AbstractsEducation Research & Administration

The purpose of this study was to compare the perceptions of the university environment of four selected groups of residence hall students at Oregon State University: male elected residence hall leaders (N -52), male non-leader residence hall students (N-52), female elected residence hall leaders (N-53), and female non-leader residence hall students (N-53). Since the intent of the study was to compare the perceptions of the university environment between elected residence hall leaders and non-leader residence hall students, the non-leader groups were selected to resemble the leader groups on the factors of sex, cumulative grade point average, school of enrollment, class standing, and chronological age. The participants in the study completed the College and University Environment Scales during a two-week period early in the fall term 1969. All of the students contacted to take part in the study returned the coLlIleted instrument. This standardized instrument consists of the following five scales plus two subscales: (1) Practicality, (2) Community, (3) Awareness, (4) Propriety, (5) Scholarship; subscales, (1) Campus morale, (2) Quality of teaching and faculty relationships. Null hypotheses stating that no significant differences would appear between the groups compared were tested. The following comparisons were made: (1) elected leaders (male and female combined) with non-leaders (male and female combined); (2) male elected leaders with male non- leaders; (3) female elected leaders with female nonleaders; (4) male elected leaders with female elected leaders; (5) male non-leaders with female non-leaders; (6) male residence hall students (leaders and non-leaders) with female residence hall students (leaders and nonleaders combined). For each pair of groups, differences between means were tested using the "Students t test" with the .05 and .01 levels of significance being accepted as indicating degrees of confidence that differences were real. From the findings of this study the following conclusions were drawn: 1. It can be concluded that residence hall female leader and residence hall female non-leader students generally have similar perceptions of the university environment, and that residence hall female students in general have a more congruent view of the university environment than residence hall male students. 2. It was concluded that sex differences have a greater influence on the residence hall students' perception of the university environment than does the leadership factor. 3. It was concluded that non-leader male residence hall students in general seem to have a more negative view of the perceived campus environment than the other groups. However, male residence hall students who attain positions of leadership have a more positive perception of the university environment than the non-leader male group.