Engaged StudentsEngaged Leaders at a Faithbased University

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Engaged Students-Engaged Leaders at a
Faith-based University

• Joseph R. Ferrari, Ph.D.
• Peter A. Drake Jessica Velcoff
• Dept. of Psychology
• DePaul University
• Chicago, IL 60614
• jferrari_at_depaul.edu 773/325-4244

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Co-authors Thanks

• Jessica Velcoff Peter Drake
• Community Psychology graduate students
• Fr. Edward Udovic
• Sr VP, University Mission Values
• Thomas Drexler
• Asst VP, University Mission Values
• Dr. Shaun Cowman Jaclyn Cameron
• recent DePaul graduates

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Mission Statements

• - publicly proclaiming for critical assessment
  the institutions objectives, expectations, and
  values
• - defines purpose, distinctiveness, and future
  for the institution
• - drives operations by providing guidelines for
  day-to-day decision making
• - helps members connect and identify with the
  organization
• (Emery, 1998 Gardiner, 1988 Holland, 1999
• Wright, 2002).

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Higher Education Mission Statements

• - focus energies to balance the relationship
  between educational goals and needs of the
  outside world
• - integrate objectives held by diverse
  stakeholders (e.g., administrators, alumni,
  faculty, and staff), enabling everyone to work
  towards common goals
• - provide an overarching vision toward which
  each member may strive
• (Berg, Csikszentmihalyi, Nakamura, 2003
  Ferrari Cowman, 2004).
• Missions are conveyed through administrative
  operations, academic programs and policies, and
  student services.
• (Ehrlich, 2000 Rowley, Lujan, Dolence,
  1997).

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Measuring Mission DePaul University urban,
Catholic, and Vincentian

• URBAN delivering quality education to locations
  in and around the metropolitan area of Chicago,
  IL.
• CATHOLIC directing services to the poor and
  economically disenfranchised through such
  programs as actively engaging students, faculty
  and staff in volunteer and community service
  directed at impoverished communities.
• VINCENTIANISM (referring to the namesake of the
  school) respecting human dignity, diversity, and
  individual personalism
• (Murphy, 1991 Sullivan, 1997)

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• DePaul University
• 7 colleges 23,000 students 800 faculty
• 7th largest private
• largest US Catholic University

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Measuring Mission DePaul University 2 reliable
and valid measures

• Higher Ed institutions need to develop reliable
  valid self-report instruments to assess the
  perceptions and commitment to a universitys
  mission and values by stakeholders
• (e.g., students, faculty and staff)
• The DePaul Values Inventory DeVI
• 25-item 5pt Likert Rating Scale
• 1 strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree
• DePaul Mission and Values DMV Inventory

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The DeVI for students Subscales

• Institutional Mission Values (11 items)
• The DePaul mission is apparent to me.
• Vincentian values (the values of personalism
  and respect for the dignity of the human person,
  inspired by the Universitys patron, St. Vincent
  DePaul) are generally found in the culture at
  DePaul.
• Emphasis on Diversity (3 items)
• DePaul should have a special emphasis on
  recruiting minority students.
• DePaul should have more women faculty
  members.

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The DeVI for students Subscales

• Pro-social Altruistic Atmosphere (7 items)
• The atmosphere at DePaul promotes service to
  others.
• The atmosphere at DePaul promotes being a
  community among students, staff, and faculty.
• - Life-long Commitment to Values (4 items)
• I foresee that Vincentian values will have a
  continued influence throughout my life.
• Being a student at DePaul has helped me to
  shape and clarify the values by which I will
  make life choices.

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Sample Study 1

• Cowman (2006) dissertation
• -- predicting mission perception among
  non-traditional students
• n 1574 (939 women, 500men
• 171 not specified)
• Ethnicity 63 Caucasian
• 11 Latino(a)
• 10 African American
• 9 Asian
• 7 Other

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Mean Scores for DeVI Subscales
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CorrelatesStudent Characteristics DeVI
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Predictors for Institutional Values
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Predictors for Lifelong Commitment
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Implications for Higher Education

• Campus activities may help traditional students
  understanding of mission perceived impact later
  in life
• Understanding of mission by nontraditional
  students facilitated by off-campus engagement
• Increase connections with home/work

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Sample Study 2

• Cameron (2007) thesis
• -- perceptions of mission among TRANSFER students
  vertical horizontal
• 1,204 Students
• 65 Natives (n748)
• 35 Transfers (n402)
• 60 Vertical (n233)
• 40 Horizontal (n157)

