Recent studies show that living in the residence halls leads to higher graduation rates, and Department of Residence staff say it’s because of the community environment and academic resources that dorms provide.

Lisa Ludovico, program coordinator for the department, said DOR staff is committed to developing academically committed communities.

“The No. 1 reason why students are here is to be academically successful,” Ludovico said.

The DOR staff’s primary goal is to create an environment that helps students with their academics.

“Students who live in the residence halls are generally more involved in the campus and have more resources available,” Ludovico said.

Resources include computer labs, quiet study areas and peer mentors, along with prime location near academic buildings.

Personal issues can come into play when living off-campus.

“Students who live on-campus generally have less distractions than off-campus,” Ludovico said.

She added that those students who live off campus have to find rides to campus and to their homes. Also, if someone has a conflict with their apartment mate, no one is around to alleviate the problem like there would be in the residence halls.

Matthew Shwery, junior in journalism and mass communication and community adviser of Pearson House in Friley Hall, said that by living in the residence halls, students may be surrounded by people in the same major to help each other with homework.

“When you’re off-campus it’s harder to be in an active community,” Shwery said.

He said he sees students studying together on a daily basis.

He said, however, that the cost of living in a residence hall has been increasing, and it’s getting more expensive to live on-campus. This is one reason why more students may be moving off-campus.

He also said that he’s had friends that have skipped classes more often after moving off-campus.

“They are more occupied with the chores of living in an apartment and taking care of more things on their own that they took for granted in the dorms,” Shwery said.

Ross Kelderman, junior in accounting and CA of Stevenson House in Birch Hall, said programs in his building are a benefit of residence hall living.

In Birch Hall, CAs give “study bucks” to students when they see them studying. Students can use them to purchase items at the hall desk.

Kelderman said there are several freshmen who live on his floor that are in the same classes and help each other with homework.

“It also gives them a chance to grow, and have teamwork and communicate with each other,” Kelderman said.

He added that once students move out of the dorms, they sometimes have a harder time making it to classes when it’s cold out, and they might pass up the opportunity to attend supplemental instruction, as well.

The study said that students who live on-campus their freshman year are 20 percent more likely to graduate than those incoming freshmen who live off-campus, according to a recent press release.

There is a 25 percent difference in graduation rates of students who live on-campus for two years and those who live off-campus.

The statistics were compiled from freshmen coming straight out of high school.

Ludovico said the study was conducted over the summer, but the DOR has been collecting data for a longer period of time.