The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 45, No. 2 - 42

Michelle L. Boettcher * Kurt Earnest * Angel Eason * Leslie Lewis

how Students of Color engage with CAs of
Color can provide insight into the experiences
of students, as well as the experiences and additional labor of Staff of Color.
Additionally, research examining the intersectionality of identities could help other issues
for Students of Color to surface. This study did
not examine experiences based on individual
racial identities or issues related to gender,
sexual orientation, or other identities. Work
that explores those identities in residence life
communities would enhance our understanding of students' experiences.
Some participants said that White roommates created more labor for Students of
Color, who had to educate them about race and
social justice. This finding adds to the work
of Molina, Heiselt, and Justice (2015), who
wrote about "diversifying roommates for the
purpose of introducing meaningful cognitive
dissonance" (p. 111). Given that participants in
our study purported that dissonance work is
disproportionately labor that Students of Color
do in service to White students, this concept
warrants further examination as well.

LIMITATIONS
This study was conducted at a single PWI influenced by specific issues of context, culture,
geography, etc. Additionally, while every type
of residential community on the research site
campus was represented, only one or two students represented some areas.

CONCLUSION
Within the social capital framework, it became
clear that CAs, roommates, friends, and custodians could be seen as key individuals with

whom participants developed relationships in
building networks of support. This study revealed the self-efficacy of relationships based
on outreach, sharing information and resources, and senses of care in residential communities. By providing training and space for
dialogue among Students of Color, both with
and without staff, residence life professionals
can help Students of Color develop self-efficacy
as they cultivate networks of support at PWIs.
As a result, their success in higher education
and the quality of their personal experiences in
college can be enhanced as well.

REFERENCES
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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 45, No. 2

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