scholarly journals A campus climate survey on diversity and inclusion: a factor analysis

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jeffrey Fischer

In the 12 of 2015, racial tensions on the University of Missouri - Columbia (MU) campus led to the high-profile protest movement Concerned Student 1950, which culminated in the resignations of the university system president and the chancellor of the university (Hoffman and Mitchell, 2016). In the weeks before the resignations, the present researcher and his former classmate, both students at MU, had been constructing a survey to measure the prevailing campus climate perceptions among MU students, faculty and staff as part of a project for an educational and psychological measurement course. The completed survey was approved by the course instructor, reviewed by class members and subsequently administered to 229 individuals, primarily students, in the university student center on December 3, 2015. Preliminary results from the survey were shared in class and were also distributed to two administrators in the inclusion, diversity and equity office and the dean of the university's College of Education. This study examines the psychometric properties of the campus climate survey on diversity and inclusion by conducting a factor analysis on its 16 Likert-scale items and analyzing the factor scores as they relate to participant demographics. Sample data from undergraduate students (n = 215) was utilized in an effort to identify underlying factor structures. Two primary factors emerged from the data: Factor 1, desire for diversity and inclusion initiatives, for which six items were retained, and Factor 2, sense of comfort and belonging, for which three items were retained. Desire for diversity and inclusion initiatives (Factor 1) measures a respondent's desire for a more diverse campus population as well as initiatives to increase cross-cultural experiences and understanding, while sense of comfort and belonging (Factor 2) measures whether an individual enjoys being a student and feels a sense of inclusion and comfort on campus. Internal consistency for the subscale scores was .92 and .73 for Factor 1 and Factor 2, respectively. Internal consistency for the whole scale was .68. Desire for diversity and inclusion initiatives (Factor 1) was higher for students of color than for White students, and it correlated positively with frequency of discrimination or harassment experiences. Sense of comfort and belonging (Factor 2) was lower for students of color than for White students, and it correlated negatively with frequency of discrimination or harassment experiences.

Author(s):  
Kullanun Sripongpun ◽  
Nattanan Saksamrit ◽  
Watcharapong Intarawong ◽  
Pattama Suriyakul Na Ayudhya

Objective - This study aims to extend the brand personality concept by applying this concept to the organization, i.e., the university. Methodology/Technique – A questionnaire was designed based on Aaker (1997)’s 5 dimensions of brand personality scale to collect the data. 400 Thai undergraduate students of Kasetsart University Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Province Campus participated in this study. Participants were first informed of the study description and instructed to think of a university as if it were a person and to rate on a five-point scale (1 = not at all descriptive, 5 = extremely descriptive). In the data analysis, descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were used. Finding – The results from the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with a varimax rotation showed 5 factors of university personality. Factor 1 represents competence dimension having 10 items (successful, leader, technical, corporate, cool, hardworking, secure, spirited, confident and reliable). Factor 2 represents sophistication dimension which had 4 items (glamorous, good looking, smooth and upper class). Factor 3 represents ruggedness dimension which had 5 items (western, tough, masculine, rugged and outdoorsy). Factor 4 represents sincerity dimension which had 2 items (honest and sincere). The last factor was excitement dimension which had only 1 item, imaginative. Furthermore, according to student perspective, the majority of university personality dimensions of Kasetsart University Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Province Campus was ruggedness dimension. Novelty – Research examining the dimensions of organization personality is still scant. To fill the gap, the current study was conducted to demonstrate how the brand personality concept was applicable when the organization was viewed as a brand. Therefore, it is a preliminary step toward such direction to extend and apply the brand personality concept to a new different area. Type of Paper: Empirical. JEL Classification: M10, M19. Keywords: University Personality; University Characteristics; Personality Traits; Brand Personality Concept. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Sripongpun, K; Saksamrit, N; Intarawong, W; Ayudhya, P.S.N. (2021). Investigating University Characteristics on Personality Traits, GATR Global J. Bus. Soc. Sci. Review, 9(1): 58 – 64. https://doi.org/10.35609/gjbssr.2021.9.1(7)


Author(s):  
Shanon Reckinger ◽  
Joseph Bocchino ◽  
Andrew Jackowitz ◽  
John Perry

A team of three mechanical engineering senior undergraduate students and one faculty member designed and installed a rainwater harvesting system in the University’s student center.  After an extensive analysis of the piping system, the team was able to use existing rain leaders and piping to move all the rainwater from the third floor patio to a mechanical room located on the first level of the building.  In the mechanical room, the piping system was redesigned to route the collected water into a large storage tank.  From the tank, the rainwater was pumped into the irrigation line and used to water a large portion of the campus lawns and greenery. In addition, the system incorporated an overflow feature, a drainage line, a new pump, a flow meter to track water usage (which was previously never tracked at the University), a design where regular flushing of the system is automatic, and a maintenance plan.  The harvested rainwater could also potentially be used to fill up the University watering trucks to water the flowers, shrubs, and greenery that covers the 200-acre campus.  Students found that this community-based project opened their eyes to sustainability, the environment, and was rewarding work.  


