Campus Ecologist

Volume 9, Number 4, 1991

The Ecology of Involving Colleges

Student learning and personal development are products of he reciprocal interactions between individuals or groups of students, institutional agents, and the environment of the college. That is, behavior is a function of students interacting with the college environment broadly defined to include physical spaces, policies, people, and other physical, biological, chemical and cultural stimuli. Aulepp and Delworth (1976) described the relationship between students and their campus environment as transactional; that is, students shape their environment and are shaped by it.

An "Involving College" is a college or university that provides unusually rich out-of-class learning opportunities for their undergraduate students (Kuh, Schuh, Whitt, Andreas, Lyons, Strange, Krehbiel & MacKay, 1991). Many of the characteristics common to Involving Colleges are congruent with those identified by Pascarella and Terenzini (1991) that foster student learning and personal development. It will come as no surprise to the readers of The Campus Ecologist that the factors and conditions common to Involving Colleges are mutually shaping and complementary. That is, all these factors work together in complicated ways that encourage students to take advantage of institutional resources. In this article we illustrate how concepts from the campus ecology perspective can be used to understand the powerful shaping influence of an Involving College on student behavior.

As the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education (1972, p. 5) suggested, "Campus design is...an attempt to create campus environments that will foster student growth and development." Involving Colleges have several features that foster a high level of involvement on the part of their students and, thus, enhance their learning and personal development. The four characteristics briefly illustrated here are: support and challenge, the opportunity subsystem, the physical environment, and the social climate.

Support/Challenge Balance

Since Sanford (1962), the concept of "challenge" has referred to the importance of introducing disequilibrium into the environment in order to encourage students to experiment with different responses to novel situations. "Support" includes assistance the institution provides in helping students manage stress in response to novel situations or providing care and concern. Involving Colleges offer challenges to students in virtually every domain of campus life by establishing high expectations which dictate how students are expected to behave both in and out of the classroom. Through certain policies and practices (e.g., socialization through recruitment and orientation activities and events), standards and expectations for academic and social behavior are explained. The institutional philosophy concerning student responsibility for their behavior varies considerably across Involving Colleges; therefore, they provide different amounts of structure to make challenges appropriate. For exarnple, Berea, Xavier, Miarni, and Iowa State, provide more rules than Earlham, Grinnell, Mount Holyoke, and Stanford. Programs and administrative structures at the metropolitan institutions guide and, in some instances, "hold students in place" until they are capable of dealing with the collegiate experience on their own. Support takes the form of an ethic of care, a belief system that permeates the institution which legitimize faculty and staff reaching out to students. Indeed it is very difficult for a student at an Involving College to be anonymous.

This is not to say that tragedies do not occur or that debilitating personal behaviors always are checked immediately by peer pressure, or that no one ever feels lonely. Rather, Involving Colleges have safety nets that "catch" students encountering difficulty. These safety nets are more or less invisible, depending on the needs of students. At Mount Holyoke Colege, for example, sources of support are many and apparent, ranging from groups for daughters of alcoholics and for women with eating disorders to counseling by peers and professionals to residence hall programming on a variety of topics related to student problems. At Stanford, however, extensive support is available but less obvious; students can find help if they want it and look for it.

Opportunity Subsystem

One of the three major subsystems of an "optimal learning environment" is the opportunity subsystem (Blocher, 1974, 1978). Certain maintenance functions or standing patterns of behavior are common to all colleges and universities regardless of size. That is, most colleges-particularly residential institutions-have social programming bodies, intramural and intercollegiate athletic tearns, numerous curricular and cocurricular clubs, governance structures in which students participate, and so on. When the frequency and the intensity of these opportunties is great, "people tend to be busier, more vigorous, more versatile, and more involved" (Walsh, 1978, p. 7).

It is no surprise then that Involving Colleges provide a rich "opportunity subsystem" or infrastructure that provide developmental experiences for students by providing avenues for student involvement. For example, Iowa State University has more than 400 formally recognized clubs. At Miami University, students from any major can participate in musical performing groups unlike some colleges where member of the touring choir and band must major in music. Grinned College and Wichita State make it very easy for students groups to organize themselves and receive funding from the student government. Involving Colleges also go to considerable lengths to make certain students from historically underrepresented groups have opportunities to become involved in the life of their college. Stanford University, for example, has four ethnic theme houses as well as four ethnic community centers (Kuh, Schuh, & Whitt, 1991). Because the majority of students at metropolitan universities are part-time and commute to campus, these Involving Colleges face particular challenges in maintaining a rich opportunity subsystem. At the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a comprehensive series of leadership training programs is offered ranging from introductions to leadership (Emerging Leaders Program) to more in depth exploration of leadership concepts (Leaderworks Program). The University of Louisville uses peer tutors to assist underprepared students in acquiring basic skills while at the same time providing opportunities for tutors to become involved in educationally purposeful activities.

