Psychological and Behavioral Campus Climate Assessment at a Small Midwestern University: Studying Mixed-methodological Practices

Abstract

Campus climate was assessed using a concurrent mixed-methodological approach. The study partially replicated Vaccaro’s (2010) suggestion that positive quantitative campus climate assessment results sit negative qualitative results. The study also used a framework of campus climate assessment including behavioral and psychological climate, adapted from Hurtado, Milem, Clayton-Pedersen and Allen (1999). This research used an online survey. Both behavioral climate and psychological climate domains were measured both by qualitative and quantitative measures. There were four main hypotheses that were tested in SPSS by running Pearson’s r correlations: H1: The psychological climate regarding gender will reveal a negative correlation between qualitative and quantitative results. H2: The psychological climate regarding race will reveal a negative correlation between qualitative and quantitative results. H3: The behavioral climate regarding gender will reveal a negative correlation between qualitative and quantitative results. H4: The behavioral climate regarding race will reveal a negative correlation between qualitative and quantitative results. The first hypothesis was untestable due to a survey error. The remainder three hypotheses were rejected, as the Pearson’s r correlations all tested strongly at the p < .01 significance level. This study disconfirms Vaccaro’s (2010) assertions that behind positive quantitative campus climate assessment results yield negative qualitative results.