Exploring Feelings of Student Community across a Geographically Distributed University

Options for students to learn and connect with each other have diversified in recent years, with online resources and campuses playing an increasing role. Flexibility and comfort are becoming a priority as students choose when, where and how to pursue learning goals. Nonetheless, students want to feel sense of community with their peers and instructors; institutional bonds are in turn associated with enhanced learning. In this paper, we explore the feelings of community among students studying at a geographically distributed university. We seek to understand how the students understand community, the levels of community they feel and how their campus location may affect these feelings. In this paper, we present findings from both a survey and an interview study and consider the implications for tools that might promote community.