2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052096714
Author(s):  
Anne Kirkner ◽  
Sara-Beth Plummer ◽  
Patricia A. Findley ◽  
Sarah McMahon

Undergraduate students with disabilities represent an important population on college campuses. Yet the incidence of sexual violence and disclosing/reporting of sexual violence among this population is understudied. This exploratory and largely descriptive study uses an intersectional framework to understand the sexual victimization of undergraduate students with disabilities at a large Mid-Atlantic academic institution. The sample consisted of students who completed a sexual violence module ( N = 2,929) as part of a larger campus climate survey. Students with disabilities comprised a smaller sample within this group ( n = 177) and descriptive and chi-square results from both groups of students are reported. Students with disabilities had a statistically significant higher likelihood of sexual violence victimization before coming to campus and while at the university, with much higher rates for precollege victimization than students with no disabilities. Disclosure rates were not different for students across the two groups, though students with disabilities were more likely to utilize formal sources of support, such as campus Title IX offices and mental health services. This study shows support for a strengths-based approach that recognizes that students with disabilities may be more likely to reach out to campus resources. The findings of the study also underscore the need for culturally relevant victim services for students with disabilities. An evaluation of the culture of a university and its environment of openness, sharing, community, and protection (or lack thereof) can be a key point for future approaches to sexual violence on campus.


1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 116-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Duckitt

Obvious and transparent measures of traditional racism no longer appear to adequately assess anti-black prejudice in more sophisticated samples. This, together with a growing tendency for traditional measures to elicit antagonistic responses from subjects, led in an earlier study to the development and preliminary validation of a South African subtle racism (SR) scale. The current research used a new sample, in which the use of traditional measures of anti-black racism would have been very difficult, to cross-validate the SR scale. It also extended the validation of the SR scale by investigating its association with self-reports of actual interracial behaviour. The findings from 303 white students at the University of the Witwatersrand showed a high level of internal consistency on the SR scale, and a strong correlation with an interracial behavioural intention scale. These findings as well as significant correlations with self-reported interracial behaviour support the validity of the SR scale. Contrary to earlier thinking, the findings also indicate a very powerful relationship between anti-black prejudice and authoritarianism.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Jonathan A. McElderry

Given the low retention and completion rates, research on Black men typically focuses on the problems or barriers they face, even when successful. Rather than focusing on the problems Black men are experiencing, it is important that scholars give attention to those Black men who are succeeding to create a counter narrative to the stereotypical misandry of Black men in our society. These counter narratives remind us that Black men can and do succeed, which is a truth not often heard. The current research identifies concepts in this literature that serve as hermeneutics to examine counter narratives of student departure. The theoretical frameworks used throughout this study are theories of masculinity and Tinto's (1993) theory of student departure, which were used to examine the experiences of Black, male, third and fourth year undergraduate students who entered college without declaring a major and have persisted at a large, public, predominately White institution in the Midwest (The University of Missouri or Mizzou). Seven students were recruited through purposeful sampling and participated in a three interview sequence model (Seidman, 1998). From this, five overarching themes developed. (1) Peer pressure, external influences, and institutional support; (2) Finding an academic path; (3) Black Mizzou; and (4) Establishing identity. Within the context of the study, a conclusion, recommendations for research, and implications for practice were discussed.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panwen Zhang ◽  
Zirong Ouyang ◽  
Shulin Fang ◽  
Jiayue He ◽  
Lejia Fan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Brief Form (PID-5-BF) is a 25-item measuring tool evaluating maladaptive personality traits for diagnosis of personality disorders(PDs). As a promising scale, its impressive psychometric properties has been verified in some countries, however, there has no studies about the utility of PID-5-BF in Chinese settings. The current study aimed to examine cultural applicability of the Chinese version of PID-5-BF among undergraduate students and clinical patients.Methods: 7155 undergraduate students and 302 clinical patients completed the Chinese version of PID-5-BF. 228 students were chosen randomly for test-retest reliability at a 4-week interval. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to discover the most suitable construct in Chinese, measurement invariance(MI), internal consistency and external validity were also calculated. Results: An exploratory six-factor model was supported more suitable in both samples(Undergraduate sample: CFI = 0.905, TLI = 0.888, RMSEA = 0.044, SRMR = 0.039; Clinical sample: CFI = 0.904, TLI = 0.886, RMSEA = 0.044, SRMR = 0.063), adding a new factor“Interpersonal Relationships”. Measurement invariance across non-clinical and clinical sample was established(configural, weak, strong MI, and partial strict MI). Aside from acceptable internal consistency(Undergraduate sample: alpha=0.84, MIC=0.21; Clinical sample: alpha=0.82, MIC=0.16) and test-retest reliability(0.73), the association with 220-item PID-5 was significant(r = 0.93, p < 0.01), and six PDs measured by Personality diagnostic questionnaire-4+ (PDQ-4+) was correlated with expected domains of PID-5-BF. Conclusions: The Chinese version of the PID-5-BF showed satisfactory psychometric properties, which is a convenient and useful screening tool for personality disorders.


