Sense of Community in the Campus Recreation Setting: Fostering Community as a Strategy for Student Retention

Abstract

Institutions of higher education invest significant amounts of money building state-of-the-art campus recreation facilities in an environment where student fees and debt are increasing, while graduation and retention are declining. This contradictory environment places large investments at the forefront of scrutiny by higher education decision makers. However, this thesis supports the need for campus recreation centers on university campuses through recognizing the important role campus recreation centers play in building community and aiding in social integration among students. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of campus recreation in fostering a sense of community and the relationship between that sense of community and student persistence. Utilizing a mixed methods research approach from 141 student surveys at a higher education institution in the mid-Atlantic, results indicate a positive correlation between usage of campus recreation facilities and psychological sense of community in campus recreation student users. Results of this study do not support the notion that a higher psychological sense of community is related to student achievement or student persistence. However, additional research is necessary to further solidify these explore these relationships. The current study supports campus recreation as a critical aspect of the campus environment and a place where students reap a variety of benefits (e.g., physically, mentally, and socially).