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DeVI Analysis 1Natives vs. Transfers
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DeVI Analysis 2 Vertical vs. Horizontal
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Implications for Higher Education

• Clarify Mission
• Emphasize Mission to transfers
• Promote mission-related, non-course activities
• Expose University Mission initiatives to students

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DePaul Mission Values Inventory Staff
Faculty

• a 39 item instrument to evaluate perceptions of
  two separate but related components to H.E.
  Institutional Mission
• institutions identity
• reflected in its mission statement
• mission-driven activities and programs
• reflecting identity through the vision and
  values

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Institutional Identity 16 items

• 7-point scales (1 strongly disagree 7
  strongly agree)
• URBAN
• (The university sponsors a variety of services
  and programs to demonstrate the connectedness to
  the community that is characteristic of its urban
  identity)
• CATHOLIC
• (I believe that at the university our very
  diverse personal values and religious beliefs
  fosters mutual understanding and respect)
• VINCENTIAN
• (I believe that we manifest a personalized
  Vincentianismreflective in our care for each
  member of the university community)

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Mission-driven Activity 23 items

• 4-pt scale (1 not at all important 4
  very important)
• URBAN
• (community based service learning, staff
  volunteer services, international studies)
• CATHOLIC
• (Catholic worship services, interfaith
  workshops, religious education/spiritual
  programs)
• VINCENTIAN
• (Annual Vincentian Lecture Series, quarterly
  Authors at Lunch program, biennial France
  Heritage Tours)

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At DePaul Who Has Completed the DMV?

• STAFF 178, meetings 361, on-line
• FACULTY 305, on-line
• SR. LEADERS/ADMIN. 35, on-line
• STUDENTS 2002, on-line
• STUDENT LEADERS 85, meetings
• Sp07, Board of Trustees

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Study 1 STAFF Participants

• Sample 1
• 112 women, 66 men
• M age 39.1 years old
• Caucasian (68.5)
• Roman Catholic (53.4)
• exempt staff (66.5)
• from downtown campus (70.2)
• worked M 6.4 years
• (SD 7.5)
• -student services (47.3)
• -facilities and operations (6.9)
• -advancement/procedures (17.3)
• -administrative/info services (28.6)

• Sample 2
• 237 women, 124 men
• M age 38.1 years old
• Caucasian (74.2)
• non-Catholic (53.2)
• exempt staff (67.1)
• from downtown campus (63.2)
• worked M 6.1 years
• (SD 6.9)
• -student services (43.9)
• -facilities and operations (10.5)
• -advancement/procedures (14.6)
• -administrative/info services (30.8)

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Study 1 STAFF Procedure

• Participants recruited through interoffice memos
  and postcards, email messages, and requests from
  directors
• Complete anonymity and confidentiality assured
• Participants were entered into raffles and prizes
  for their time
• Winter, 2003, Sample 1
• attended small group luncheons hosted by a
  research assistant --
• -demographic items (e.g., age, sex, racial
  identity, religious affiliation, number of years
  working at the university, primary campus
  employed, and the administrative office working)
• -MVI
• -social desirability spirituality sch
  sense of community
• Spring 2003 Sample 2
• solicited through on-line requests
• -demographic items
• -MVI social desirability sch sense of
  community

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Varimax Rotation Factor Loadings Institutional
Identity Items Sample 1STAFF

• FACTOR 1 Innovative/Inclusive
• Innovative .669
• Inclusive .668
• Manifests personalism .660
• Takes risks .616
• Expresses Vincentian identity .571
• Expresses values in education/
• operations through service, .552
• respect, personalism for all
• Expresses urban identity .530
• Faith heritage remains relevant .479
• Atmosphere of mutual respect .456
• Pragmatic education
• related to life reality .439

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• FACTOR 2 Catholic Pluralism
• Expresses its Catholic
• identity .791
• Curricula expresses
• Catholic identity .711
• All faiths freely expressed .709
• freely expressed
• Uni Ministry services
• religious pluralistic identity .694
• M V Office services
• religious pluralistic identity .467
• Services/programs demonstrate
• connectedness to community .447
• EIGEN VALUE 5.446 2.583
• OF VARIANCE 34.04 21.72
• n 178 Factor loading .400 are listed

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Varimax Rotation Factor Loadings Mission-Driven
Activity Items Sample 1STAFF