2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Lynn M. (Lynn Marie) Boorady

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] This study concerns itself with evaluating the effectiveness of teaching a visual topic, such as patternmaking, via a computer. The visual topic being explored, patternmaking, was taught to three levels of undergraduate students at different universities in the Midwest. This paper discusses the outcomes of patternmaking being taught in a traditional lecture style and compares it to the same instruction received through a computer-based animation program. It was found that the most difference in learning outcomes was within the subject groups in the lowest educational level. There was no difference found in the outcomes between the two higher educational level groups. Attributes of the subject groups which may account for the success of this style of learning include prior experience in sewing complete garments and overall GPA. Additional research and improvements to the animation is discussed. Suggestions are made on how to utilize web-based learning in the design curriculum.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 867-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teri A. Kirby ◽  
Joshua A. Tabak ◽  
Maria Ilac ◽  
Sapna Cheryan

In four experiments, students read that their university was creating either an ethnic space (a space geared to people of particular ethnic groups) or a general space for students. In an internal meta-analysis, underrepresented students of color ( N = 205), but not White students ( N = 760), who read about the ethnic space reported greater belonging, value of underrepresented students by the university, support, and academic engagement compared to those who read about a general space. Ethnic spaces may hold broader psychological significance than that of mere gathering places, improving outcomes even for those who do not frequently use them. Creating ethnic spaces may be one strategy for making university environments more welcoming for underrepresented students of color.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panwen Zhang ◽  
Zirong Ouyang ◽  
Shulin Fang ◽  
Jiayue He ◽  
Lejia Fan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Brief Form (PID-5-BF) is a 25-item measuring tool evaluating maladaptive personality traits for diagnosis of personality disorders(PDs). As a promising scale, its impressive psychometric properties has been verified in some countries, however, there has no studies about the utility of PID-5-BF in Chinese settings. The current study aimed to examine cultural applicability of the Chinese version of PID-5-BF among undergraduate students and clinical patients.Methods: 7155 undergraduate students and 451 clinical patients completed the Chinese version of PID-5-BF. 228 students were chosen randomly for test-retest reliability at a 4-week interval. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to discover the most suitable construct in Chinese, measurement invariance(MI), internal consistency and external validity were also calculated. Results: An exploratory six-factor model was supported more suitable in both samples(Undergraduate sample: CFI = 0.905, TLI = 0.888, RMSEA = 0.044, SRMR = 0.039; Clinical sample: CFI = 0.904, TLI = 0.886, RMSEA = 0.047, SRMR = 0.060), adding a new factor“Interpersonal Relationships”. Measurement invariance across non-clinical and clinical sample was established(configural, weak, strong MI, and partial strict MI). Aside from acceptable internal consistency(Undergraduate sample: alpha=0.84, MIC=0.21; Clinical sample: alpha=0.86, MIC=0.19) and test-retest reliability(0.73), the association with 220-item PID-5 was significant(r = 0.93, p < 0.01), and six PDs measured by Personality diagnostic questionnaire-4+ (PDQ-4+) was correlated with expected domains of PID-5-BF. Conclusions: The Chinese version of the PID-5-BF showed satisfactory psychometric properties, which is a convenient and useful screening tool for personality disorders.


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