Spring 2025
What is a perception study?
A perception study by definition is:
"a study or research project completed with the goal of collecting impressions about a company, product, program or issue."
For ResLife, the goal of a perception study is to gather the impressions, opinions, or perceptions of students on our campus and in our Residence Halls to better the experience.
1,150
complete responses out of 6,477 students (17.76%)
We asked JMU students:
Are you satisfied with your overall on-campus living experience?
90.6%
Agree/Strongly Agree
The table below is best viewed at horizontal orientation on your device.
Putting Safety & Security First
All Residence Halls have Card Access systems that only allow access to assigned residents. Each building has a staff that lives in the building and is available to assist with emergencies if they occur. Residence Halls must meet all state-mandated fire codes including centralized alarm systems that communicate alarms directly to the fire department and JMU police whenever the system is activated.
| Question | Spring 2025 | Fall 2024 | Spring 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| I feel safe on campus. | 98.9% | 99.2% | 98.8% |
| I feel safe in my residence hall. | 98.1% | 99.1% | 96.6% |
| The residence halls are free from harrassment. (yes/no) | 90.4% | 93.8% | 90.1% |
| Appropriate efforts are made to address harrassment. (yes/no) | 96.3% | 97.7% | 93% |
Feeling supported in your Residence Hall
Only JMU students live in our residence halls, so you are guaranteed to be sharing spaces with Dukes and only Dukes! Each resident has an assigned Resident Adviser (RA) who lives in the building and that they can go to if they need help. Each building also has a Hall Director who manages their staff of RA's and the building. Programming is a large part of on-campus living and it brings the community together to participate in different bonding experiences throughout the year.
| Question | Spring 2025 | Fall 2024 | Spring 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| I can find a member of my hall staff when I need them. | 87.6% | 87.5% | 85.5% |
| My Resident Adviser (RA) is approachable. | 91.3% | 93.8% | 90.3% |
| Resident Advisors in my residence hall enforce policy fairly. | 93.9% | 98.2% | 93.6% |
| The environment in my residence hall is accepting of people of diverse backgrounds and social identities. | 97.2% | 97.8% | 94.9% |
Being engaged at JMU
Research shows that students who live in the residence halls are more likely to graduate, be involved in extracurricular, social, and cultural events on campus, be more positive about the social climate, and interact more frequently with faculty and peers.
| Question | Spring 2025 | Fall 2024 | Spring 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| I am satisfied with my overall on-campus living experience. | 90.6% | 94.3% | 89.6% |
| The atmosphere in my residence hall is conducive to studying and completing academic work. | 81.6% | 86.9% | 77.8% |
| The programs in my residence hall have had a positive impact on my learning experience at JMU, | 62.2% | 86.7% | 57% |
