A Survey of the Role of a Campus Recreation Center in the Recruitment and Retention of Undergraduate Students

Abstract

The purpose of this dissertation is to examine if the interplay of age and gender impact the level of influence a campus based student recreation center exerts on a student's decision to choose and remain at a college or university. This study is theoretically based in Tinto's Student Engagement Model 1975 and supported by later scholarly work. Data were collected at a single medium sized university in the Western United States using Check Box electronic survey distribution technology and a self-created instrument. Three hundred and sixty-seven completed surveys were analyzed using 2x2 Factorial Analysis of Variance. Results show that gender does not appear to be a factor, however, age does play a significant role. Recommendations for the profession and future research are provided.