Abstract:
The history of the growth of higher education in the United States has been marked by a number of philosophical developments. In most cases these philosophical developments have been related to the social conditions, pressures, and needs which were active at that particular time. One of the more stable traditions which has grown, is the philosophy of "total education" or "educating the whole man." While the philosophy itself has remained fairly constant, its application has been evolutionary in response to the social press.The growth of student housing in America has been closely interrelated with the growth and changes which have taken place in the larger educational context. The "total education" approach has also had a significant influence on what has been promoted in student residence halls. Programming, planned activities of an academic, social, cultural, or recreational nature, has been the basic response of housing to this "whole man" concept and the recognized needs of society. However, while the "total education" philosophy and program and activities approach have remained relatively stable, the condition of society has been marked by monumentalchange.Given the context of rapid change presented by current society, the application of the "whole man" philosophy in the form of programs and activities, mast be revitalized and take on new forms which are more responsive to the contemporary individual's needs. The problem of this paper, therefore, is to discover ways in which a new residence hail situation can be created, utilizing the inherent potentials of the residence hall environment, and maximizing the possibilities for individual growth and development.