Resident Philosophy

Biola University is a Christian liberal arts school that strongly encourages a developmental approach to learning. Central to that focus is our strong commitment to fostering a residential community that includes freshmen as well as seniors. Even as we grow as a University, we remain committed to this purpose.

However, growth in our student population is challenging us to prioritize our values campus wide. In Residence Life, we have embraced this challenge by creating a residential community based on specifically prioritized values.

Our highest values are ordered as follows: first, the quality of our residential community life; second, our freshman and sophomore residential experience, third and final, a residential community that includes freshman as well as seniors. As a result of this prioritization, we have had to make several crucial decisions to remain true to these values.

We absolutely want juniors and seniors to be living on campus. We are not a commuter school, nor are we a two-year residential facility where our students "check out" as they become upperclassmen. However, we can no longer accommodate ALL juniors and seniors who wish to live on campus. Our freshmen and sophomore classes are simply too large to continue to offer this service. Therefore, we have developed a lottery system to determine which juniors and seniors will be able to live on campus.

We recently constructed a facility and developed a new program specifically designed to help commuter students remain connected to the Biola community.

One of the main ingredients of our rich heritage of well-rounded quality graduates is our investment in them and their participation in our campus life for their entire education. This has taken shape primarily through our residency requirement and the commitment of a Residence Life staff to quality co-curricular education.

Residence Life (including the staff of Resident Directors and Resident Assistants) plays an integral part in the life of Biola University. It is in the residence halls that students can learn more about themselves and their peers in the context of living together. The residence halls create an environment for recognizing and understanding significant changes in the life of university students. These changes will be evidenced in developing self-awareness, interpersonal relationships, cultural awareness and spiritual maturity.

Matthew Hooper
Director of Residence Life

Daniel Paschall
Associate Dean of Student Affairs & Community Life