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Campus Climate, Diversity, and Educational Benefits

***** New Insights from Recent Research

New Directions for Institutional Research,Spring 2010, Vol. 145

Session # 563

Panelists

Nick Bowman, Notre Dame University (not present)Steven Chatman, University of California-BerkeleySerge Herzog, University of Nevada-RenoBerkeley Miller, San Francisco State UniversityRyan Padgett, The University of IowaSutee Sujitparapitaya, San Jose State University

AIR Forum 2010Chicago, IL, May 29 – June 2

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Presentation Outline• Introduction (Herzog)

• Working with Large-Scale Climate Surveys (Chatman)

• Campus Climate at a Racially Mixed Institution (Miller, Sujitparapitaya)

• Gauging Freshmen Cognitive Development (Herzog)

• Impact of College Student Socialization, Social Class, and Race on Need for Cognition (Padgett)

• Q & A

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Working with Large-Scale Climate Surveys: Reducing Data Complexity to Gain New Insights

Dr. Steve Chatman, SERU / UCUES Project Director

Office of Student Research / Office of Planning and Analysis/ Center for Studies in Higher Education

UC Berkeley

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SERU US Consortium Members 2010

University of California System

Berkeley

Davis

Irvine

Los Angeles

Merced

Riverside

San Diego

Santa Barbara

Santa Cruz

Rutgers University

University of Florida

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

University of Minnesota

University of Oregon

University of Pittsburgh

University of Texas – Austin

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Figure 3: Family Income

<$10K

$10-$19.9K

$20-$34.9K

$50-$64.9K

$35-$49.9K

$65-$79.9K

$80-$99.9K

$100-$124.9K

$125-$149.9K

$150-$199.9K

$200 - Up

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Figure 5: Academic Disciplinary Code

Interdisciplinary

Psychology

Social Sciences

Fine Arts

Letters

Foreign Language

Public Administration

Communication/Journalism

Biological Sciences

Business/Management

Agriculture & Natural Resources

Math & Computer Science

Physical Sciences

Engineering

Area & Ethnic Studies

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Campus Climate in the 21st Century: Estimating Perceptions of Discrimination at a Racially Mixed

Institution, 1994-2006

Berkeley Miller, Ph.D.

Director of Academic Institutional Research

San Francisco State University

Sutee Sujitparapitaya, Ph.D.

Associate Vice President of Institutional Research

San Jose State University

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Campus Climate Research

• Minority students persist and graduate at lower levels than White

– Lower college aspirations

– Less academic preparation

– Lower incomes; insufficient financial aid

– Prejudice and discrimination

• Many studies find that minorities experience discriminatory behavior at higher rates than White students, which may account for higher drop-out rates among minorities

• Solution: Increase minority enrollments

• Research Question 1: Do minorities experience the same level of discrimination in racially mixed institutions (RMI)?

• Research Question 2: Do students who experience discrimination drop-out at higher rates than students who do not experience such discrimination?

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Research• Nearly all campus climate studies have been conducted on

predominantly White campuses

• What about racially-mixed campuses?

– Study campus: Whites declined from 40.5% in 1994 to 27.8% in 2006; Asians/PIs, Hispanics, & nonresident aliens increased considerably

– Student Needs and Priorities Survey (SNAPS) administered in 1994, 1999, & 2006

– Respondents: 2,282 (1994=851; 1999=796; 2006=635)

– Asked how frequently respondents experienced insensitive behavior or remarks focused on

• Race or ethnicity, Gender, Sexual orientation

• Age, Disability, Learning difficulties

• Religion, Language14

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Previous Research: Nine CSU Campuses

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0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

30%-39% 40%-49% 50%-59% 70%-79

Chart 2: Racially Insensitive Behavior by Percent White Students on Campus

Detailed Racial/Ethnic Groups

African American

Mexican Amer

Other Latino

Asian

Filipino

Other Race

White

Current Research: Insensitive Behavior

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Attributes 1994 1999 2006 Avg.