• FACTOR 1 Urban/Global Engagement
• International students .762
• Faculty/Staff vol. service .703
• Study abroad programs .701
• Service Learning programs .693
• Diversity initiatives .664
• Community service organizations .653
• Community partnerships .638
• International campus sites .610

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• FACTOR 2 University-Specific Programs
• Annual Vincentian Lectures .839
• Authors at Lunch Lectures .745
• Vincentian Heritage France trips .689
• Mission/heritage publications .675
• In services .616
• Emergency finance assistance .540
• New staff mission-orientation .538
• University Ombudsman .439

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• FACTOR 3 Faith-formation
  Programs
• Religious education/spiritual programs .742
• Interfaith worship opportunities .741
• Catholic sacramental opportunities .722
• Catholic worship services .711
• Community-based service programs .649
• Worship opportunities for non-Catholics .580
• EIGEN VALUE 7.25 2.95 2.00
• OF VARIANCE 31.50 12.81 8.70
• n 178 Factor loading .400 are listed

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SAMPLE 1STAFF - Descriptive Statistics Identi
ty and Activity Subscales

• IDENTITY
  ACTIVITIES
  
• inclusive/ Catholic urban/global
  Uni. faith
• M innovative
  pluralistic engagement specific
  formation
• __________________________________________________
  _______________________
• INSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY
• Inclusive/ 57.35
• innovative (7.31) .822
  p
• Catholic 33.57 p
• pluralistic (4.95) .598
  .752
• MISSION-DRIVEN ACTIVITY
• Urban/global 26.69
• engagement (4.63) .218
  .178 .861
• University 27.52
• specific programs (5.57) .323
  .292 .433 .866
• Faith-formation 13.49
• programs (4.08) .178
  .211 .314 .485 .812

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SAMPLE 2 STAFF- Descriptive StatisticsIdentity
and Activity Subscales

• IDENTITY
  ACTIVITIES
  
• inclusive/ Catholic urban/global
  Uni. faith
• M innovative
  pluralistic engagement specific
  formation
• ______________________________________________
• INSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY
• Inclusive/ 63.18
• innovative (9.16) .758
• Catholic 27.65
  p
• pluralistic (4.52) .548
  .786 p
• MISSION-DRIVEN ACTIVITY
• Urban/global 26.52
• engagement (4.56) .283
  .225 .861
• University 26.61
• specific programs (5.89) .286
  .245 .523 .885
• Faith-formation 19.98
• programs (4.94) .187
  .169 .340 .570 .859

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Correlates Identity Activity x Social
desirability

• Marlow-Crowne (1960) SOCIAL DESIRABILITY
• INSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY
• Inclusive/Innovative .194
• Catholic pluralistic .150
• MISSION-DRIVEN ACTIVITY
• Urban/global engagement .036
• University specific programs .111
• Faith-formation programs .027
• STAFFn 502-548 p p

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Partial Correlates Identity Activity x
Sch. Sense of Community
controlling SD

• Royal Rossi (1991) sch. sense of community
• INSTITUTIONAL IDENTITY
• Inclusive/Innovative .480
• Catholic pluralistic .415
• MISSION-DRIVEN ACTIVITY
• Urban/global engagement .270
• University specific programs .179
• Faith-formation programs .125
• STAFF n 502-548 p p

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Take Home Message

• Developed a reliable/psychometrically sound
  university mission measure Identity
  Activities
• With 2 samples of STAFF, mission perceived as
• innovative inclusive school offering
  education to urban residents in progressive
  means.
• - while retaining a Catholic institution,
  supportive of other faiths.
• - offers urban/global programs to reach these
  identifying
• aspects
• - offers university-specific programs to
  actualize the mission
• to stakeholders
• - offers Catholic and other-faith formation
  programs in
• support of individualism among stakeholders

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Take Home Message

• Controlling for social desirability tendencies.
• STAFF reported that their perceptions of the
  Mission and related-Activities supported their
  faith beliefs and practices
• related to their sense of community with peers
  at school

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Senior Administrators Study 2

• Chief Executive Senior Administrators
• Vice Presidents n 18 Deans n 17
• Caucasian (66)
• woman (57)
• betw 45 - 55 (M age 47.86 yrs old SD 8.71)
• self-identified Christian faith Catholicism
  (76)
• worked at the institution ave. 13.23 yrs (SD
  8.88)
• none were clergy, including Catholic priests

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Senior Administrators Study 2

