Exploring Residential Experiences of Undergraduate Students During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of a Historically Black University in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic caused higher education institutions to pivot to online instruction and forced residential students to vacate on-campus housing. Most students moved in with family or friends, but other students did not have access to safe and supportive housing options. This paper explores the experiences of students who requested to live on-campus because of housing insecurity or the need for independent space. Specifically, this paper reports on the types of support and resources that 20 residential undergraduates at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) relied on to navigate challenges brought on by the pandemic and to cope with the isolation of living on a nearly empty campus. Resources include faculty relationships, student networks, and campus culture. Implications for higher education practitioners include reexamining students' capital and adopting trauma-informed approaches into reopening plans.