Student Use of Information Sources About Student Activities

Abstract

The ability of professionals in student activities to inform students of scheduled events is a key factor in the success of their programs. While traditional forms of communication with students, such as newspaper announcements and campus flyers, have not been totally reliable, they remain among the standard forms of getting the word to students about campus activities and events. Other forms of communication with students now are available, such as web pages and electronic infolines, but student activities professionals still do not know with any degree of certainty which forms are preferred by students and which are most effective. The study was guided by the question, " What are students' preferred and actual record of use of selecting sources of information about campus activities at Virginia Tech?" and was intended to collect and analyze data about actual student use of various forms of formal communication to inform them about campus events. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were used to portray actual use patterns of students and to test whether these patterns differ by class standing and gender. It is anticipated that findings from this study will be useful to all student groups who plan events for wide-spread participation by students, to advisors of student groups including the Virginia Tech Union, and to student affairs professionals who are responsible for enhancing student involvement on campus.