• Ferrari Velcoffs (2005) 39-item DePaul Mission
  Values (DMV)
• Reynolds (1982) revised 13-item M-C Soc.
  Desirability Scale Form C
• Braskamps (2003) measure of perceptions by chief
  academic officers at faith-based public
  institutions (rated 1 no importance, 5
  extreme importance) on faculty expectations to
  meet the universitys mission
• engagement of faculty (12 items) perceived as
  engaged in roles that support the mission
  statement (e.g. advances and fosters positive
  attitudes related to ethnic, cultural, economic
  and racial diversity, and supports pluralistic
  believes among student current sample M score
  49.97, SD 5.04)
• importance of types of faculty evidence
  supporting the mission (11 items) faculty
  responsibilities supporting the mission (e.g.
  contributions to the university as a person of
  integrity, perseverance, and courage, curriculum
  development that supports diversity and respect
  of others current sample M score 40.47, SD
  6.99).

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Senior Administrators Study 2

• All senior administrators (i.e., Assistant,
  Associate, and full Vice Presidents and Deans)
  were requested to complete the inventories (in
  counterbalanced order) across 6 weeks.
• Vice Presidents administrative officials
  involved in overall academic, student, or
  business affairs
• Deans specifically associated with different
  schools/colleges.
• All information confidential recorded
  anonymously by a research associate in IR office.
  
• 35 senior leaders (33.6 compliance) completed
• on-line items.
• NOTE 2 administrators indicated they were too
  new to comment 1 administrator claimed lack of
  time.
• NO overall sense of reactance/negative
  feedback.

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Correlates between All Sub-scale Scores

• DMV DMV DMV
  DMV DMV FacExp FacExp Soc
• innov/inclu Cath plur urb/glb
  rel herit faith-form enagmt types Des
• DMV
• innovative .65
• inclusive _at_ p .05 p
• Catholic .44 .70
• pluralism
• urban/global .26 .11 .80
• engagement
• religious .34 .16 .69
  .70 n 35
• heritage
• Catholic other .33_at_ .01 .26
  .54 .70
• faith-formation
• Faculty Expectations Scales (Fac. Exp)
• engagement .19 .02 .48
  .61 .48 .65
• types of evidence -.04 .12 .46
  .57 .34 .63 .76
  

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Mean Scores Deans Vice-Presidents

• Deans Vice
  Presidents
• (n 17) (n 18)
• DMV Scales
• innovative 56.88 59.22
• inclusive identity (7.84) (6.82) NO sign.
  diff. betw
• Deans vs. VPs
• Catholic pluralism 35.82 33.44
• identity (3.56) (4.98) NO sign. diff. among
• Asst/Assoc/Full levels
• urban/global 25.65 24.9
• engagement (3.77) (4.70) controlling Soc
  Des
• religious 27.47 28.17
• heritage (5.16) (4.02)
• Catholic other 16.12 17.83
• faith-formation (4.90) (4.32)
• Faculty Expectations Scales
  engagement 49.18 50.72

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Take Home Message

• men women Sen. Leaders (whether by title or
  rank, controlling for soc. desirability) similar
  
• - perceptions of the institutions mission
• - perceptions of mission activities
• - expectations of faculty in support of that
  mission
• Sen. Leaders believed that mission-driven
  activities (e.g., faith-formation activities,
  urban global engagement) were related to
  Faculty involvement in these activities
  perceptions that faculty should produce evidence
  supporting mission-related activities.

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Faculty Study 3

• Brandt (2007 Jan!) thesis n 247
• 57 men, 43 women
• 45.7 years old (SD10.20)
• 8.16 years (SD 8.12)
• 35 Full Professors
• 61 Associate Professors 51.8
  tenured
• 59 Assistant Professors
• 92 Instructors
• 33.44 Roman Catholic
• 26.23 Christian

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Faculty Study 3 - Correlates

• Social DePaul Mission and Values
  Inventory
• Desir incinn Catplur
  urbglo relher faithopp
• _________________________________________________
• DePaul Mission Values Scales (DMV)
• inc-inn .221
• Catplur .163 .714
• urb-glo .022 .346 .346
• rel her .002 .427 .433 .557
• faithopp .036 .192 .246 .292
  .581
• School Sense of Community (SOC)
• setting .162 .528 .266 .138
  .189 .113
• co-worker .110 .524 .292 .220 .261
  .131
• n 247 p

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Faculty Study 3 - Partial Correlates

• DePaul Mission and Values Inventory
• inc-inn Cathplur urb-glo rel her
  faithopp
• ________________________________________
• School Sense of Community (SOC)
• setting
• .512 .246 .143 .191 .121
  
