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 a particular institution when seeking a postsecondary education are many. So, too, are the reasons students may opt to persist at their chosen institutions. However, a sense of belonging and a strong emotional connection often supply students all the incentive they need. College campus environments play a pivotal role in the decision-making process, as the ecology, climate, and culture of an institution profoundly influence student perceptions and behaviors. Consequently, higher education administrators must take into account more than just their institution’s good name, as the attractiveness and sociability of a college campus evoke feelings of acceptance and affirmation that extend beyond the classroom. This article explores the influences that affect student perceptions and explains why the campus environment is crucial to both college choice and persistence. In addition, it deconstructs the components that comprise the campus environment and offers insight into how administrators can elicit desirable student responses.

Author(s)

bio-headshot-secore@2xScott Secore, M.F.A., is a freelance consultant and current Ph.D. candidate in Educational Leadership at the University of the Cumberlands. Secore has nearly 25 years of experience working professionally in both the performing arts and higher education, wherein he has served as 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.

References

Alger, J. R., and G. P. Carrasco. 1997. The Role of Faculty in Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Student Population. Presented at the AACRAO Policy Summit, Denver, CO.


Arendt, C., and R. Dohrman. 2016. How to recruit more diverse students: Challenges and opportunities. Computing Research News, 28(6).

Astin, A. W. 1984. Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25(4), 297–308.

Baird, L. L. 1988. The college environment revisited: A review of research and theory. In J. C. Smart (Ed.), Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, Vol. 4 (pp. 101–131). New York: Agathon.

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

Bateman, M., & D. Spruill. 1996. Student decision-making: Insights from the college choice process. College Student Journal, 30(2).

Billings, M. S., and D. G. Terkla. 2014. The impact of the campus culture on students’ civic activities, values, and beliefs. New Directions for Institutional Research, 162, 43–53.

Bowers, D. n.d. University goals and initiatives. CSU, Stanislaus.

Boyer, E. L. 1987. College: The Undergraduate Experience in America. New York: Harper and Row.

Boyer, E. L. 1990. Campus Life: In Search Of Community (p. 14). Princeton, NJ: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Braxton, J. M., A.S. Hirschy, and S. A. McClendon. 2004. Understanding and Reducing College Student Departure: ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report, (Vol. 30). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.

Brazzell, J. C. 2001. A sense of belonging. About Campus, 5(6), 31–32.

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.

Chapman, D. W. 1981. A model of student college choice. The Journal of Higher Education, 52(5), 490–505.

Chapman, R. G. 1984. Toward a Theory of College Selection: A Model of College Search and Choice Behavior. Alberta, Canada: University of Alberta Press.

Cheng, D. X. 2004. Students’ sense of campus community: What it means, and what to do about it. NASPA Journal, 41(2), 216–234.

Cheng, D. X. 2005. Assessing Students’ Perceptions of Campus Community: A Focus Group Approach. Association for Institutional Research, (95), 1–11.

Colby, A., T. Ehrlich, E. Beaumont, and J. Stephens. n.d. Educating citizens: Campus culture or climate. The New York Times.

Cuseo, J., V.S. Fecas, and Thompson, A. 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 (1–13). Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.

Dewey, J. 1916. Democracy and Education. New York, NY: Macmillan & Company.

Dober, R. 1996. Campus Architecture: Building in the Groves of Academe. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Donnell, C. M., Y. Edwards, and D. Green. 2002. Find them and keep them: Strategies for the successful recruitment and retention of diverse graduate students. Presented at the NAMRC Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada.

Ecology. n.d..

Feldman, D. C. 1981. The multiple socialization of organization members. Academy of Management Review, 6(2), 309–318.

Fine, E., and J. Handelsman. 2010. Benefits and Challenges of Diversity in Academic Settings. WISELI.

Foubert, J. D., and L.U. Grainger. 2006. Effects of involvement in clubs and organizations on the psychosocial development of first-year and senior college students. NASPA Journal, 43(1), 166–182.

Gennep, A. van. 1960. The Rites of Passage. (M. Vizedom & G. L. Caffee, trans.). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Griffith, J. C. 1994. Open space preservation: An imperative for quality campus environments. The Journal of Higher Education, 65(6), 645–669.

Hajrasouliha, A., and R. Ewing. 2016. Campus does matter: The relationship of student retention and degree attainment to campus design. Planning for Higher Education Journal, 44(3), 1–16.

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

Hartshorne, E. Y. 1943. Undergraduate society and the college culture. American Sociological Review, 8(3), 321–332.

