Role of faculty in undergraduate student usage of campus facilities and opportunities

This study was based on the concepts of student involvement and the beneficial results of faculty/student interaction. Student involvement theory suggests that students who spend time and energy on their collegiate activities experience greater growth and development. Other research has shown that student achievement is positively related to student/faculty interaction. Colleges and universities reporting high rates of student persistence until degree completion are the same institutions that report high rates of student/faculty interaction. This study tied together the two concepts and examined the faculty role in undergraduate students becoming involved in the facilities and opportunities provided by institutions of higher education.;The degree of encouragement provided by faculty to students to become involved in the various involvement options does not reflect the importance faculty report they attribute to the involvement options. The effort to encourage students is less than might be expected given the degree of importance faculty ascribe to the options.;Faculty do not appear to have a meaningful role in influencing the level of participation of undergraduate students in various involvement options. Only one scale in the survey instrument, "Personal Experiences," showed a level of student involvement consistent with the level of encouragement faculty perceive they provide students to become involved in that particular activity. The level of student involvement is less than that encouraged by faculty for "Library Experiences," "Experiences with Faculty," "Course Learning," "Art, Music, Theater," "Clubs and Organizations," "Experience in Writing," and "Science/Technology." Students are involved at a level greater than encouraged by faculty for "Student Union," "Athletic and Recreational Facilities," Student Acquaintances," "Topics of Conversation," and "Information in Conversations.".;The following conclusions were drawn from the study. Faculty place greatest emphasis upon activities which are scholarly in nature, both in terms of the importance they place on activities and in the degree of encouragement they provide to students to become involved in those activities. They place least emphasis on activities relating to usage of facilities and associations. Personal/interpersonal activities generally rank in the middle.