How Faculty, Staff, and Student Interactions Influence College Student Satisfaction

Abstract

Two qualitative studies, 2015 and 2020, on seniors’ satisfaction with faculty interactions provided the background for this 2023 qualitative study. This present study explored the characteristics and development of the faculty, staff, and student interactions that influenced college student satisfaction. Even though quantitative research showed the influence of faculty-student interaction on student growth, development, and overall experience, less is known about how faculty and staff, institutional characteristics, and curriculum approaches influence interaction. This study addressed this gap in the literature. The participants were faculty, staff, and students at a small, private liberal arts college in the northeastern United States. The research questions addressed are: (1) What types of faculty, staff, and student interactions promote college student satisfaction? (2) What faculty, staff, and student characteristics, institutional dynamics, and curriculum approaches influence faculty, staff, and student interactions? The three studies used grounded theory methodology to explore the perspectives of satisfied college students. For the 2015 and 2020 studies, 25 students and 36 students were interviewed, respectively. In the present study, 13 faculty and 11 staff were interviewed. Data was collected, analyzed, and reported. Key findings were that faculty and student characteristics, institutional dynamics, and curriculum approaches influenced interactions. When faculty and staff took an interest in student growth and development, and when they viewed students as individuals, faculty and staff positively influenced student lives. Key implications were that any college personnel who interfaced with students, treated them as individuals, and had an interest in student growth and development positively influenced their experience.