One or more forms 42.1% 44.8% 45.6% 44.0%

Language 21.9% 23.8% 19.6% 22.0%

Race/Ethnicity 20.6% 18.2% 15.4% 18.4%

Gender 18.1% 16.6% 12.4% 16.1%

Sexual Orientation 11.9% 15.4% 12.6% 13.3%

Religion 9.9% 10.7% 14.1% 11.3%

Learning Difficulties 9.2% 11.4% 9.3% 10.0%

Age 9.6% 10.6% 9.1% 9.8%

Disability 5.1% 6.4% 5.6% 5.7%

Experience or Witness Insensitive Behavior, 1994-2006

Occasionally or Frequently

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Not Just About Race

• Campus climate literature focuses almost exclusively on racial/ethnic discrimination; need to look more broadly

• Literature also assumes minority experiences will improve as minority enrollments expand

• These orientations and assumptions are not supported in this and

previous research conducted by us

• What about links between discrimination, satisfaction, and drop-out behavior?

– Multiple regression found that students who experienced insensitive behavior were less satisfied with their college experience, BUT

– Logistic regression found no relationship with one-semester

retention or graduation over seven years

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Conclusions

• A discriminatory/hostile environment is incompatible with learning and the free exchange of ideas minorities

• So there is need for additional campus climate research

– Expand the focus beyond/race ethnicity

– Longitudinal studies to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, perceived discriminatory behavior impacts persistence

– Explore other consequences of perceived discriminatory behavior

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Assessing Learning, Interpersonal Development Among Diverse Students

• Examine differences in correspondence between self-reported and longitudinal gains across race, gender, social class, and academic ability (by Nicholas Bowman, University of Notre Dame)– Data from Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts

Education survey (19 colleges/universities, private/public, 4-/2-years; N= 3,081 weighted), including CAAP and DIT2 to gauge objectively growth in critical thinking/moral reasoning versus self-reported perceptions with M-GUDS

• Findings– Freshmen are largely unable to accurately estimate their

cognitive growth and interpersonal development (r = -.03 to .22), regardless of background

– First-generation and lower-achieving students estimate more accurately, black students show the lowest correlation btw self-reported and longitudinal data (see Sidanius et al. 2008; Massey 2006; Steinberg, 1996)

Effect of Compositional and Curricular Diversity on Freshmen Success (Herzog, Univ. of Nevada-Reno)

• Examine classroom racial makeup and enrollment in ‘diversity’ courses with actual enrollment records vis-à-vis first-year GPA and fall-to-fall retention– Data from public research university (Ǿ ACTC =22; N=

2,801 or 93% of fall 04/05 pop.; 69% white, 12% unknown race; Ǿ classroom minority/Asian = 11%/8%, max = 26%/20%; 20% took diversity course)

– Control variables: Gender, race, parent income, residency radius, academic prep index, ACT/SAT test date, living on-campus, campus employment, use of recfacilities, Ǿ class grade, I/W/D/F grades, science courses, adjunct faculty, 15/+ sem credits, TR credits, undeclared major, Ǿ room size, financial aid (type, unmet need $)

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Effect of Compositional and Curricular Diversity on Freshmen Success

• Findings from regression models– Effect of classroom diversity on GPA is negligible (1% point ↑

in non-Asian minorities → .02 GPA ↓)– Effect of classroom diversity on retention is mixed (1% point

↑ in non-Asian minorities → their retention 3% ↑, but non-locals 1.5% ↓, no general effect)

– Well prepared students (top Q) benefit from foreign student classmates (1% point ↑ → retention 6% ↑)

– Effect of curricular diversity on low-income student is significant: ‘Diversity’ course enrollment → retention 16% ↓

• Model fit: VIF < 3.2; adj R2= .54• Variable selection, parameter specification,

interaction terms, covariates, nature of measurement all matter

• Little corroboration of previous studies– See also literature review of peer-reviewed study at Educational

Working Paper Archives, Dept of Edu Reform, U. of Arkansas

The Impact of College Student Socialization, Social Class, and Race on Need for Cognition(Ryan Padgett, University of Iowa)

• Socialization– Brim’s (1966) definition: The process by which persons

acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that make them more or less effective members of their society.

• Weidman (1989) and SES factors– Pre-college background characteristics that should be

accounted for when conducting college impact research.– On-going socialization that affects how students experience

college.– Research on student experiences and college outcomes

rarely include SES as a socializing influence (Walpole, 2007).

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The Impact of College Student Socialization, Social Class, and Race on Need for Cognition

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Media Coverage

• Chronicle of Higher Education http://chronicle.com/article/Much-Research-on-Campus/65051/?sid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

• Center for the American University http://www.mindingthecampus.com/forum/2010/05/a_down_side_of_racial_awarenes.html

___________________________Link to presentation:

http://www.cis.unr.edu/IA_Web/research.aspx