A comparison of college image held by students versus faculty using student criteria
Abstract
The problem for this study was to statistically compare the image held by students and faculty using student-developed criteria. The purpose was to develop a descriptive model for image assessment, including designing an instrument using student criteria for the assessment of college image, assessing the image of a college by both students and faculty using that instrument and testing the null hypothesis—there is no significant difference between the overall score or area-by-area scores of image held by the faculty versus the student body.
This study required two separate research procedures. The first was utilized to design the instrument which evaluated the college image. The instrument, a thirty-eight statement Image Questionnaire, was developed from criteria obtained from 150 students. Those students were from systematically selected undergraduate classes who were requested to respond to fourteen areas listed on an open-ended survey. A five-choice answer questionnaire was developed which included the ten areas most responded to by students. The ten areas were: student activities, student body, student conduct, physical facilities, administration, academic standards, faculty, staff, availability of counseling services, and staff attitude. One additional area, general perception, was added by the researcher.
The second procedure required sampling the student body and faculty. From the student population, a 10 percent sample, 245, was selected by systematic sampling, of which 85.3 percent returned a completed Questionnaire. Students were classified by the following seven demographic variables: sex, age, commuter status, school enrolled, class level, if handicapped-condition, and early or late respondent.
The faculty population had at least one-half of their assignment as teaching a college course. From that population, a 50 percent sample, 119, was selected by systematic sampling, of which 92.4 percent returned a completed Questionnaire.
To determine which image each sample held, the percent of responses to each statement was calculated. To determine whether a significant difference of image was held between samples, the chi-square test of independence and the probability level were calculated. The level of significance for this study was set at .05.
To determine whether there was a significant difference for each of the eleven areas of image, the probability level of all statements that evaluated each area was compared. If the difference for a majority of statements that evaluated an area was significant, the difference of image held by the two samples for that area was evaluated as significant. The same procedure was used for each of the seven demographic variables for students. Based upon the data obtained and analyzed in this study, the following is a partial listing of conclusions which appear warranted:
There was a significant difference of image held by students versus faculty for approximately three out of four statements on the Questionnaire.
There was a significant difference of image held by students versus faculty for all areas of image except student conduct and staff attitude.
The evidence from this study indicates that, on the whole, faculty do not influence student held image.
The commuter status of students appears to be the only discriminate demographic variable for evaluating college image held by students.
“Image” as evaluated by this study was qualitatively measured since the five-choice of answers used on the Questionnaire constituted an ordinal scale. Additionally there is considerably evidence to indicate that college can not be empirically measured. Image can be evaluated only specific population to a specific aspect of college life.
