October 1, 2005

National On-Campus Report - October 1, 2005 - Full Issue
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Some—but Not All—Students Demand More from On-Campus Residences
Although many campuses have improved their facilities, particularly on-campus housing, to attract amenity-conscious students, not all campuses need to install private bathrooms in their residence halls just yet. The student affairs, residence life, and enrollment deans we spoke with recently indicate that, while students are indeed coming to college with a greater number of housing expectations, not all institutions are convinced that they need to fulfill them.

Too Much Stuff?
The National Retail Federation predicts that once the dust settles, back-to-college spending this year will total $34.4 billion, a 34 percent increase from last year. Part of the projected increase is likely due to the increasingly intense marketing campaigns retailers are aiming at college students and their parents.

How to Refine Your Campus Social Norms Efforts
Many campuses have put social norms theory to work since it was introduced in the late 1980s. Their challenge now is to refine programs built on these principles, says Michael Haines, director of the National Social Norms Resource Center at Northern Illinois University.

Social Norms Campaigns: Common Mistakes
Certain common mistakes can undercut the effectiveness of a social norms campaign to reduce unhealthy student behavior. Here's how to avoid making them.

Helping Adults Just Shy of Graduation
Students who leave California State University-Long Beach just a course or two short of graduation can expect to hear from Project Green Light, a program started in 2003 to help such students finish their degrees.

Student Drink Estimates Might Be Accurate After All
Although previous studies have indicated that students sometimes underestimate how much alcohol they consume, a new study suggests that their guesses might be reasonably accurate after all.