Since 2017, the UO has required all incoming first-year undergraduate students to live on campus.
The policy was adopted as a major student success initiative in combination with the development of a robust Academic Residential Communities (ARC) program, following a committee review of institutional data and similar policies at comparator institutions.
“Developing a strong residential cohort reinforces the culture of respect at the heart of the UO as a learning community, enabling inculcation of strong values around healthy relationships and responsible recreation,” the committee report concluded.
Student Impact
Since the implementation of the live-on requirement University Housing and the Division of Undergraduate Education and Student Success has continued to lead a robust research and analysis of the student success and learning outcomes of living on campus and participating in ARCs.
First-time, full-time freshmen from the US have higher GPAs, higher retention rates, higher graduation rates, and faster graduation times when they spend their first academic year living in University Housing.
In collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research, the ARC Council performs an annual linear regression analysis and propensity score matching study for quantitative (GPA, retention, graduation rates), and psycho-social (sense of belonging, perception of peer network, faculty engagement) metrics.
The linear regression analysis controls for multiple variables, including ethnicity, gender, first-generation student status, SES, high school GPA, and SAT score.
University Housing also alternates annual participation in multi-institutional research studies for qualitative and quantitative measures between the Assessment of Collegiate Residential Environments and Outcomes and ACUHO-I Skyfactor Benchworks. Finally, the ARC Council and individual ARCs conduct a variety of pre- and post- student expectation and experience surveys and focus groups.
Controlled Comparison of ARC Second, Third, and Fourth Year Retention and GPA to Off-Campus Students (2016-2017)
Cumulative GPA
Resident Group | YEar 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
All ARC | +.08 | +.02 | +.04 | +.10 |
*Note: Spring of Year 4 for this cohort overlapped with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Retention & Graduation
Resident Group | Retention to Year 2 | Retention to Year 3 | Retention to YEar 4* | 6-Year Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Conventional Res-Hall | +3% | +7% | +9% | +10% |
All ARC | +9% | +9% | +14% | +13% |
*Note: Spring of Year 4 for this cohort overlapped with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Controlled Comparison of ARC Second, Third, and Fourth Year Retention and GPA to Off-Campus Students (2017-2018)
Cumulative GPA
Resident Group | YEar 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
All ARC | +.13 | +.06 | +.00 | +.00 |
ARC: Year-Long Seminar | +.15 | +.02 | +.04 | +.00 |
*Note: Year four and spring of year three for this cohort overlapped with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Retention & Graduation
Resident Group | Retention to Year 2 | Retention to Year 3 | Retention to YEar 4* | 6-Year Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Conventional Res-Hall | +12% | +7% | +2% | N/A |
All ARC | +12% | +6% | +1% | N/A |
ARC: Year-Long Seminar | +13% | +5% | +4% | N/A |
*Note: Year four and spring of year three for this cohort overlapped with the Covid-19 pandemic.