During your college days, did you ever get a genuine vibe of community? I feel like college campuses are simply too big to really get invested in their students. Where does the community come from, if at all?
LACs definitely offer a sense of community.
National Universities do as well, but also offer smaller communities within the setting of a large university.
Notre Dame is an example of a National University which offers a sense of community. Penn State football fosters another.
The key, in my opinion, depends upon the percentage of students residing on campus (as opposed to commuter schools).
It would be interesting to read the opinions of NYU undergraduate students on this topic. (There is a sense of community/bonding at NYU School of Law among the law students.)
The community comes from you and the group of friends you make and the activities you participate in. Colleges provide the opportunities, it is up to the student to take advantage of them.
Yes. Williams College has a very strong sense of community. The freshman orientation, with the ephventures activities, and the diverse, tight-knit “entries” (freshman dorms of about 20 kids with 2 unpaid junior advisers) help create a tight community. So do small discussion-based classes, extracurricular activities/clubs/teams, and schoolwide shared activities like Mountain Day.
I always hear about the strong sense of community at University of Dayton. Universally, from both alums and current students. They must be doing something right!
In my experience, these are the factors that tend to be associated with a strong sense of campus community:
- Smaller enrollment
- Focus on undergraduate education, not research
- Practically all students live on campus or in adjacent off-campus neighborhoods
- Small town or rural environment, so limited entertainment options off-campus
- Located far from major population centers, so limited ability to go home
- High alumni giving rate
Schools like Williams or Dartmouth would be examples. They check all of these boxes and are noted for community feel.
It wouldn’t surprise me if a strong religious tradition also helps, but I have no personal experience with religious schools.
Conversely, I would predict a generally lower sense of community at a large, urban, research-oriented school with many commuters.
Community - during college and in life - comes from what you make it. If you join (clubs and groups) (local churches/synagogues/mosques and volunteer organizations), then you will build a network of associations that leads to community. It’s easier in college because the opportunities are right there in front of you.