Date

12-7-2023

Department

School of Education

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Chair

Maryna Svirska-Otero

Keywords

sense of community, cultural events, dual-mission university, COVID-19, Sense of Community Index-2

Disciplines

Education | Educational Psychology

Abstract

The purpose of this quantitative predictive correlational study was to determine how accurately a sense of community (the criterion variable) can be predicted from cultural event attendance (predictor variable) for undergraduate students at a dual-mission university, post-COVID. This study is grounded in the Sense of Community Theory and is significant to students and other higher education stakeholders in determining where to focus efforts regarding student involvement that promotes a sense of community. This research utilized the Sense of Community Index-2 to gather data through a convenience sampling method, recruiting 84 participants from a large dual-mission university in the western United States. The results of a bivariate regression revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between cultural event attendance and students’ perceived sense of community. The findings suggest that each additional event attended per semester is associated with an estimated 2.84-point increase in students' sense of community score. While the pandemic and the evolving nature of higher education have presented numerous challenges to students’ sense of community, this research strongly establishes on-campus cultural events as a pivotal community-building mechanism, and a practical method for increasing students’ sense of community within the contemporary higher education setting. The research includes limitations and implications of the findings, along with suggestions for prospective research endeavors.

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