Learning Resources

Abstract: Colleges and universities typically do not gather routine feedback from community stakeholders, despite the fact that various organizations dedicated to the advancement of higher education continually have clamored for campus representatives to be more responsive to members of host communities. Recent petitions for “deep culture” change within academia—in combination with recent methodological advances in efforts to understand town-gown relationships—provide a comprehensible set of motives and details for institutions to become more fully engaged in the process of collecting systematic information from community members. A review of recent efforts to conceptualize and measure town-gown relationships using a tool known as the Optimal College Town Assessment (OCTA) is provided. After reviewing results from a previous study that piloted the OCTA tool, qualitative data gathered from a subset of community stakeholders in that original sample are presented and analyzed. The resulting themes are described and discussed in the context of enhancing evidence-based campus planning efforts that meet the call for greater higher education responsiveness.

Abstract: As headlines lament mushrooming student debt and a “higher education bubble,” Google—a choice employer and renowned innovator—says college degrees aren’t a prerequisite for the talent it seeks. So why should young people invest in degrees? Universities must change to survive, and there is an interesting model that offers ideas for a new way of learning: the academic incubator.

Abstract: In 2014, Temple University initiated a landscape master planning process to provide an integrative environment for its new buildings. The plan sought to establish overarching planning concepts and design standards that would increase the cohesiveness, identity, quality, and sustainability of the campus environment by tying together an eclectic mix of buildings and spaces, giving prominence to historic structures, and focusing on the pedestrian experience. Concurrently, a seminar on landscape performance metrics was taught in the Department of Landscape Architecture. Seminar students reviewed landscape performance tools and then vetted those tools through peer-reviewed literature and practical application. Tools that were positively vetted were used to assess campus baseline conditions.

Abstract: This study uses the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in explaining the intent to graduate of students in introductory chemistry courses. Retention studies focus on interactional theories and high-impact practices such as student integration, student engagement through research experiences, student-faculty mentor relationships, and peer tutoring; however, these studies fail to provide a theoretical model to explain and predict student behavior. Findings echo the importance of relationships with peers, faculty, and staff and suggest that subjective norms (positive peer pressure) influence student intentions. Perceived behavioral control and attitudes play a less significant role, but may be part of a STEM retention strategy. This framework assists planners in examining current programs for improvement opportunities and identifying other initiatives to help retain STEM students. Future studies should examine the use of this model for predicting retention and staging interventions to retain STEM students.