Special-interest housing may help retain students

While meeting the needs of students, it also brings some of them back to campus housing, may improve retention of some at risk of leaving school and involves faculty and staff more in dormitory life.

The Special-Interest Housing program is "an excellent way for students who share a common interest to live together," said Elizabeth Lidano, assistant director and advisor to the program.

Begun in Fall 1996 by a group of Native-American students, the program this year has seven special-interest groups on floors in Ellicott Complex and Governors Residence Halls on the North Campus and Macdonald Hall on the South Campus. In addition to Native-American, the interests include architecture, engineering, gay/lesbian/bisexual, Latino, pre-professional and technical-related fields.

Living on a special-interest floor "allows more personal development," said Christopher Connolly, a junior and a member of the pre-professional group. "By putting all this together, you gain a deeper perspective."

"You don't live on a floor, you live with family," Connolly said.

"We have floor accountability," said Lynette Printup, a junior who lives on the Native-American floor in Red Jacket Quadrangle.

Students who live on the floor also have a strong support network, a factor that is especially important for groups who traditionally have a high attrition rate.

"Historically, retention of Native-American students is very low," said Danielle Terrance, a graduate who last year lived on the Native-American floor and now is interning with Lidano and living on the Latino floor.

Native-American culture, she added, is "important both in school and in life. Some students lose the sense of community and support they're used to."

Printup and Terrance lived in apartments off-campus before moving onto special-interest floors. Moving back to campus took a lot of adjusting, they agree, but was worthwhile.

"For me and a lot of us, I'm always representing Native peoples," said Printup. But on her floor, she added, she can relax.

"You don't have to explain. You can be yourself and know you're not going to be misunderstood," noted Terrance.

A sense of community, Lidano said, may make a difference for students at risk of leaving school.

"We hope the program will encourage students to live in the halls longer," she said. "It may help students to stay in school longer and to graduate."

The involvement of faculty and professional staff also is important to the Special-Interest Housing program, which requires each group to have a faculty or staff advisor.

Peter Nickerson, professor of pathology and chair of the Faculty Senate, is advisor to the pre-professional group. He speaks highly of the students in the group, and of the program that brought them together.

The program allows students "to connect better with the university and with themselves," Nickerson said.

Equally important, the program gives faculty and administrators an opportunity to interact with students in a more natural setting.

Students in the program host regular dinners and invite members of the university community to dine with them, providing a means for faculty and administrators to get student input on an informal basis. Students also have provided input to the Faculty Senate and Faculty Senate Executive Committee, Nickerson said.

"It's unusual to see that level of interest in connecting to the university and doing service," he said.

Students who live on special-interest floors are enthusiastic about the program, according to Lidano.

"Most groups have expressed an interest to return or to expand," she said. And new groups have expressed an interest in joining the program.

University Residence Halls is accepting applications from groups who wish to become part of the Special-Interest Housing program. Applications are available in University Residence Halls area offices. Students interested in participating must provide a list of names of those who wish to be part of a group. Each group also must ask a faculty or staff member to serve as advisor. For more information, contact Terrance at 645-5244 or e-mail Lidano at lidano@acsu.buffalo.edu