This study explored student understanding of third places at the University of the Pacific. As colleges and universities seek to develop the whole student, providing students places that develop a sense ofbelongingness will contribute to their social development. Research has also shown that providing this belongingness will improve student learning. The questions this study hopes to answer are how do students use spaces on campus, and how do these spaces affect student satisfaction and involvement with the University. The results provided by students showed connections between student responses and the literature researched for the study. It is the writer's hope the findings of the study will help to guide future decisions regarding space planning and development.

This comparative research examined the effects of student involvement and college environment on students’ learning and living experience delivered by two aspiring world-class universities in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Few studies have shown how the levels of student involvement and college environment can benefit students at world-class institution. Earlier research done by Pascarella (1985) suggested that college environment impact students’ learning and living experience. Research in the field has also shown that through adequate campus facilities and campus resources, college student interaction and involvement can be promoted. Adapting a quantitative research approach, this comparative case-study utilizes the “Student Involvement Survey” from Ohio State University(OSU) and the “Student Satisfaction Study” from Birmingham City University(BCU) to examine students’ learning and living experience at aspiring world-class institutions. The study was conducted at two major research institutions from the Universitas 21 network: The University of Hong Kong (HKU) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University(SJTU). The finding indicated that: a) student involvement (academic and social) affect students’ learning and living experience, b) college environment (academic, campus, and interpersonal) affect students’ learning and living experience, and c) students’ learning and living experience impact the making of world-class universities in China. The study extends from earlier research on student involvement and college environment from the U.S. and the U.K. into China’s modern higher education. The results of this research suggest that student involvement and college environment plays a salient effect on Chinese students’ learning and living experience and its overall developmental plan for world-class universities in China. In the end, the researcher provides senior administrators, policy makers and student affairs practitioners a few recommendations to further create an educationally powerful environment and experience for all students at aspiring world-class institution in China. / published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 2001. / Title from title page screen, viewed April 11, 2006. Dissertation Committee: James Palmer (chair), Dianne Ashby, Paul Baker, William Tolone. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 132-137) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 97-110).

Growing out of the college retention research of Alexander Astin (1993) and Vincent Tinto (1975), this study examined differences in academic achievement and persistence of first-semester college freshmen who participated in Freshman Learning Communities (FLC), including a Living-Learning Community (LLC), and students who did not participate in a university-sponsored learning community. This study also explored variables that may moderate the relationship of learning community participation with academic achievement and persistence. Variables explored included: entry-level readiness for self-directed learning, gender, ethnicity, high school GPA, and SAT or equivalent ACT scores. Data was collected from 544 students at XYZ University using a pre/post university-developed instrument, the College Assessment of Readiness for Entering Students Intended (CARES-I), College Assessment of Readiness for Entering Students- Actual (CARES-A) and the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale/Learning Preference Assessment. Demographic and academic data were collected through the institution's Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analysis. There was a statistically significant difference in academic achievement for students enrolled in either a Freshman Learning Community or a Living Learning Community (df = 424, t = 2.32, p < .05) as compared to students not part of a freshman learning community. The learning community students had higher end-of-semester grades. Multiple regression analysis was used to explore the moderating variables that may influence the learning community effect on academic achievement. Only the pre-academic characteristic of students' entering high school GPA moderated the relationship of learning community participation and academic achievement (p < .05). / Chi-square analysis showed there was no relationship between participation in a learning community and enrollment in the second semester (p > .05).Logistic regression of variable relations determined that the variables of high school GPA and ethnicity were significant. In addition, there was an association between the variables of SDLRS scores, high school GPA, and end-of-semester GPA for students not part of a learning community. Finally, results from a paired samples t-test determined that there was a difference in the intended and actual social involvement for students enrolled in a learning community. / by Jodie Jae Koerner. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2008. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The specific purpose of this study was to try and understand why unique experiences of living with an alcoholic parent could create developmental deficits which emotionally challenge COAs' when faced with the life lessons a college environment offers. This study offered four possible explanations for experiencing challenges in its theoretical background: (1) psychosocial development, (2) the epistemology of alcoholism and its effects on the family, (3) personality development and the concurrence of building resilience, and (4) the college environment itself, with the phenomenon of binge drinking--forcing COAs to confront family alcoholism. A total of 7 participated in this study--4 men and 3 women. Despite the dynamic differences in the answers overall, all 7 participants acknowledged one important concept. When the participants were asked about their own drinking habits, each participant said, though in different ways, they had to be careful with their drinking habits. Participants seemed to be aware that whether alcoholism is genetic or a learned addiction, they were at risk of becoming alcoholics themselves. This study found overall, as previous literature suggests, no matter how COAs are studied, they are found to be a heterogeneous population. Specifically, this study's results points out that they are indeed heterogeneous, yet similar in that all participants in this study, it could be argued, exhibit some vulnerability in regard to parental alcoholism.

Religion/spirituality is a salient facet of identity for many college students, yet addressing issues related to spirituality/religion is contentious in many higher education institutions. Prior research has shown that various other facets of identity, including race/ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation, affect a student’s perception of campus climate, but religious/spiritual identity has not been examined in the same manner. Using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling, this study empirically tests the addition of religion/spirituality to the campus climate theory developed by Hurtado et al. (1999). Data came from the 2010 College Senior Survey administered by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. Results indicate that religious and spiritual identity have significant direct effects on the perception and other aspects of campus climate. Future research is needed to extend the understanding between religious and spiritual identity and the perception of campus climate.

The purposes of this study were to describe the North Texas State University campus environment as perceived by the students, to compare perceptions of certain of the campus environmental characteristics with those of other colleges and universities throughout the nation, and to compare selected subgroups within the student body with respect to their perceptions of campus environmental characteristics.

The purpose of this study was to examine national survey data from across the United States for respondents from two-year community colleges. Historically little empirical evidence exists in the literature about this population of students who identity as sexual minorities. The study begins with a historical overview of the LGBTQ rights movement. This provides a baseline for why studies including this invisible minority group are important and especially timely for two-year college campuses. Literature is barrowed from four-year college and university studies. Data were analyzed using the Rasch Partial Credit model. This analysis included testing for data-fit to the model, evaluation of items which did not fit the model, item mapping, differential functioning based on sexual identity, and standard descriptive statistics. The aim of this analysis was to determine if harassment, discrimination, and violence on campus towards sexual minority students occur and attempt to assess the prevalence of such activities. Results indicate that there doesn’t exist differences in responses between male and female participants. However, differences exist related to campus perceptions for sexual minority students and their non-minority (heterosexual) peers.

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