The Physical Environment

The colleges and universities we studied have concluded that where they are located is a good place for institution of higher education, be that isolated (such as Grinnell, Iowa), immersed in a city (e.g., Birmingham, Alabama) or close to a metropolitan are (like Davis, California, 30 milies from Sacramento). The advantages of their location have been identified by these colleges and they are used to further the educational purposes of their institution. Those in metropolitan areas use city resources to complement the university's educational opportunities while those that are isolated encourage student creativity and self-reliance in developing learning experiences. Those close to an urban area use the advantages of rural isolation and urban resources, depending on the nature of the educational experience they choose to promote.

Human Scale. Regardless of their size, Involving Colleges have taken steps to make the institution feel small. Organizational structures as well as the physical attributes of these college contribute to the sense of psychological comfort on the part of students. Iowa State University provides an individual advising conference for each first year student during orientation so that personal academic needs can be met. The University of Louisville initiated its TLC (Tender Loving Care) program so that students would feel welcome on campus and a part of campus life.

At Miami University no building is over three stories. UC Davis intentially avoids building large lecture halls so that classes have to be small. Iowa State University has organized its residence halls into small houses so that each student has a residential unit with which he or she can identify easily and naturally.

Mission and Physical Plant. The physical plant of Involving Colleges is complementary to the mission of the institution. For example, the student union at Grinnell is called The Forum, a title which signifies the college's support of vigorous debate on issues before the student body and faculty. Red Square at TESC is a place to gather, discuss and confer. Mt. Holyoke's campus has been designed carefully so that students can think, contemplate, and study undisturbed. The campus reflects the ideals of the women who founded and built the college.

Spontaneous Interaction. Opportunities for spontaneous interaction abound. At Grinnell, Earlham, Berea, and Stanford the campus post office is in the center of the campus encouraging informal transaction on a daily basis. Posters and other material announcing campus events and activities are located in these places to inprove the information flow to students. Wichita State has developed its campus with an educational purpose in mind. Over 50 outdoor sculptures are located throughout the WSU campus so that no matter where students go they have to pass at least one piece during their trip.

Social Climate

The social climate is marked by support for students, opportunities for growth and clear expectations for students consistent with the mission of the institution.

Support. Examples of support for students at Involving Colleges are numerous. Students at UNCC identified the personal interest that faculty took in them as a major strength of the in stitution. The transition semester at Wichita State allows first semester freshmen to convert their first semester grades into credit or no credit if the student encounters academic difficulty.

Students at Stanford are accepted as full members of the academic community upon admission; they can register for any course of study if they believe they can handle the workload.

Opportunities for Growth. Student leadership positions and other opportunities to participate in the life of the campus are in plentiful supply. Students are encouraged to participate as leaders. During orientation at Iowa State, for example, College Deans make a point of encouraging students to participate in departmental clubs and organizations. If students need help developing their leadership skills, programs are available such as those at UNCC and Iowa State to help them develop these skills.

Clear Expectations. Clear expectations are communicated to students for how to behave on campus; they are held accountable by their peers and institution agents, consistent with the mission of the institution. Students at Grinnell, for example, hold each other accountable for their behavior in the residence halls. Earlham College residence halls embody Quaker values and consensus is sought among all participants in planning activities promulgating rules governing student behavior.

A Final Word

This article has described, in condensed form, elements of the ecology of Involving Colleges. Obviously, much more can be written about how the campus ecology of these fourteen institutions influence student behavior. Readers are encouraged to determine how the ecology of their campuses can be enhanced based on what has been learned about Involving Colleges.

References

Aulepp, L., & Delworth, U. (1976). Training manual for an ecosystem model. Boulder, CO: WICHE.

Blocher, D.H. (1974). Toward an ecology of student development. Personnel and Guidance Journal, 52, 360-365.

Blocher, D.H. (1978). Carnpus learning environments and the ecology of Student development. In J. Banning (ed.) Campus ecology: A perspective for student affairs (pp. 17-23). Cincinnati, OH: NASPA.

