Date Approved

4-19-2007

Embargo Period

3-28-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.A. in Higher Education Administration

Department

Educational Services and Leadership

College

College of Education

Advisor

Sisco, Burton

Subject(s)

College student government--New Jersey; Student government--New Jersey

Disciplines

Higher Education Administration

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the perceived benefits of being involved in student government at Rowan University. Thirty-five undergraduate students involved in the Student Government Association (SGA) at Rowan University completed a survey to determine their perceived benefits, discover why they decided to become involved, and to determine whether there was a pattern of involvement.

The findings showed that involved students saw positive benefits in the areas of: personal development, educational, and developing social skills. Rowan University students who were involved in SGA saw positive values from their experience. The higher level of involvement a student had in SGA yielded a greater perceived value academically, socially, personally, and through skill development. No notable difference was discovered based on the demographics of GPA, ethnicity, and year in school with perceived benefits of being involved in SGA. A positive relationship between past and future involvement suggests that past involvement predicts future involvement.

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