Campus climate

Campus climate refers to current dimensions of climate in the campus community in higher education institutions.^[1] According to one definition offered by Jeni Hart and Jennifer Fellabaum, the dimensions of climate could refer to views, attitudes, psychology, behaviors, standards, perceptions and expectations.^[2] Campus community could refer to employees such as faculty, staff, administrators, and students, individually or as a group.^[2] Campus climate is often contrasted with campus culture. While climate and culture are sometimes used interchangeably, some authors mention overlaps while others define clear boundaries between the two.^[2]^[3]

Definitions and descriptions

Huston Smith (1955) wrote that the "atmosphere" and "environment" of a college affects everyone that is a part of it, making an educational institute more than a group of students, employees and buildings.^[4] Early attempts at measuring campus climate (culture, atmosphere, environment) include assessments and indexes created by John L. Holland & Alexander Astin (1961), and George G. Stern & C. Robert Pace (1962).^[5] More recently, climate has been understood to represent an "immeasurable construct".^[6] Hart & Fellabaum (2008) studied 118 campus climate papers and identified a number of definitions and measurement efforts.^[7]

The major features of climate are (1) its primary emphasis on common participant views of a wide array of organizational phenomena that allow for comparison among groups or over time, (2) its focus on current patterns of beliefs and behaviors, and (3) its often ephemeral or malleable character
— Peterson & Spencer (1990), ^[2]^[8]

The collective, mutually shaping patterns of institutional history, mission, physical settings, norms, traditions, values, practices, beliefs, and assumptions that guide the behavior of individuals and groups in an institution of higher education which provide a frame of reference for interpreting the meanings of events and actions on and off campus
— Kuh & Hall (1993), ^[9]

The current attitudes, behaviors, and standards and practices of employees and students of an institution [...] that concern the access for, inclusion of, and level of respect for individual and group needs, abilities, and potential
— Rankin & Reason (2008), ^[10]

Climate is a broad concept however often used in a narrower and more concentrated manner.^[11] Conceptual framework for campus climate has developed to include the history of the educational institute, capacity to handle diversity, and psychological and behavioral climate.^[12]

Faculty role in campus climate

Women colleges and universities around the world provide a friendly and "warm" to "neutral" climate.^[13] Campus climate at women's colleges for female faculty is more conducive than at coeducational institutions.^[14] The climate situation in coeducational settings for female faculty is similar to the situation for female students, say with regard to male privilege.^[15] Intellectual inbreeding in China, Japan and Korea is affected by the old boy networks; in this respect women colleges and universities provide opportunities which coeducational institutions do not.^[16]

Research from around the world

Campus climate in Brazil

A study conducted at Federal University of Bahia observed that a number of campus climate variables affected students in general, and more importantly variables that went on to affect their interaction with their academic life and retention.^[17] This includes identity, teaching and faculty interactions.^[17]

Campus climate in India

One of the first studies in India which included the aspect of campus climate was conducted in the University of Pune from 2013 onwards.^[18]^[19] The study found that faculty demographics and student demographics has changed unequally and this has a significant factor of campus climate.^[20] The study also revealed changing gender patterns which also have implications for campus climate.^[20] Changes in the gender gap include increased access to higher education for women from "relatively privileged backgrounds" and males from "disadvantaged backgrounds".^[20] This kind of changing social dynamic has resulted in observations such as men reporting experiencing more discrimination than women.^[20] Low empathy, low tolerance and low argumentation skills were observed.^[20]

Campus climate in Turkey

Gunuc & Artun et al. (2019) conducted a campus climate study of 26 universities in Turkey covering all the geographic regions of the country.^[21] The study found that the correlation between student engagement and campus climate along with certain other variables was significant.^[21]

Campus climate in United States

Climate for free speech in US campuses has been studied. More than half of college students self-censor themselves and there is a large variation between institutions with regard to free speech.^[22]^[23]^[24] There is a discussion about cancel culture and wokeness on the left.^[25]^[26] Campus climate is an important factor that affects decisions to seek out mental health services for mental health issues.^[27]

