A STUDY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTIONS OF MEXICAN-AMERICAN AND ANGLO UPPER CLASSMEN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA (CHICANOS, HISPANICS)

The major purpose of this study was to determine whether or not any significant differences existed between the perceptions of Hispanic and White students in regard to the college environment at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. The secondary purpose of this study was to determine if any significant differences existed between the two groups on the seven environmental scales in relation to the independent variables of ethnicity, sex, and grade level. The instrument used in this study was the College and University Environmental Scales (CUES) developed by Pace. This instrument measures the college environment on the dimensions of Practicality, Community, Awareness, Propriety, Scholarship, Campus Morale, and Quality of Teaching/Faculty-Student Relationships. The population from which the sample for the study was selected included upper classmen from three major colleges at the University of Nebraska at Omaha: Arts and Science, Business Administration, and Public Affairs and Community Service. The White student population was administered the CUES in upper-level classes to insure inclusion of upper classmen only. The Hispanic students eligible to participate (upper classmen) were sent letters requesting them to come to the testing center to complete the questionnaire. A follow-up letter was also sent, which resulted in obtaining a 60 percent return of Hispanic questionnaires. Analysis excluded all students who were not White or Hispanic. The three-way analysis of variance was used to compare responses on the seven scales of the CUES. The findings of the study revealed that (1) Hispanics differed from Whites in a positive direction in their perceptions of the UNO environment; and (2) when the independent variables of sex, ethnicity, and grade level were introduced, significant differences existed