The Curricular Approach to Residential Education: Lessons for Student Affairs Practice

Abstract:The curricular approach to student learning beyond the classroom is a strategic way to be proactive with designing, executing, and assessing student learning. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study is to understand the perceptions of one senior administrator in academic affairs, housing employees, and student leaders at one institution where a curricular approach was adopted. Research methods included semi-structured interviews, document analysis, focus groups, and photo elicitation. Findings from the study revealed that participants perceived the following benefits of adopting a curricular approach: improved clarity on the department’s direction, better strategic standards and structures for staff, and an enhanced sense of voice for some staff. Participants perceived the downsides of adopting a curricular approach to be: not all student populations benefitted equally from a one-size-fits-all approach, physical space limitations, and lack of communication and clarity about the curricular approach language.