Investigating Sense of Community and Academic Success in First Year College Students in the Department of Natural Resources Management

Abstract

This study explored the relationship between sense of community, factors that influence sense of community, and the effect of academic success of first year students in the Natural Resources Management Department at Cal Poly State University, San LuisObispo. An adapted version of the sense of community index was used to collect data from first year students (n=90) in the Natural Resources Management Department.Linear regression was used to determine which variables had a significant influence on sense of community and academic success. The results of the study indicated that there was not evidence that grade point average (GPA) had a significant influence on sense of community. The factors of gender, participation in recreational sports clubs, participation in ASI-sponsored clubs, living on campus, and students' major meeting their expectations all had a significant influence on students' sense of community index score.