Term of Award

Spring 2025

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

Document Type and Release Option

Dissertation (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Leadership, Technology, and Human Development

Committee Chair

Juliann Sergi McBrayer

Committee Member 1

Steven Tolman

Committee Member 2

Antonio P. Gutierrez de Blume

Abstract

Student centers are more than physical structures as they function as dynamic environments that serve as the hearthstone of campus, providing spaces for students to gather, connect, and engage. However, their role in fostering students’ sense of community remains underexplored. Grounded in campus ecology theory, this study explored whether time spent in the student center and specific forms of interaction predicted students’ sense of community. A quantitative survey design was employed, the Student Center and Sense of Community Intersection Survey (SCSCIS), to assess student center usage and perceived sense of community. Results indicated that time spent in the student center does not significantly predict a sense of community, reinforcing that presence alone is insufficient to foster community. However, student employment emerged as the strongest predictor of a strong sense of community, suggesting that structured engagement is more impactful than casual participation. Additionally, students who more strongly agreed that the student center fosters community reported a lower overall sense of community, suggesting they seek these spaces to build, rather than affirm community. These findings highlight the institutional responsibility to design student centers as active hubs of social integration. Expanding student employment, optimizing space design, and fostering programmatic engagement can enhance community-building efforts.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

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