The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 44, No. 1 - 55

Supporting Aboriginal Student Success

bathrooms); apartment style (self-contained
units with varying sizes of studio, one, two, or
four bedrooms); and suite style (multiple units,
each one having four to six bedrooms, that
share a hallway and common facilities such as
kitchen, bathroom, and living space).
The interconnectedness of students and
their environments is paramount in the design
and function of higher education campuses
(Strange & Banning, 2000), and residence
buildings are no different. Building design
has a direct impact on the ability of residents
to interact with one another; for example,
when considering traditional versus suitestyle layouts, a study of focus groups at one
institution found that traditional-style layouts
provide more interaction between students
than does a suite-style layout (Brandon, Hirt, &
Cameron, 2008). This research demonstrates
that a traditional-style hall with more common
spaces encourages more interactions between
residents (Brandon et al., 2008). However, in
a study that examined the sense of belonging of more than 3,000 students who lived
in differently styled residences, Rodger and
Johnson (2005) found that those students who
lived in suite-style layouts had a greater sense
of belonging. This same research also found
that more introverted and studious students
face a greater sense of isolation when living in
traditional-style buildings (Rodger & Johnson,
2005). While this research demonstrated how
residence design can impact student interaction and connections to others, it did not
consider the role of race and/or culture in the
student experience of living on campus.
The majority of Canadian postsecondary
institutions are located in large urban areas,
which means that many Aboriginal students

must relocate to attend college, particularly
when the institution is not within commuting distance (Hare & Pidgeon, 2011). Research
has shown that relocation to urban centers
from remote or rural communities-and the
related loss of established communities of
support-impacts Aboriginal students' transition to higher learning and their persistence
(Archibald et al., 1995; Ryan, 1995; Singson et
al., 2016; Wallace et al., 2004). Having to move
away from their culturally relevant community creates an additional challenge to find safe,
affordable, adequate, and culturally supportive housing (Archibald et al., 1995; Mendelson, 2006; RCAP, 1996; Singson et al., 2016;
Wallace et al., 2004).
As discussed earlier, social and cultural
isolation can be a negative influence on an
Aboriginal student's university/college experience. Ecklund and Terrance (2013) have utilized the concept of "extending the rafters" of
student housing as a metaphor for enriching
and expanding current housing practices to
ensure culturally relevant supports for these
students. They found that living-learning
programs were the most appropriate means
to ensure cultural relevance, continuity,
and family support structures that support
Native American success in the United States
(Ecklund & Terrance, 2013). Singson et al.
(2016) further argue that having policies that
support culturally relevant activities within
campus housing is another step forward in
supporting Native American students who are
attending non-Native American institutions.
Smudging policies are an example of how
higher education institutions can express
commitment to creating an environment that
respects and accommodates Native-centered

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 44, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 44, No. 1
