Abstract

Research indicates that an aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance of campus buildings in residential universities negatively impact college students’ physical and mental well-being and their ability to focus on academic learning. By employing a participatory action research design, we explored student perceptions of college living on their physical and mental health. We found that perceived deficiencies in housing and dining facilities along with inadequate safety programs were the most impactful and that they undermined a school’s sense of community. The effects were mixed. Students learned resiliency, independence, and communication skills while coping with subpar conditions. Meanwhile, students’ feelings of safety and trust were negatively impacted. Students found resilience in bonding with each other in the face of adversity. University financial constraints can lead to an opportunity for students and staff to find creative solutions together. This project was a part of an undergraduate research lab in which students learned research design, data collection and analysis, and dissemination. We have included the lessons we learned from working with undergraduate researchers.