Differential Perceptions of College Environment: Student Personnel Staff and Students

Abstract

The College Characteristics Index was administered to 160 randomly selected students, 15 head residents, and 20 members of the student personnel staff. Considerable disparity in perception of the environment was found among the 3 groups. Generally, students perceived the environment as possessing a greater degree of all the characteristics measured and valued by the academic community (i.e., aspiration level, intellectual climate, and academic achievement) than did the other reference groups. The differences in perceptions suggest that head residents and other student personnel staff may be involved with selected aspects of the campus life and with atypical groups of students.

A Comparison of South‐East Asian and Australian First‐Year Students' Views on University

“…Broady7 has claimed that lack of communication between students and staff exists because both students and staff do not know where their assumptions differ. Ivey et al 8 have used the 'College Characteristics Index' to measure differential perceptions of college environments by staff and students in a residential setting and subsequently suggest the need for more structure in defining certain roles. The need for clarification of role defiJ?itions or perceptions of the university student is obvious.…”