1. Kimberly Grieve, Lourdes College Hampton Hopkins, Carolinas Coll. of Health Sciences George McClellan, Indiana U – Purdue U, Fort Wayne Michael Sachs, LIM College Julie Wong, U of Colorado - Boulder

2. Project originated during discussions at the Senior Student Affairs Think Tank at the 2010 NASPA Conference in Chicago Student affairs professionals spend time and energy fostering a sense of community on campuses, their efforts informed by Boyer’s (1990) Campus Life: In Search of Community and McDonald’s (2002) Creating Campus Community: In Search of Ernest Boyer’s Legacy.

3. Boyer’s qualities of community  Purposeful  Open  Just  Disciplined  Caring  Celebrative

4. Both works are framed from an administrative or faculty perspective; what about the perspective of students on community?

5. Questions  What does community mean to students?  Is community important to students? If so, how?  What role do students see for their college/university and student affairs in their universe of communities?

6. Methodology  Exploratory study  Students selected to be reflective of the student body on their campus  Individual interviews and focus groups

7. What does community mean to students?  Reflective pause

8. What does community mean to students?  Qualities rather than places  Qualities included: people shared goals/experiences support/helping others unity safe to be self/self-confidence trust diversity

9. What does community mean to students?  Where: Campus, church, home, work  Cyberspaces not referenced

10. Do you identify with the overall campus community, sub-communities, both or neither?  Sub-communities 1 st by a wide margin  Both and neither distant 2 nd  Sub-communities clubs cultural groups residence halls friends athletics

11. Do you identify with the overall campus community, sub-communities, both or neither?  Other than at the professional institutions academic programs/departments less frequently mentioned

12. How important is it to you to belong to a community?  Instantaneous answer  Highly valued  A couple said it depends on the day

13. If so, why?  Help to learn/grow  Find identity  Leadership roles  Confidence  Know you are wanted/needed  Be informed  Diversity  Feedback  Love  Belonging

14. How, if at all, do you want the university to help develop a sense of campus community?  Opportunities and infrastructure Break the ice Help build self-confidence Promote community service Some people need push to get started Go beyond welcome week  Up to students to make it happen

15. How, if at all, do you want student affairs to help develop a sense of campus community?  At smaller institutions no distinction between university and student affairs  Large institutions there was a heightened expectation  It is your job to work with students, build bridges

16. Findings  Students don’t use the word community  They have a clear understanding of it though, and it looks a lot like Boyer  They value community  Students recognize the role of community in learning  Sub-communities are important  Students have varying expectations of the university and student affairs  Future research needed