Bargenquast, Rebecca (2008) Student and Staff Perceptions of Campus Social Climate: The University of Southern Queensland Springfield Campus. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Campus social climate has been found to impact the university experience of both students and staff. For students, negative perceptions of campus social climate have been associated with decreased academic achievement, satisfaction, and retention. For staff, negative perceptions of campus social climate contribute to decreased productivity and job satisfaction. Measurements of campus social climate provide administrators with information necessary to minimise staff and student attrition, whilst enhancing the student experience and staff job satisfaction. The present study investigated student and staff perceptions of the social climate at the University of Southern Queensland Springfield campus. The study aimed to establish whether differences existed in perceptions of campus social climate based on gender, cultural identification, and campus role (student vs. staff). A total of 34 students and 15 staff from various faculties at the University of Southern Queensland Springfield campus responded to Moos’ (1988) University Residence Environment Scale, which was adapted to measure campus social climate at an Australian university. Results revealed differences in student and staff perceptions of campus social climate at the Springfield campus. Staff perceived the campus social climate to be more supportive, genuine, and caring than students. Gender and cultural identification were not found to impact perceptions of campus social climate. Conclusions were limited by the relatively small sample size, particularly in regards to the number of responses from staff, male, and ethnic minority participants. Alternative methods of recruitment and data collection are recommended for future research into the campus social climate at the University of Southern Queensland Springfield campus, along with longitudinal studies to monitor trends arising from specific interventions targeting perceptions of campus social climate.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Sciences - Department of Psychology (Up to 30 Jun 2013) |
| Supervisors: | Kate Lemerle |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 19 Aug 2025 00:58 |
| Last Modified: | 19 Aug 2025 00:58 |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52142 |
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