A comparison between Lumbee Indian commuting students, non-Indian dormitory students, and non-Indian commuting students in terms of their perceptions of the college environment

The problem of this study was to determine if the perceptions of the college environment reported. by Lumbee Indian commuting students, Non-Indian dormitory students, and Non-Indian commuting students were significantly different. The subjects for the study were 150 full-time students; second semester sophomores, juniors, and seniors attending, Pembroke State University during the spring semester of 1972. The selection consisted of 50 members from each group, stratified according to sex.

C. Robert Pace's instrument, the College and University. Environment Scales, which entails perceptions by students of their college environment was used for this investigation.

Mean scores of the three sample groups were compared by factorial analysis of variance on each of the five CUES II scales. Since significant differences at the .05 level of confidence were found among the groups on three of the five scales, Tukey's tests were applied to determine the source of these differences.

The results showed that Lumbee Indian commuting students viewed their college as a place where both vocational and collegiate emphases are stressed. They reported that a kind of orderly supervision is evident in the administration and classwork. The Lumbees also felt that there were some personal benefits and prestige to be obtained by operating in the system - knowing the right people, being in the right clubs, becoming a leader, and respecting one's superiors. The environment, though structured, was not perceived as being repressive. Non-Indian commuting students felt a need for increased personal status, practical benefits, procedures, and organization. Non-Indian dormitory students did not have mean scores significantly different from either of the other sample groups.

Non-Indian dormitory students saw their college as emphasizing competitively high academic achievement and a serious interest in scholarship. They reported that the pursuit of knowledge and theories, scientific or philosophical, is carried. on rigorously and vigorously. Non-Indian dormitory students, in other words, perceived the college as being more difficult academically than Lumbee Indian commuting students. Non-Indian commuting students did not have mean scores significantly different from either of the other sample groups.

Male students gave a higher rating on the Scholarship Scale than female students. They reported that emphasis is placed on competitively high achievement and an interest in scholarship.

Even though the main effects on the Community Scale were not significantly different, there was evidence of significant interaction among the groups. Groups having significantly lower scores, reported that there is a feeling of group welfare and group loyalty that encompasses the college as a whole. The atmosphere is congenial; the campus is a community. They also reported that faculty members know the students, are interested in their problems, and go out of their way to be helpful. Those students having higher mean scores reported that student life is characterized by privacy and cool detachment: rather than togetherness and sharing.

Following is a summary of the results:

1. Indian female students who commute, scored. significantly higher than Non-Indian female students who live in the dormitory.

2. Non-Indian male students who commute, scored significantly higher than Non-Indian female students who live in the dormitory.

3. Non-Indian male students living; in the dormitory, scored significantly higher than Non-Indian female students who live in the dormitory.

4. Indian male students who commute, scored significantly higher than Non-Indian female students who live in the dormitory.

5. Non-Indian male students who commute, scored significantly higher than Non-Indian female students living in the dormitory.

6. Indian male students who commute, scored significantly higher than female students who commute.

7. Non-Indian female students who commute, scored significantly higher than Indian female students who commute.

8. Non-Indian female students who commute, scored significantly higher than Non-Indian male commuting students.

All other possible comparisons were not significant.

The report on this study also included limitations on the applicability of the findings, and recommendations for further research.