Date of Award

8-2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Legacy Department

Applied Sociology

Committee Chair/Advisor

Vander Mey, Brenda J

Committee Member

Wentworth , William M

Committee Member

Luo , Ye

Abstract

Diversity issues are still real and relevant concerns for organizations; university campuses are no exception. This study surveyed the faculty and staff at Clemson University in South Carolina about their experiences with diversity issues and the campus climate. The research question evaluated what influenced employees to have a negative perception of the campus climate. In addition to status characteristics, a respondent's level of cultural competence and exposure to harassment and discrimination were considered. A respondent's race was found to be the most influential of the status characteristics while experiencing harassment or discrimination was also significant. Cultural competence was significant in some models, pointing to the appropriateness of incorporating this relatively new concept into the campus climate literature. Administrators and other stakeholders at the university can use this information when making policy decisions or changes. In addition, the Cultural Competence and Campus Climate Indices created through this study hold promise for subsequent research.

Included in

Sociology Commons

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