In effect, some institutions have created “neighborhoods” on university campuses separated by wealth. This practice resembles the segregated socio-economic layout of many American cities, where the wealthy cluster in one area of town and those of lesser financial means live “on the other side of the tracks.”
Does luxury housing and the price gaps in residence hall housing shape student experience and academic performance? I assembled a research team funded by the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I) to tackle this question. What we discovered after two years of data collection should concern administrators and students alike. Universities became so focused on attracting students through admissions that they overlooked how housing policies would affect those same students once enrolled.