Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-8-2025
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
School of Pharmacy
First Advisor
Hannah Allen
Second Advisor
Sarah Bilsky
Third Advisor
Erika LeBlanc
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Background. College is a pivotal period in the lives of students, and an important aspect of the experience is involvement within the campus. College student wellness is also a growing area of interest in higher education, with increased attention on ways to help students thrive. This study explores which aspects of campus involvement contribute to students’ feelings of connectedness and social support. This study aims to 1) assess the association between campus involvement and social support among college students, 2) assess the association between campus involvement and institutional connectedness among college students, and 3) examine whether the association between campus involvement and wellness differs by grade classification.
Methods. This cross-sectional study used a self-administered online survey. The participants were undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Mississippi who were 18 years or older. Demographic information, including age, race/ethnicity, sex, class standing, and other sample characteristics were collected. To assess campus involvement, students selected from a list of activities across three different categories representing academic, social, and health-related activities during the previous semester. Institutional connectedness was measured using the Campus Connectedness Scale (CCS), and social support was measured using the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List – Shortened Version (ISEL-SV). Linear regression models were run to assess the associations between campus involvement and both institutional connectedness and social support. Furthermore, to investigate potential variations in the associations by grade classification, the sample was stratified and linear regression models were run again.
Results. A final sample of n=152 college students, with a mean age of 20.0, was analyzed. The sample was mostly white (88%) and female (73%). The mean number of activities was 1.5, 1.8, and 1.0 in academic, social, and health-related activities, respectively. The mean scores were 62.4 and 25.8 for the CCS and IPEL-SV, respectively. Significant associations were found between social involvement and both institutional connectedness and social support. No other associations were found in the overall sample. When stratified by grade classification, only upperclassmen had significant associations between social involvement and both institutional connectedness and social support. Another association emerged among upperclassmen between health involvement and both institutional connectedness and social support.
Conclusion. This study suggests that social involvement has strong links to campus connectedness and social support among college students, especially among upperclassmen. Future research should investigate which aspects of social involvement have the greatest effect on student feelings of connectedness. This information can be used by school administrators to support student retention, achievement, and wellness.
Recommended Citation
Strum, Carissa, "Institutional Connectedness and Social Support Among College Students: Links to Campus Involvement" (2025). Honors Theses. 3089.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3089
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