Welcome to the new AACRAO website. While the site is live, development is ongoing, visitors can expect updates and new features in the weeks ahead.

Mobile Nav
Log in
Join
Get Involved

You must be logged in to view this content. Please login or learn more about joining AACRAO. If you have any questions or experience any issues logging in, please reach out to us atmembership@aacrao.org.

Log In Join

Topics

,

Article Type

Professional Proficiency

Article Abstract

Related Issue:

The reasons a student may choose to enroll and matriculate at a particular postsecondary institution are many. Yet a sense of belonging and a strong emotional connection often supply all the incentive students need. Campus environments play a central role in the college choice process as the ecology, climate, and culture of an institution profoundly influence student perceptions and behaviors. Higher education leadership must take this into consideration if they hope to increase and maintain enrollment numbers. Yet the literature rarely reports the institutional point of view. This study surveyed higher education administrators to discern whether they heed student messages regarding the significance of campus environments and visits to college choice and persistence. Statistical and subjective analysis—via independent samples t-testing and open-ended questioning—concluded that administrator perspectives concerning the campus environment closely correspond with prevailing student perspectives. This is good news for higher education.

Author(s)

bio-headshot-secore@2xScott Secore, Ph.D. (Educational Leadership), is a freelance consultant with nearly 25 years of experience working in both the performing arts and higher education. He has served as a Fine & Performing Arts Programming and Venue Director, Academic Program Coordinator, and Professor of Theatre and Communications. Secore’s research interests primarily concern the enrichment and promotion of constructive learning strategies for arts-based programs, the need for effectual arts-based academic leadership development, and the employment of effective strategic enrollment management strategies for arts-based higher education programs as well as higher education in toto.

References

Abadi, M. 2018. This map shows the U.S. really has 11 separate “nations” with entirely different cultures. Business Insider. January 18.

Barrett, L. A. 2014. The College Union and a Sense of Community for Students in Public Higher Education: Is There a Relationship? Doctoral dissertation, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY.

Baskin, M. 2015. As “yield rates” fluctuate, colleges work to protect reputations. USA TODAY. February 7.

Black, S. A. 2015. Qualities of effective leadership in higher education. Open Journal of Leadership. 4(2): 54–66.

Brown, J. K. 2010. An examination of undergraduate student recruitment procedures and activities at a midwestern state university. Enrollment Management Journal. 4(3): 89–114.

Chingos, M. M. 2017. Don’t Forget Private, Non-Profit Colleges. Evidence Speaks Reports No. 9. Washington, D.C.: The Brookings Institution.

Comfort, W. W. 1925. The Choice of a College. New York: The Macmillan Company.

Creswell, J. W. 2007. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five Approaches (2nd edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Cuseo, J., V. S. Fecas, and A. Thompson. 2007. What all first-year students should know: The most potent, research-based principles of college success. In Thriving in College & Beyond: Research-Based Strategies for Academic Success & Personal Development. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Doom, A. M. 2016. A Comparison of Learning Preferences Amongst Students Enrolled in the Department of Veterinary Technology at Murray State University. Williamsburg, KY: University of the Cumberlands.

Epple, D., R. Romano, S. Sarpca, and H. Sieg. 2013. The U.S. Market for Higher Education: A General Equilibrium Analysis of State and Private Colleges and Public Funding Policies (Working Paper No. 19298). Cambridge, MA: National Bureau of Economic Research.

Halle, R. S. 1928. Which College? New York: The Macmillan Company.

Harrington, K. D. 2014. Community on Campus: The Role of Physical Space. Atlanta, GA: Georgia State University.

Hesel, R. A. 2004. Campus visit drives college choice. StudentPoll. 5(5).

Hope, J. 2015. Encourage students to enroll with effective campus visit programs. Enrollment Management Report. 18(11): 1–6.

Hossler, D., and M. Palmer. 2008. Why understand research on college choice? In Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.

Illinois State University. n.d. Academic Dean Responsibilities, Appointment, Compensation, Terms, and Evaluations.

Johnston, T. C. 2010. Who and what influences choice of university? Student and university perceptions. American Journal of Business Education. 3(10): 15–23.

Kinzie, J., M. Palmer, J. Hayek, D. Hossler, S. A. Jacob, and H. Cummings. 2004. Fifty Years of College Choice: Social, Political and Institutional Influences on the Decision-Making Process. Lumina Foundation for Education New Agenda Series, 5(3).

Kirk, R. 1996. Practical significance: A concept whose time has come. Educational and Psychological Measurement. 56(5): 746–759.

Kuh, G. D. 2009. Understanding campus environments. In The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration (3rd edition), edited by G. S. McClellan and J. Stringer. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Kuh, G. D., J. Kinzie, J. A. Buckley, B. K. Bridges, and J. C. Hayek. 2006. What Matters to Student Success: A Review of the Literature. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Education Statistics.

Lederman, D. 2013. Why colleges act as they do. Inside Higher Ed. August 13.

Mass, K. 2016. Lazy rivers and learning commons: Observations on what really matters during the initial college visit. Planning for Higher Education Journal. 44(4): 52–57.

Mora, M. 2010. Qualitative vs. quantitative research: Which to use? SurveyGizmo Blog. March 16.

Okerson, J. R. 2016. Beyond the Campus Tour: College Choice and the Campus Visit. Doctoral dissertation, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA.

Richards, J. M., and J. L. Holland. 1965. A Factor Analysis of Student “Explanations” of Their Choice of a College. Iowa City, IA: American College Testing Program.

Ruffalo Noel-Levitz. 2017. 2017 Marketing and Student Recruitment Report of Effective Practices. Cedar Rapids, IA: Author.

Schreiner, L. A. 2009. Linking Student Satisfaction and Retention. Coralville, IA: Noel-Levitz.

Secore, S. 2016. Leadership for higher education and the performing arts: Critical analysis of the Association for Theatre in Higher Education’s Leadership Institute. Journal of Performing Arts Leadership in Higher Education. 7: 35–56.

Secore, S. 2018a. The significance of campus visitations to college choice and strategic enrollment management. Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly. 5(4): 1–9.

Secore, S. 2018b. The impact of campus environments on college choice and persistence. Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly. 6(1): 17–34.

Spoon, A. N. 2006. Identifying Concepts That Influence High School Students during a College Campus Tour. Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University.

Related Posts

See all Posts