Impact of Community Experiences on Student Retention Perceptions and Satisfaction in Higher Education

Abstract

Understanding student experiences and the ability to predict satisfaction and retention continues to be an important topic in higher education. Among the many variables that have predictive capacity, recent research shows that a sense of belonging may be an important factor. The present study extends this logic to examine if a sense of community (which contains a subconstruct of belonging) is a better predictor of satisfaction and retention perceptions compared with academic achievement (i.e., grade point average and Dean’s List status) and engagement (i.e., in class, in programs, and with others). Second, we examine if a sense of community responsibility predicts behavioral engagement toward the campus community (i.e., organizational citizenship behaviors). We carry out these aims to test the efficacy of the community experiences model and its application in higher education institutional research contexts.