COUNSELING
CENTER
COLLEGE
PARK, MARYLAND
DIMENSIONS
OF USE, NEEDS AND PERCEPTIONS
AMONG
STUDENT UNION PATRONS
Myron J.
Veenstra and William E. Sedlacek
Research
Report # 9-82
The
computer time for this project has been supported in full through the
facilities of the Computer Science Center of the University of Maryland,
College Park.
COUNSELING
CENTER
UNIVERSITY
OF MARYLAND
COLLEGE
PARK, MARYLAND
DIMENSIONS
OE USE, NEEDS AND PERCEPTIONS AMONG STUDENT UNION PATRONS
Myron J.
Veenstra arid William E. Sedlacek
Research
Report # 9- $2
The purpose of this study was to assess how the dimensions
perceived by Student Union users an one campus match Adair's list of student
union goals. Results of principal components factor analyses provided
confirmation that MSU users' perceptions, needs and behaviors do parallel more
general student union goals. Results of this analysis also indicated that
recreational planning either must be defined more broadly, or, alternatively, its
under-utilization by females must be recognized.
Student Unions traditionally have been expected to serve
such varied groups as students, faculty, administration, alumni and guests. Yet
the variety of individual interests and behaviors of individuals within these
groups is obscured when they are viewed as homogenous elements of the
university community.
Recently, student unions have been studied for. the
diversity of programs offered (Brattain, 1981); and their differential impact
upon such groups as students, employees, etc. (Spelman, 1980) has been
suggested as an important area for research. However, groups such as students,
faculty, employees, etc, as a whole have not been studied to identify
relationships among perceptions, needs and behaviors within these large
populations.
These relationships possibly differ for various subgroups.
Webster and Sedlacek (19€32) found that different racial/cultural groups and
subpopulations have differing perceptions of the Maryland Student Union, as
well as differences in how they rise this facility, Adair (1977) asked full.-time
teaching and research faculty at 95 institutions to rank in preferred order the
importance of 29 union goals. The top ten goals identified were:
1) Be aware and
responsive to student needs.
2) Be a pleasant
place where faculty and students can go to spend a leisure moment during the
day.
3) Provide a place where daily needs (food,
entertainment, and supplies) cost a little less than off-campus.
4) Facilitate
activities for small groups for specialized interests.
5) Offer an
atmosphere of good taste.
6) Enlighten the
institution culturally through programming.
7) Provide shopping
center conveniences such as books, clothing, food, supplies, and postal
service.
8) Encourage
students to diversify their interests through exposure to new experiences.
Provide a well
rounded recreational program for
the college community, Be a place where students can enjoy a hobby or recreational
skills.
The purpose of the present study was to assess hour the
dimensions perceived by student union users on one campus match Adair's list of
student union goals.
2
A questionnaire concerning perceptions and use of the
Maryland Student Union (HSU) developed by Webster and Sedlacek (1982) was
mailed to a random sample of 706 members of the University of Maryland
community stratified by campus status (undergraduates by race, graduate
students, faculty, associate and classified staff). A 74% return rate of usable
questionnaires was reached.
For this study, data were analyzed by principal components
factor analysis, using squared multiple correlations as communality estimates,
and all factors with eigenvalues greater than 1 rotated to a varimax solution.
Eight factors identifying underlying dimensions of use
patterns, needs and perceptions of. the MSU were found accounting for 54% of
the common variance-1.
Factor 1, labeled "General Attitude Toward the
MSU," seemed to denote global evaluations of the HSU. Factor II, called
"Resident Status and Purchasing Behaviors," identified the providing
of convenience items as especially important to on-campus students.
Factor III, "Purchasing of Reading Materials," seemed to identify a
common interest in supplementing course textbooks with purchases of other
reading materials from the bookstore. Factor IV identified the inter-relationship
among use of such MSU areas as lounges, study rooms and rest rooms. Factor IV
was called "Use of Low or Non-Revenue Producing Areas." Factor V:
"Participation in Student Affairs Activities," found the relationship
in involvement in organizational activities such as Campus Activities, Greek
Affairs, Student organizations and orientation Office. Males' proportionally greater
use of such activities as billiards, bowling and pinball was singled out in
Factor VI, "Use of
1. Factor loadings
and item intercorrelations available from William E.
Sedlacek, Counseling Center,
University of Maryland, College Park, 20742.
3
Recreational Programs." Factor VII, "Personal
Wants Sought," related to associated perceptions of the MSU as a place to
walk around in, relax, and be with people. Factor VIII was called
"Evaluation of MSU Program Efforts,°" and contained items assessing
the Union's variety and innovativeness in its cultural and general programming.
The eight factors derived will be discussed in terms of
their congruence with the top ten goals identified by Adair's results.
