University residence halls have long been considered places of student education and personal development, transcending their basic function as a facility merely for living and sleeping. Extensive research over the past few decades shows strong support for residence halls to purposively consider their roles in student development, citing myriad educational benefits for students who live on campus compared with those who commute for their studies. In this context, university professionals have

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... en called on to realise "purposeful, programmatic efforts to integrate students' intellectual and social lives during college" . Such programmatic efforts in holistic support of a student's life during their tertiary studies have been variously described under the umbrella term "residence life programs". In this study, we employ a clarificative evaluation methodology to assess the efficacy of a mature residence life program at the University of Sydney's International House. Through the process of program evaluation, we establish the relationship between intentional programmatic efforts on the part of student support staff, and outcomes for student development as evidenced in peer relationships and intercultural learning. Significantly, the findings reveal the real outcomes of structured, informal learning activities on student growth and development, and particularly in the development of cultural competence and peer networks. This evaluative study provides evidence for intangible, and less quantifiable outcomes of residence life programs, which may be used by student life professionals as a basis for further research and program development.