A qualitative study on the effects of participation in residence hall government on persistence to graduation at Ball State University

Abstract

Changes in student demographics result in diverse student needs, and require residence hall government advisors to develop new programs and services to respond to the needs of students involved in residence hall government. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effects of participation in residence hall government on persistence to graduation at Ball State University. A secondary purpose was to examine what factors motivated students involved in residence hall government. The researcher used qualitative methodology for the study. Students who were involved with residence hall government (N=10) were interviewed and three themes emerged. The themes included: residence hall government involvement led to persistence; residence hall government involvement led to other opportunities; and residence hall government involvement led to the development of important life skills.