Residential Faculty, Community, and Social Support: A Qualitative Investigation of the Perceived Benefits of Interacting With Faculty-In-Residence

RESIDENTIAL FACULTY PROGRAMS—where small cohorts of faculty live in residential colleges with students—are becoming more popular across the U.S. Despite the abundance of research highlighting the benefits of a robust residential faculty program for both students and institutions, we know comparatively little about how faculty presence in residential colleges facilitates the support and community necessary to achieve these outcomes. To address this, we conducted a qualitative investigation to understand student perceptions of how residential faculty provide social support for students. Results detail the myriad types of support students seek from residential faculty and how this support shapes their experience at the institution and their aspirations for the future. These outcomes are discussed in reference to their impact on theorizing in this area as well as practical outcomes relevant to student development and engagement.