Kuh, G.D., Schuh, J.H., Whitt, E. J., Andreas, R.E., Lyons, J.W., Strange, C.C., Krehbiel, L.E., & MacKay, K.A. (1991). Involving colleges: Successful approaches to fostering student learning and developrnent outside the classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Kuh, G.D., Schuh, J.H., and Whitt, EJ. (1991). Some good news about campus life. How "involving colleges" promote learning outside the classroom. Change, 23 (5), 48-55.

Pascarella, E.T., and Terenzini, P.T. (1991). How college affects students. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Sanford, N. (1962). The developmental status of the entering freshman. In Author (ed.), The American college, (pp. 253-282). New York: Wiley.

Walsh, W.B. (1978). Person-environment interaction. In J. Banning (ed.), Campus ecology: A perspective for student affairs, (pp. 6-16), Cincinnati, OH: NASPA.

Western Interstate Cornrnission for Higher Education. (1973). The ecosystern model: Designing campus environments. Boulder, CO: Author.

Editor's Note: John Schuh is Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at Wichita State University, Wichita, Kansas and George Kuh is Professor of Education at the University of Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana. Both authors are frequent and important contributors to the higher education literature.

The College Catalog: A Barometer of Campus Ecology

by Jim Tisdale

An institution's ecology can be surmised from many different indicators: physical layout, general ambience, signage, and landscaping, to mention a few. Publications offer perhaps the most accessible and clear window into the campus environment, none more so than the college catalog.

The catalog is the document that best articulates how an institution sees itself, serving as a promotional piece showing the "best foot forward" to prospective students in addition to laying out rules, regulations, and academic programs.

The first consideration is how the catalog is formatted. Is it organized from the viewpoint of the new student, having a logical sequence of information (e.g., admissions and financial aid information, degree programs, how to register, housing, institutional history, regulations), or does it reflect the belief that the college comes first and the student must adapt (e.g., college history, policies, admissions, registration, degree programs)? Obviously the first format indicates a healthier ecology in which student needs are paramount.

Readability is another factor. Are simple or complex sentences used? Is the language easy to follow or is it more appropriate for a legal brief? Is passive (the royal "we") or active voice used? It is an interesting phenomenon that most colleges feel stilted, convoluted English best conveys institutional integrity, again demonstrating more concern for image than for the student. Colleges with sounder environments strive to orient their catalogs toward the student perspective, realizing that the document's purpose is to convey essential information in a maximally logical and understandable manner.

Catalog photographs offer the third insight into campus ecology. Are pictures primarily of buildings, faculty and senior administrators, or are they mostly of students? Are women, minorities, and international students represented? Are there pictures of college support staff? Do the photos look obviously posed, or do they appear fresh and spontaneous? Answers to thes questions indicate whether or not the institution values diversity, its employees, and whether it is concerned with conveying a feeling of welcome.

An astounding number of colleges spend millions on facilities and athletic teams but skimp on catalog production. This is more than unsound marketing practice - it says "Beware - unhealthy campus ecology" loud and clear.

Editor's Note: Jim Tisdale is Director of Admissions and Records at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Please note the Resource Reference section on page 4 of this newsletter for resources focusing on document analysis.

Resource References: Document Analysis

Allport, G.W. (1942). The use of personal documents in psychological science. Bulletin 49. New York: Social Science Research Council.

Green, M. (1988). Qualitative research and the uses of literature. In R. Sherman and R. Webb (Eds.). Qualitative research in education: Focus and methods (pp. 175-189). New York: The Falmer Press.

Guga, E. (1981). Investigative journalism. In N.L. Smith (Ed.), New techniques for evaluation (pp . 167-262). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.

Guba, E. & Lincoln, Y. (1981). Effective evaluation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Holsti, O.R. (1969). Content analysis for the social sciences and humanities. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Krippendorff, K. (1908). Content analysis. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.

Lincoln, Y. & Guba, E. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Miles, B. & Hubermann, A.M. (1984). Qualitative data analysis: A sourcebook of new methods. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.

Patton, M. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

Rosengren, K. (1981). Advances an content analysis Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.

Tesch, R. (1990). Qualitative research: Analysis types and software tools. New York: The Falmer Press.

Turner, S.P. (1981). Some practical aspects of qualitative data analysis: One way of organizing the cognitive processes associated with the generation of grounded theory. Quality and Quantity 15(3), 225-247.

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