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theses

RAs are arguably the most important set of student leaders on a college campus. The RA establishes the tone for the residential building, enforces university policy, and acts as a counselor, mentor, and friend. For many first year students the RA is the first person they meet when they move in and the person who will most likely influence their decision making during their first few weeks on campus. This phenomenological case study explored the experiences of resident assistants at Mid-Atlantic Private University who participated in the Community Organizing Pilot Project. Social capital theory and organizational change and development theory provided the conceptual framework and lens by which to understand how and in what ways participation in the community organizing project changed the participants own understandings. The main method of data collection was the use of 21 semi-structured interviews of RA participants. Study results indicated RAs experienced their leadership role by understanding and experiencing the influence that using community organizing practices had on their residential community and university community in regards to relationship building and enhanced communication. RAs used community organizing tenets to build strong relationships with and amongst their residents. These strong relationships led to increasing the social capital of some of the residents. The utilization of community organizing tenets gave quieter students and concerned students a voice and a medium by which to speak their thoughts, and the safe space and positive foundation to speak with the RA if concerns arose. Additionally, RAs who approach their current profession from a community organizer lens are finding that the techniques learned are applicable to their current profession and personal life. The community organizing skills, specifically the one-to-one meetings and concept of building a community of shared interest, permeated these young professionals’ career development and interconnection of their own network. This was significant as the literature available on the use of community organizing practices in higher education is very limited. This study holds implications for college student affairs practitioners.

ETD_5973

Ed.D.

Includes bibliographical references

by Mindy Suzanne Andino

doi:10.7282/T3V1236W

ETD doctoral

The author owns the copyright to this work.