EXPLORING INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE AND STUDENT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: A CONSTRUCTIVIST INQUIRY by JOEL HOUSTON SCOTT (Under the Direction of Diane L. Cooper) ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how institutional culture impacts student civic engagement through the perceptions, interpretations, and experiences of students. Utilizing a constructivist design, this combination interview and document (photo) analysis study examined a group of students who were civically engaged at one large, public research-extensive institution. Themes emerged from two separate sets of individual and photo-elicitation interviews that contribute to the emerging body of literature on institutional culture and student civic engagement. The positive impact of institutional culture on student civic engagement was three- fold. Students described how South East University (SEU) helped build upon their pre-college civic foundation by expanding their civic experiences through various opportunities, by expanding their understanding of what civic engagement means, and by expanding their sense of effectiveness and practice of civic engagement. Students expressed how the university was their primary community for civic engagement, which has implications for educators, as well as added weight and depth to the institutional messages students perceived about civic engagement. Students perceived positive, negative, and mixed messages about civic engagement from their institution. The presence of civic engagement through on-campus venues and having supportive relationships with other members of the institution were messages of institutional support for civic engagement. The negative messages were described as different forms of institutional neglect: neglect of student voice and inclusion; neglect of sufficient support; neglect of diversity integration; and the neglect of student friendly systems for civic involvement. Students shared that the strong emphasis on sports, the pursuit of institutional prestige, and the presence of excess and student consumption were mixed messages about the importance of civic engagement. The other mixed message represented the lack of visibility for civic engagement on- campus based upon a lack of promotion and emphasis. Finally, the integration of service and civic learning within the curricular and co- curricular systems and institutional engagement among all members of the institution highlighted how students envisioned a campus culture focused on civic engagement. Research questions focused on impact, messages, and student voice, providing rich recommendations for centralizing, visualizing, and mobilizing a campus culture of student civic engagement. INDEX WORDS: Institutional culture, Student civic engagement, Photo-elicitation interviews, Person-environment theories, Psychosocial development, Student voice, Constructivism, Research-extensive university EXPLORING INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE AND STUDENT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: A CONSTRUCTIVIST INQUIRY by JOEL HOUSTON SCOTT B.S., Abilene Christian University, 1996 M.S., Abilene Christian University, 1998 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2008 © 2008 Joel Houston Scott All Rights Reserved EXPLORING INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE AND STUDENT CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: A CONSTRUCTIVIST INQUIRY by JOEL HOUSTON SCOTT Major Professor: Diane L. Cooper Committee: Merrily Dunn Nancy R.Williams Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2008 DEDICATION I dedicate this beloved book project to Becky, Emmi, and Kohen. Thank you for helping me laugh, praying me through deadlines, cheering me on when it seemed the end was not in sight, and most importantly, reminding me that family and the things of the spirit are more important than most things in life, including dissertations. Each of you will forever tug on my heart strings. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Since there are no hoops, parameters, or word counts for this page, I will take full advantage of handing out lots of accolades as this project was a compilation of many inputs, conversations, and support systems. I do acknowledge that this list will likely not touch the breadth and depth of those who have helped me along the way. In fact, I already fear reading this page on the other side of graduation and realizing who I forgot to include. I apologize to you in advance. I am indebted first to God for providing me with the capacity, resources, and community support to pursue and complete this project. For my steadfast parents, Harry and Janis, and my gracious in-laws, Mike and Linda, thank you for providing a sense of comfort, peace, and spiritual support for me and my family all the way from Texas. Thank you to siblings, grandmothers, and extended family that have supported our out-of-state scholastic expedition. I am also forever grateful for my wife, Becky, who provided positive guided imagery through all the hoops and perseverance tests of the doctoral program. In addition to being a wonderful life partner, Becky also served as my “RAH”, my editor, my counselor, and my external processor these past three years. A big high-five also goes out to Emmi and Kohen, my high energy children, who love life, and keep me on my toes. I look forward to reading this book to you in the near future when you need some assistance falling asleep. I am certainly grateful to the faculty in my department, my cohort, and the College of Education for creating environments that promoted active learning. To my committee members, I would like to thank Dr. Merrily Dunn and Dr. Nancy Williams for providing timely support, v feedback, and grace to read lengthy drafts. Thank you for sharing your civic values and insights into this study. I am also grateful beyond measure to my major professor, Dr. Diane Cooper. Diane has challenged and inspired me to be a better scholar-practitioner. Thank you for your consummate wisdom, accountability and timely advice. You will forever have a special place in my heart. I wish to also extend my thanks to all the staff in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs who have shaped, challenged, and further developed my practice and scholarship. I would like to specifically acknowledge Dr. Jan Davis Barham for being an emotionally intelligent supervisor, colleague, and friend during the victories and trials of full- time school. Jan welcomed me into my internship with a great zeal and passion for student learning and development which has certainly rubbed off on me. To Leslie Atchley, thank you for serving as the “grammar queen” of our office and providing editorial insights. I would also like to acknowledge my self-nominated co-sponsors: Rock-star, Jittery Joe’s, Cups, Espresso Royale, Aromas, Dell, Oak Island Beach House, IPOD, Gypsy Kings, Galagtica, and the Baymont. Thank you for providing the technical, environmental, and chemical (legal) support to see me through this project. Finally, and most importantly, to all the participants in this study, thank you for inspiring a renewed hope in me that higher education can truly graduate engaged citizens. Thank you for sharing your time, your lived experiences, and more importantly, your voice with me. You give me hope for the future of our local, national, and global societies. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................................ xii LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... xiii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem ..........................................................................................6 Purpose Statement .....................................................................................................7 Theoretical Framework of Study...............................................................................7 Student Civic Engagement and Importance of Study ...............................................8 Importance of Study to Student Affairs ..................................................................10 2 LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................12 Introduction………………………………………………………………………..12 Understanding Institutional Culture ........................................................................12 Components of Institutional Culture .......................................................................14 Environmental Components of Institutional Culture ..............................................16 History of Civic Engagement in Higher Education.................................................21 Growing Complexities of Institutions .....................................................................23 Studies on Institutional Culture and Civic Engagement .........................................25 College Environments and Civic Engagement........................................................28 vii Student Development Theories and Civic Engagement..........................................30 Person-Environment Theories of Student Development.........................................36