Hayes, T. J. 1989. How students choose a college: A qualitative approach. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 2(1), 19–28.

Heath, W. C. 1993. Choosing the right pond: College choice and the quest for status. Economics of Education Review, 12(1), 81–88.

Hesel, R. A. 2004. Student Poll, 5(5).

Hills, M. D. 2002. Kluckhohn and Strodtbeck’s values orientation theory. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 4(4), 1–14.

Hoover, E. 2010, September. Campus tours go Disney. The Washington Monthly, 42(9/10), 35–41.

Hossler, D. n.d. Enrollment Management in Higher Education – Defining Enrollment Management, Key Offices and Tasks in Enrollment Management, Organizational Models.

Hossler, D., J. Braxton, and G. Coopersmith. 1989. Understanding Student College Choice. In HIGHER EDUCATION: Handbook of Theory and Research (Vol. 5, pp. 231–288). New York: Agathon.

Hossler, D., and K.S. Gallagher. 1987. Studying student college choice: A three-phase model and the implications for policymakers. College & University, 62(3), 207–221.

Hossler, D., and M. Palmer. 2008. Why understand research on college choice? In National Association of College Admissions Counselors, Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling (pp. 42–53). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.

Hossler, D., and F. K. Stage. 1992. Family and high school experience influences on the postsecondary educational plans of ninth-grade students. American Educational Research Journal, 29(2), 425–451.

Hurtado, S., J. F. Milem, J. F., A.R. Clayton-Pedersen, and W. R. Allen. 1998. Enhancing campus climates for racial/ethnic diversity: Educational policy and practice. The Review of Higher Education, 21(3), 279–302.

Insel, P. M., and R. H. Moos. 1974. Psychological environments: Expanding the scope of human ecology. American Psychologist, 29(3), 179–188.

Jackson, G. A. 1982. Public efficiency and private choice in higher education. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 4(2), 237–247.

Johnson, R., N. Stewart, and C. Eberly. 1991. Counselor impact on college choice. The School Counselor, 39(2), 84-90.

Joye, Y. 2007. Architectural lessons from environmental psychology: The case of biophilic architecture. Review of General Psychology, 11(4), 304–328.

Kaiser, L. R. 1978. Campus Ecology: A Perspective For Student Affairs. (J. H. Banning, Ed.). Cincinnati, OH: NASPA.

Kluckhohn, F. R., and F. L. Strodtbeck. 1961. Variations in Value Orientations. Evanston, IL: Row, Peterson.

Kuh, G. D. 1993. Appraising the character of a college. Journal of Counseling & Development, 71(6), 661–668.

Kuh, G. D. 2009. Understanding campus environments. In The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration (3rd ed., pp. 59–80). San Francisco, CA: 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 (p. 156).

Kuh, G. D., and E.J. Whitt. 1988. The invisible tapestry: Culture in American colleges and universities (No. 1) (p. 146). Ottawa: Association for the Study of Higher Education.

Latham, S. C. 2004. Anticipatory socialization and university retention: An analysis of the effect of enrollment at a faith-based secondary school on the progression of students through a faith-based university. Tallahassee, FL: Florida State University.

Lawrence, R. J. 2009. Human ecology. In H. Arlt & D. G. Daviau (Eds.), Culture, Civilization and Human Society – Volume 2 (Vol. 2, p. 300). Oxford, England: EOLSS.

Lee, C. 1991. Achieving diversity: Issues in the recruitment and retention of underrepresented racial/ethnic students in higher education: A review of the literature. Alexandria, VA: National Association of College Admission Counselors.

Lee, S., & Chatfield, H. K. 2011. The analysis of factors affecting choice of college: A case study of UNLV hotel college students. Presented at the 16th Graduate Students Research Conference, Houston, Texas.

Litten, L. H. 1982. Different strokes in the applicant pool: Some refinements in a model of student college choice. The Journal of Higher Education, 53(4), 383–402.

Lynch, M. 2014, January 27. Diverse conversations: Recruiting a diverse student population. Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

Magolda, P. M. 2001. What our rituals tell us about community on campus: A look at the campus tour. About Campus, 5(6), 2–8.

Masland, A. T. 1985. Organizational culture in the study of higher education. The Review of Higher Education, 8(2), 157–168.

McFarland, A. L., T. M. Waliczek, and J.M. Zajicek, 2008. The relationship between student use of campus green spaces and perceptions of quality of life. HortTechnology, 18(2), 232–238.

Moos, R. H. 1973. Conceptualizations of human environments. American Psychologist, 28(8), 652–665.

