Healthy Campuses Encourage Student Involvement
Posted by Jessica Reyes | June 25, 2009
Before getting into the complexities of a college campus, it is best to step back and look at the big picture. People, in general, need a community to call their own, to live as a healthy individual. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs values this necessity to be in a community as number 3 of the 5 categories. This proves even further that this necessity is even more crucial during one of the greatest growing phases in a person’s life, their time in college.
Maslow's Hiearchy of Needs
College students grow up with multiple cohesive communities such as their families, close group of friends, church, and other extra-curricular groups. They are nestled in these groups for so long, and most are unprepared for the dramatic shift from high school life to college life where they are forced to go out and find new communities. This is where the institution and the student affairs department come into play. Their role is to provide a gateway to the new opportunities for on campus involvement, so the student can choose from a variety of inviting communities.
The unfortunate part of the college transition is that most students fill their insecurities with even more seclusion. This can affect student academic performance. A study by the American College Health Association revealed several factors that affect performance including: stress, alcohol abuse, and depression/anxiety (American College Health Association, 2002). Students can battle this by forming bonds and reaching out to other students which can be best developed on a “healthy” campus.
How can institutions make their campus “healthy?”
According to an article by Teanca Shepherd, assistant coordinator of Student Activities at The University of Memphis, four essential components must exist to maintain healthy campuses which are:
1. Vibrant Student Organizations
2. Co-Curricular Resources
3. A Wide Variety of Academics
4. Surrounding Community Involvement
What are the overall benefits of healthy campuses for both students and the institution?
Teanca Shepherd lists the following benefits:
• An increase in student enrollment
• Increases in funding for programs and organizations
• Better recruitment of faculty
• Increases in funding for programs and organizations
• Better recruitment of faculty and staff
• Students providing innovative ideas for better policy development
• An increase in diversity
• An increase in alumni support and involvement
• Growth of the surrounding community as a whole
When a healthy campus has been achieved, the institution can combat those security walls that students put up and invite them to find the organization to foster development, experiences, and new friendships. In the end, these experiences are what truly set a part a successful college graduate from another graduate who missed out on them.
Co-curricular involvement is undoubtedly a huge factor in building sustainable, healthy campuses. In my experience, the most well-rounded students are those that were involved in co-curricular activities during their high schools years. OrgSync has developed the co-curricular transcript for high school students, and is looking more in-depth into allowing users to create ePortfolios. What is the best approach for targeting the high school market in order to start giving students the edge, earlier?