• co-worker
• .516 .280 .224 .263
  .136
• n 247 p

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Take Home Message

• Faculty, regardless of rank and religion, support
  mission statements at their university
• Moreover, a strong mission perception relates to
  a strong sense of community among faculty,
  independent of social desirability tendencies

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Student Leaders Study 4

• Objective Survey student leaders who
  participated in a yearlong mentored leadership
  training program
• Purpose Evaluate whether student leaders may be
  taught to perceive the institutional mission,
  especially when guided by staff mentors.
• Research Question 1 Does training with mission
  mentoring make a difference in terms of
  understanding and embracing the institutional
  mission, vision, and values?
• Research Question 2 How do club officers
  compare with regular members involved in mission
  mentoring?

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Student Leaders Study 4

• Participants
• Wave 1 (n 85 30 men, 45 women)
• -- Age (M 20.66)
• -- GPA (M 3.30)
• Student Club Officers (n 31)
• Regular Club Members (n 54)
• -- Year in School
• Freshman (n 11)
• Sophomore (n 21)
• Junior (n 22)
• Senior (n 21)

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Student Leaders Study 4

• Participants
• Wave 2 (n 25 7 men, 17 women)
• Year in School
• Freshman (n 3)
• Sophomore (n 8)
• Junior (n 7)
• Senior (n 6)

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Student Leaders Study 4

• Survey Instrument
• Student Life Assessment
• DePaul Values Inventory (DeVI)
• DePaul Mission Values Inventory (DMV)
• Social Desirability Scale
• Leadership Scale
• School Sense of Community Scale

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Student Leaders Study 4

• Timeline
• Fall 2005 Wave 1 Data Collection
• Winter 2006 Wave 2 Data Collection
• Winter 2007 Data Analysis
• Spring 2007 Summary Report
• Implications
• - Are we walking the talk?
• - Is our institutional message around vision,
  values, and mission being effectively conveyed to
  and embraced by students
• leaders different than regular members?

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The Engaged Student Project

• Objective survey undergraduates identified as
  "highly mission engaged leaders
• Purpose enhance objectives at furthering student
  engagement in DePaul's mission and values (e.g.
  program development).
• Definitions student engagement is characterized
  by a high level of involvement in activities
  reflecting the Universitys mission and values.

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The Engaged Student Project

• Recruitment students were identified by Staff
  Advisory Group (n 15 directors, assistant
  directors coordinators) from academic and
  leadership programs.
• Participation 250 students contacted via
  e-mail to participate in an on-line, open-ended
  survey 230 addresses usable
• 105 started survey 45.7 of total
• 101 completed survey 43.9 of total 96.2
  of starts
• 68 women, 32 men 45 Rom Catholic 57
  White
• 55 upper class 54 live off campus 48 1st
  genrtn

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The Engaged Student Project

• Survey demographics 14 items on student
  engagement
• 10 closed-ended, e.g.
• How would you describe your level of
  mission-related engagement as a student? (As
  measured by the time and effort you spend on
  co-curricular activities that you believe
  reflect the universitys mission and values)
• very high high average below average

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The Engaged Student Project

• 4 open-ended, e.g.
• How has the university encouraged and
  supported your engagement as a student with its
  mission and values?
• Timeline
• Fall 06 student identification/survey
  development
• Winter 07 survey administration
  analysis
• Spring 07 dissemination of findings

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Future Directions

• Similar profile with
• NEW FACULTY ?? Peter Drake
• Utilize findings from Engaged Student Survey to
  promote student engagement at DePaul Jessica
  Velcoff
• BOARD of TRUSTEES?? Jessica Peter

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Future Directions

• Variations with Different Colleges ?? Divisions
  ?? Majors ??
• Races?? Genders??
• Other Stakeholders Parents?? Alumni?
• PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT EVALUATION related to
  Mission??
• e.g., engaged student mentoring
• Application to OTHER SCHOOLS??

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Pubs using the DMV

• Ferrari, J.R. Velcoff, J. (2006). Measuring
  staff perceptions of university identity and
  activities The mission and values inventory.
  Christian Higher Education, 5, 243-261.
• Velcoff, J., Ferrari, J.R. (2006).
  Perception of a university mission statement by
  senior administrators Relating to faculty
  engagement. Christian Higher Education, 5,
  329-339.

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• THANK YOU
• FOR YOUR TIME
• INTEREST
• It is not enough to do good, we must do it well
  St. Vincent dePaul