University Presentation Showcase: Undergraduate Poster Gallery
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Creation Date
Spring 2017
Major
Honors
Department
Anthropology, Sociology, and Social Work
Degree
Undergraduate
Mentor
Michael J. Bradley; James N. Maples
Mentor Department
Recreation and Park Administration
Abstract
Place attachment is defined as an emotional bond between a person and a place formed from experiences and emotions felt in the place. Attachment to place can be either positive or negative, as unhappy experiences can lead to place eversion and positive experiences strengthen attachment (Manzo, 2005). For university and colleges, place attachment to the school and campus itself are essential for improving retention and admission rates. At Eastern Kentucky University, while survey results do not show strong place attachment, certain elements show that students do experience a positive attachment toward EKU, created through a strong campus community, organizations, and collective school spirit. EKU administration may strengthen students’ attachment through further developing existing programs, as the programs in place show some level of success, but there is still room for improvement. To gain a better understanding of how to improve the level of place attachment more information is needed to see where students believe programs are lacking and improvements are needed to foster student attachment to the university.
