As more residence halls cater to the luxury demands of their students by offering private rooms, private bathrooms and private kitchens, the opportunities for informal moments of engagement and/or learning can decline.
Research done by Donald Markwell, George Kuh and Vincent Tinto back up this claim by revealing that…
“Opportunities for students to come together outside formal class time to network, discuss and debate encourages student learning and can foster peer-to-peer interactions that are critical for successful student transition into university.”
Taking away these communal spaces can have the opposite effect.
Three students out of UC Davis attempted to combat this trend with an experiment to build a closer community while also reducing food waste. Their solution? A communal refrigerator on the campus quad. They called it “free.go”
After a month, the team estimated around 100 items were exchanged. The idea was so popular with students that people began to share other items, like books, as well.
“The fridge is a great idea even aside from (reducing) food waste. It encourages a great sense of community that’s lacking in most communities. This is kind of a cool way to encourage it.” – Ali Hill (one of the creators of free.go)
Sadly, Hill’s experiment was shut down by the health department, but the legacy of the intent, to bring a divided living community closer together, will live on.
What ways do you drive more communal sharing within your residential halls?
