EXPECTATIONS OF ENTERING AND PERCEPTIONS OF UPPERCLASS STUDENTS REGARDING PSYCHOLOGICAL CLIMATE AT A PROTESTANT UNIVERSITY

The purpose of this study was to determine differences, if any, among samples of incoming first-year and returning upperclass Baptist and non-Baptist students as to their expectations and perceptions of the University of Richmond campus psychological climate, as assessed by the College and University Environment Scales, Second Edition (CUES II). CUES II measures seven aspects of the campus psychological environment which are: Practicality, Scholarship, Community, Awareness, Propriety, Campus Morale, and Quality of Teaching and Faculty-Student Relationship. It also provides for eliciting responses to local option items to provide feedback on matters of specific local interest and importance. Six such items were added to the body of regular CUES II items. CUES II was administered at the University of Richmond in August 1979 to 200 students who were randomly selected in four respondent categories: (1) incoming Baptist, N = 50; (2) incoming non-Baptist, N = 50; (3) upperclass Baptist, N = 50; and (4) upperclass non-Baptist, N = 50. Three hypotheses concerning differences in expectations of Baptist and non-Baptist incoming students, perceptions of Baptist and non-Baptist upperclass students, and expectations of incoming Baptist students and perceptions of upperclass Baptist students were postulated. The significance of these differences was established through the statistic, multiple analysis of variance. The .05 level of significance was selected as the standard above and below which the hypotheses were confirmed or rejected. Within the general limitations of this study, the conclusions which follow seem to be warranted by the findings: (1) It was found that there are no significant differences in the expectations of incoming Baptist and non-Baptist students regarding the psychological climate of the University of Richmond as assessed by CUES II. It is concluded, therefore, that Baptist religious preference of students at the University of Richmond is not a differentiating factor in their environmental expectations. (2) It was found that there are no significant differences in the perceptions of upperclass Baptist and non-Baptist students regarding the psychological climate of the University of Richmond as assessed by CUES II. It is concluded, therefore, that Baptist religious preference of students at the University of Richmond is not a differentiating factor in their environmental perceptions. (3) It was found that there are significant differences in the expectations of incoming Baptist students and the perceptions of upperclass Baptist students regarding the psychological climate of the University of Richmond as assessed by CUES II and that the scholarship scale among the five original scales of CUES II contributed most to the found differences. It is concluded, therefore, that the press of the scholastic (intellectual, academic) dimension of the University of Richmond campus environment operates differentially as an influence on the expectations of entering and the perceptions of upperclass Baptist students.