Miles Community College (MCC) was recently awarded an Assessment & Impact Awards in Housing and Residence Life. The award, given by Skyfactor Benchworks, a Macmillan Learning company, recognized MCC for its ongoing commitment to creating a positive residence life experience for students through use of data-driven programs.
Residence life has historically and continues to play an important role in building community, ensuring students' success in college and improving graduation rates. Several studies have documented the connection, including research from Skyfactor, which found that the students who reported that their housing experience helped them make connections with other students in their courses were more likely to report that their housing experience contributed to their overall learning.
“We’re thrilled that we were named an Assessment & Impact Awards in Housing and Residence Life winner,” says Jessica Lofland, MCC Coordinator of Student Life and College Housing. “Residence life is so critical to student success, and we plan to continue seeking new and innovative ways to support students’ educational journey.”
“Residence life has never been both more challenging and more important than during the past year, as programs faced profound issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But, housing programs carried on and continued their work to improve the student experience. MCC successfully used data-driven insights to make meaningful improvements to the residential experience and we’re proud to recognize their work,” said Steven Ray, Vice President, Macmillan Learning.
MCC offers on-campus living within the Pioneer Village, offering both apartment-style living in Pioneer Hall and “quads” set up for up to four residents with shared living space within the Lodges. Amenities within the residence halls include free laundry facilities, wireless internet, wardrobes, beds, bathrooms, and common areas, which includes the Nibs and Edna Allen Commons featuring ping-pong and pool tables, a big screen tv, and both lounge and study areas. The MCC Cafeteria offers full meal plans for students living in the residence halls and includes soup and salad bar, daily meal specials, City Brew coffee, and both grill and snack options.
The Assessment and Impact Award for Residence Life was established in 2019 to recognize colleges that demonstrate intentionality in using insights from data to improve their residence life programs.
“It is important that students have a voice to share their experiences at the campus so that we can continually making MCC better, says Richard DeShields, Dean of Student Engagement and Auxiliary Services at MCC. “This award recognizes the work we are doing in assessing the effort put forth on campus and how we are adapting to better meet student needs.”
The winners were selected this spring by Macmillan Learning’s Analytics & Research Team, who analyzed multiple years of data from the ACUHO-I/Benchworks Resident Assessment to identify programs with both consistently high scores and significant improvements in survey scores. The team then interviewed staff from these campuses to learn about the efforts and initiatives in place at each program. An external review team of experts in the profession then blind reviewed and scored each finalist on a rubric.
Founded in 1939, Miles Community College (MCC) was established as the first community college in the state of Montana. Nestled in the heart of Miles City, the two-year college offers a bustling campus with on-site housing, a full athletic program, and a state-of-the-art Ag Advancement Center and offers quality programs including nursing/healthcare, agriculture & equine studies, business, information technology, education, and more.