Ntiri, D. W. 2001. Access to higher education for nontraditional students and minorities in a technology-focused society. Urban Education, 36(1), 129–144.

Noel-Levitz. 2012. Why Did They Enroll? The Factors Influencing College Choice. Coralville, Iowa.

Nora, A. 2004. The role of habitus and cultural capital in choosing a college, transitioning from high school to higher education, and persisting in college among minority and nonminority students. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 3(2), 180–208.

Okerson, J. R. 2016. Beyond the campus tour: College choice and the campus visit. Williamsburg, VA: College of William and Mary.

Opp, R. D. 2001. Enhancing recruitment success for two-year college students of color. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 25(2), 71–86.

Paulsen, M. B. 1990. College Choice: Understanding Student Enrollment Behavior (ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 6) (pp. 1–121). Washington, DC: School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University.

Petr, C. L., and F.C. Wendel. 1998. Factors influencing college choice by out-of-state students. Journal of Student Financial Aid, 28(2), 29–40.

Pulliam, N., and P. Sasso. 2016. Building institutional capacity for college access and success: Implications for enrollment management. Academic Perspectives in Higher Education, 2(1), 1-36.

Rendon, L. I. 1993. Validating culturally diverse students: Toward a new model of learning and student development (p. 29). Washington, DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement.

Rendon-Linares, L. I., and S. Munoz, S. 2011. Revisiting validation theory: Theoretical foundations, applications, and extensions. Enrollment Management Journal: Student Access, Finance, and Success in Higher Education, 5(2), 12–33.

Roberts, P., and I. Taylor. 2016. The campus matters: Acquiring the competitive edge. Planning for Higher Education Journal, 44(3), 12–17.

Rosenberg, M., and B.C. McCulloug. 1981. Mattering: Inferred significance and mental health among adolescents. Research In Community & Mental Health, 2, 163–182.

Salingaros, N. A. 1999. Architecture, patterns, and mathematics. Nexus Network Journal, 1(2), 75–85.

Scannell, J. 2013, June. Where do enrollment managers fit in the campus organization? University Business Magazine, 16(6), 54–56.

Schein, E. H. 2004. Organizational culture and leadership (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Schlossberg, N. K. 1989. Marginality and mattering: Key issues in building community. In D. C. Roberts, Designing Campus Activities to Foster a Sense of Community. (pp. 5–15). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Scholl, K. G., and G. B. Gulwadi. 2015. Recognizing campus landscapes as learning spaces. Journal of Learning Spaces, 4(1), 53–60.

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

Smircich, L. 1983. Concepts of culture and organizational analysis. Administrative Science Quarterly, 28(3), 339-358. doi:10.2307/2392246

Smith, J. S., and E.C. Wertlieb. 2005. Do first-year college students’ expectations align with their first-year experiences? NASPA Journal, 42(2), 153–174.

Spoon, A. N. 2006. Identifying concepts that influence high school students during a college campus tour. Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH.

Strange, C. and J. Banning. 2001. Educating by design: Creating learning environments that work. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Sue Rankin | Rankin & Associates Consulting. n.d. Principal and Chief Executive Officer.

Tenhouse. n.d. College extracurricular activities – Impact on students, types of extracurricular activities.

Thomason, T. C., and H. Thurber. 1999. Strategies for the recruitment and retention of Native American students. American Indian Rehabilitation and Training Center, Northern Arizona University, Institute for Human Development, University Affiliated Program.

Tinto, V. 1975. Dropout from higher education: A theoretical synthesis of recent research. Review of Educational Research, 45(1), 89–125.

Tinto, V. 1993. Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

University of California | Office of The President. n.d. What is campus-climate.

Whittaker, J. A., B.L. Montgomery, and V. G. M. Acosta. 2015. Retention of underrepresented minority faculty: Strategic initiatives for institutional value proposition based on perspectives from a range of academic institutions. Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 13(3), 136–145.

Williams, D. A. 2010. Campus climate & culture study (p. 44). Fort Myers, FL: Florida Gulf Coast University.

Williams, T. E. 1985. Student-institution fit. Presented at the Leadership for Enrollment Management Conference, Chicago, IL.

Williams, T. E. 1987. Student-institution fit: An ecological perspective. Presented at the Conferences on Enrollment Management, New Orleans, LA, and Evanston, IL.

Yazedjian, A., M. L. Toews, T. Sevin, and K. E. Purswell. 2008. “It’s a whole new world”: A qualitative exploration of college students’ definitions of and strategies for college success. Journal of College Student Development, 49(2), 141–154.

Related Posts

See all Posts