The five items of this factor accounted for. 19% of the
common variance and seemed to touch upon Adair's first anal fifth goals:
responsiveness to student needs, and offerings a desirable physical
environment. Items in this factor included positive feelings for the MSU,
having a pleasant experience, and perceiving the building as clean and attractive
ass well as being adequate in filling the respondent's needs, Presented in this
factor is the phenomenon of respondents relating their outlook on the HSU to
their perceptions of the physical environment, while not relating perceptions
to their degree of involvement with its programs and facilities.
Resident Status and Purchasing Behavior: Factor II
Subsumed within this factor is the association between
living on campus and frequency of purchasing small items such as greeting
cards, gifts, and jewelry at the bookstore, and use of such HSU facilities as
the bank and post office. Clearly, residents of, campus housing are relatively
less mobile than off-campus students; therefore, they make more frequent
purchases. This factor is best described by Adair's seventh goal: providing shopping
center conveniences. It accounted for 9% of the common variance.
There was a positive relationship in the reported
frequency of respondents' purchases of reference and research books,
supplementary reading material, textbooks, leisure books and magazines. The
items contained in this factor expand upon Adair's seventh goal: Providing
books, which suggests the importance of the Union's bookstore in enhancing the
student's education. Seven percent of the common variance was accounted for by
this factor.
Respondent's scoring high on this factor would make
greater use of the Union's study rooms, lounges, rest rooms, coin lockers, pay
phones and photocopying machines. It may be inferred that individuals scoring
high on this factor also spend a good deal of their time in the Union. Six
percent of the common variance was accounted for by Factor TV. This factor
seems similar to Adair's third goal: providing a place that meets daily needs.
In this case, it would be meeting respondents' needs for a place to study,
relax, make phone calls, etc.
Respondents scoring high on this factor were active in
organizations and boards serving the wider campus community. It is cost closely
described by Adair's fourth goal: facilitating activities for small groups with
specialized interests. This distinct grouping of activities accounted for 5% of
the common variance.
Respondents who scored high on this factor were typically males
who made frequent use of the billiard, pinball and bowling facilities at the
MSU. Adair's tenth goal for unions, being a. place to enjoy recreational
skills, is
5
most descriptive of this factor. Four percent of the common
variance was accounted for.
The Union's role as "living room of the campus"
is reflected in this factor. outlined in this factor are the interests of those
with high scores in liking to be around people, relaxing in the Union, and
going to the Union just to walk around, without any particular purpose in mind.
As in Adair's second goal, this factor might be interpreted as reflecting the
Union's importance as a pleasant place to spend leisure moments. Respondents
scoring high on this factor were also snore likely to use the lounge areas.
Four percent of the common variance was attributed to this factor.
Evaluation of MSU Program Efforts: Factor VI
High scores on this factor indicated a positive evaluation
of MSU programming efforts. The variety of Union programming, its cultural
relevance and imagination more likely would be seen in positive terms among those
obtaining a high score on this factor. This factor would be most adequately
described by Adair's sixth goal; enlightening the institution through cultural
programming Four percent of the common variance was accounted for.
Results of the factor analysis provided confirmation that
patterns of MSU users' perceptions, needs and behaviors do parallel abstract
student union goals. Another way of looking at the factors offers insight into
how goals are translated into actual perceptions, interests and behaviors.
For example, the first factor outlined a relationship between
the users' general attitudes toward the MSU and its physical. environment. This
factor seems to accentuate the physical environment's association with the
6
consumer's satisfaction. Factors outlining use of the
lounge areas for relaxing and meeting people while making incidental purchases
pointed out that, to some degree, the economic health of the MSU is tied to its
social environment. The results of this analysis also indicated that
recreational planning either crust be redefined more broadly, or,
alternatively, its underutilization by females must be recognized.
Factor analysis demonstrated that consumer perceptions,
needs and use patterns can be statistically summarized along lines suggested by
traditional goal statements. The dimensions identified through such an analysis
provided insight into the human element toward which abstract ,goals are
directed.
8
Adair, C. Faculty attitudes toward the college union. Journal
of College Student Personnel, 1977, 18,
263-267.
Brattain, W. The administration of college union and campus
activities. Bloomington, Ind.: T. I.S.
Publications, 1981.
Green, P. and. Tell, D. Research for marketing
decisions. Englewood Cliffs. N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1978 .
Spelman, W.H. III. The Bulletin of the Association of College
Unions, International, Feb. 1980, Wol. MIN,
1., p. 2.
Webster, D.W. and Sedlacek, W.E. The differential impact
of a university student union on campus subgroups.
NASPA (National Association of Student
Personnel. Administrators) Journal, 1982,19, 2, 48-51.