Leveraging a Physiosocial Ecological Critique of the Campus Climate Heuristic in Higher Education Research

• In Event: 45.043 - Improving Campus Climates in Higher Education

Abstract

In this conceptual paper, we argue for the need to (re)imagine and (re)conceptualize the notion of campus climate based on key conceptual limitations. We utilize a critical physio-social ecological (CPE) framework that posits that social identities are constructed as physical bodies move through ecologically intertwined social contexts to engage in a critical assessment of the inherent shortcomings of the predominant campus climate metaphor that centers the collective institutional ethos and de-centers the role of individuals in contributing to and perpetuating oppressive regimes. In turn, we articulate the need for future conceptualizations of campus learning environments to center the individual while maintaining fidelity to the broader multifaceted learning environment.

Authors

• Elvira Julia Abrica, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

• Deryl Keith Hatch-Tocaimaza, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

• Cecilia Rios-Aguilar, University of California - Los Angeles