apprentice Sophia Abbot will facilitate discussions about Engaging Students…

The Center for Engaged Learning is excited to host the Conference on Residential Learning Communities as a High Impact Practice, June 16-17, 2019, at Elon University in North Carolina. Dr. Karen Inkelas, co-author of Living-Learning Communities That Work: A Research-Based Model for Design,…

During our first summer seminar meeting of the 2017-2019 research seminar on Residential Learning Communities as a High-Impact Practice, the room was brimming with excitement and anticipation as scholars and practitioners from across the U.S. and Canada wondered who they…

A growing body of scholarship, particularly theories about student learning and development, helps us understand the rich potential for residential learning communities as a space for that integration – and helps us identify gaps for further study. As students transition…