References

^ Hart & Fellabaum 2008, p. 223, "The term campus climate has become commonplace within higher education".
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Hart & Fellabaum 2008, p. 223.
^ Miller 2014, p. 183.
^ Schoen 1966, p. 3.
^ Schoen 1966, p. 3-4.
^ Rankin & Reason 2008, p. 263, climate is normally understood to be an immeasurable construct composed of multiple items.
^ Miller 2014, p. 186.
^ Miller 2014, p. 184.
^ Childs 2015, p. 27.
^ Rankin & Reason 2008, p. 264.
^ Peterson & Spencer 1990, p. 8.
^ Souza, Veiga Simão & Ferreira 2019, p. 1196.
^ Renn 2014, p. 74.
^ Renn 2014, p. 71-72.
^ Renn 2014, p. 72-73.
^ Renn 2014, p. 73.
^ ^a ^b Childs 2015, p. 122.
^ "UMass Amherst Professor of Education Shares Research on Inclusive Universities at International Symposium in India". University of Massachusetts Amherst. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
^ "'Inclusive Universities Project' Unites UMass Amherst and University of Pune in Boosting Higher Ed Access". News & Media Relations. University of Massachusetts Amherst. 12 September 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Trivedi, Divya (30 March 2018). "Inclusive universities". Frontline. The Hindu Group. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
^ ^a ^b Gunuc, Selim; Artun, Huseyin; Yigit, Emrullah; Keser, Hafize (2022) [2019]. "Examining the Relationship Between Student Engagement and Campus Climate: A Case in Turkey". Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice. 23 (4): 1099–1119. doi:10.1177/1521025119894579. ISSN 1521-0251. S2CID 213175174.
^ "Campus Free Speech Climate". College Pulse. 29 September 2020.
^ Stevens, Sean (15 May 2020). "Campus-specific analyses of the climate for free expression reveal stark differences between schools". Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
^ Anderson, Greta (29 April 2020). "Survey Identifies 'Dangerous' Student Self-Censorship". Inside Higher Ed.
^ Marchese, David (2 May 2022). "Why Critics of Angry Woke College Kids Are Missing the Point". The New York Times Magazine.
^ Abrams, Samuel J. (3 October 2021). "How did universities get so woke? Look to the administrators | Opinion". Newsweek.
^ Stein, Bradley D.; Sontag-Padilla, Lisa; Ashwood, J. Scott; Woodbridge, Michelle W.; Eberhart, Nicole K.; May, Libby; Seelam, Rachana; Briscombe, Brian; Mendelsohn, Joshua; D'Amico, Elizabeth J.; Osilla, Karen Chan (2016). "Campus Climate Matters: Changing the Mental Health Climate on College Campuses Improves Student Outcomes and Benefits Society". RAND Corporation. Santa Monica, CA.

Works cited

(Sorted by year)

Schoen, Walter T. (1966). "The Campus Climate: Student Perception and Faculty Idealism". The Journal of Educational Research. 60 (1): 3–7. doi:10.1080/00220671.1966.10883420. ISSN 0022-0671. JSTOR 27531787.
Peterson, Marvin W; Spencer, Melinda G (Winter 1990). "Understanding Academic Culture and Climate". New Directions for Institutional Research. 1990 (68): 3–18. doi:10.1002/ir.37019906803.
Kuh, G. D.; Hall, J. E. (1993). "Using cultural perspectives in student affairs". In Kuh, G. D. (ed.). Cultural perspectives in student affairs work. Lanham, MD: American College Personnel Association.
Hart, Jeni; Fellabaum, Jennifer (2008). "Analyzing campus climate studies: Seeking to define and understand". Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. 1 (4): 222–234. doi:10.1037/a0013627. ISSN 1938-8934.
Rankin, Susan; Reason, Robert (2008). "Transformational Tapestry Model: A comprehensive approach to transforming campus climate". Journal of Diversity in Higher Education. 1 (4): 262–274. doi:10.1037/a0014018. ISSN 1938-8934.
Miller, Ryan A. (2014). "An Overview of Campus Climate: Dimensions of Diversity in Higher Education". Texas Education Review. 2 (2): 184–190. doi:10.15781/T2HT2GH3Q.
Renn, Kristen A. (2014). Women's Colleges and Universities in a Global Context. JHU Press. ISBN 978-1-4214-1477-5.
Childs, Porsha Yasmin (2015). Factors affecting the academic achievement and persistence of quota students in STEM: A case study of a public in Brazil (Thesis). University of Maryland.
Souza, Sidclay Bezerra de; Veiga Simão, Ana Margarida; Ferreira, Paula da Costa (2019). "Campus climate: The role of teacher support and cultural issues". Journal of Further and Higher Education. 43 (9): 1196–1211. doi:10.1080/0309877X.2018.1467387. ISSN 0309-877X. S2CID 149475631.