Do Students Who Live in Residence Learning Communities Perform Better Academically than Those Who Live in Traditional Residence and Off-Campus?

Abstract

Residence learning communities (RLCs) refer to intentional groupings of students living together in residence with shared academic and/or non-academic interests. The present research study sought to determine if living in a RLC improved student academic performance compared to other living scenarios at the University of Guelph, specifically for students in the College of Biological Science (CBS). A complete cohort of students was followed from admission through the following five years. Results demonstrated that RLCs improved student academic performance at Guelph for all students, and specifically for CBS students.