Structural Diversity of Campus Environments in Higher Technical Institutes: A Study on Undergraduate Students of Indian Institute(S) Technology and National Institute(S) Technology
Date
2018
Authors
Vijayalakshmi N. S
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal
Abstract
The state of diversity at campus environments of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT’s) and
National Institutes of Technology (NIT’s) for a variety of reasons has stifled to embrace on
vivacity of adaptation. The undergraduate four-year B.Tech engineering students of higher
technical institutions of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT’s) and National Institutes of
Technology (NIT’s) aptly adjust and not sneeringly adapt to the established mechanisms of
their campuses. The structural components of student diversity within each campus have a
closure of differences existing on perceptive sub-environments of academic, social, physical
– psychological and institutional environments operating within one whole of campus
environment. This multitudinous nature of functioning of sub-environments has often bigoted
by superficial numeric entity of expenditures alone in the sphere of higher education which
immaculately threatens the virtual being of the powerful stakeholder – the student. The
experiences of students in higher education is rote defined by semester, curriculum and
grades achieved. The value–added perception that moulds up the student is intercepted by
time spent ardently at campus environment. Thus the way students’ role has been defined in
higher education relies on challenges versus the changes students face to counter their beliefs
which have often remained estranged to be identified at campuses. This motivates the study
to embed students’ individual experiences towards student satisfaction. The research
envisages methodology of explanatory sequential mixed method research with deductive
reasoning in the first phase of quantitative research that adopts probability sampling
techniques of cluster, systematic and simple random sampling. The second phase of
qualitative case study research enfolds inductive reasoning with non-probability sampling
techniques of purposive and judgemental sampling. In enlisting the required information for
quantitative data from the institutes’ questionnaires were administered. This data was
tabulated and analysed quantitatively using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA)
followed with discriminant analysis and independent – t tests. Qualitatively a case study
approach with semi structured interviews at one of the institutes were conducted and analysed
using open, axial and hierarchical coding. The findings suggest that structural component of
student adaptability to campus environments differ among the sub environments towards
student satisfaction. This makes it vital to value structural diversity among students as it’s an
interplay of heterogeneous group functioning in a perceived homogeneous campus
environment. Further institutional commitment to diversity is encouraging having diversified
effects not only on individual outcomes but also campus environment which furtherreinforces the benefits associated with diversity. Therefore, it is recommended to emphasise
diversity in higher education policies with diversity management penetrating all areas of
institutional life of a student. Moreover, diversity aspects remain less observed in Indian
universities where there are variations in degree of intensity of campus adaptability at Indian
higher technical educational institutions of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT’s) and
National Institute of Technology (NIT’s). Consequently, there is a need to claim the
continuing importance of affirmative action on diversity management in multicultural context
by colleges and universities in India that could act as means of fostering students’ academic,
social, physical – psychological and institutional growth across faculty – staff and other
diversifications. Finally, the research asserts that engagement with diversity not only supports
social justice, but also prepares students, faculty, staff, parents, government and society at
large for ethical wellbeing in an interconnected world. Therefore, the study concludes by
recommending that regular annual campus environment surveys at higher technical
educational institutions could foster a new avenue for introspection on higher education to
gather momentum on the less emphasised aspect of student satisfaction.
Description
Keywords
School of Management, Higher Education, Academic, Social, Physical – Psychological, Institution, Campus Adaptation