Predicting School Sense of Community: Students’ Perceptions at Two Catholic Universities

Abstract

Understanding the factors that predict sense of community (SOC) among college students has important implications for higher education policy and practice. The present study determined whether perceptions of inclusion and religious pluralism across 2,199 university students' (1,442 women, 757 men; M age = 23.42, SD =7.84) at two Catholic universities predicted levels of school sense of community (SSOC). As expected, results indicated that perceptions of both inclusion and religious pluralism significantly predicted SSOC. However, mixed results were found regarding the interaction of university setting with inclusion and religious pluralism. Limitations and future directions for research are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Catholic university
• students
• school sense of community
• innovative and inclusive
• religious pluralism

Acknowledgments

The authors express gratitude to Fr. Edward Udovic, Georgianna Torres Reyes, and the DePaul University Office of Mission & Values for providing funding for this project. Portions of this article were reported at the 2011 Eastern Psychological Association Convention (Cambridge, MA) and at the 2011 Midwestern Psychological Association Convention (Chicago, IL).

Notes

Note. b* = standardized regression coefficient, SE =standard error, ΔR ² = change in R ² , SD = social desirability, I/I = innovative/inclusive, S = Setting.

*p < .05.

Note. b* = standardized regression coefficient, SE =standard error, ΔR ² = change in R ² , SD = social desirability, RP = religious pluralism, S = Setting.

*p < .05.