Update: Announcing the Final Examination of Tracy Gulliford for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Strategic Communication
Few would argue that college campus crime is a serious problem across the United States. Debate arises, however, regarding why the problem is so pervasive and how best to address it. This dissertation addresses that gap by exploring the nature and magnitude of the college campus crime problem followed by a rationale for studying student perceptions regarding knowledge about and use of victim services resources offered on the University of Central Florida (UCF) campus. Doing so is particularly important in light of the fact that five years have now passed since UCF launched the “Let’s Be Clear” campaign designed to raise awareness about the nature and scope of campus crime and victim services resources offered.
Participants completed a survey that contained both Likert-type scale items and open-ended questions regarding their awareness of and experiences with UCF victim services resources. A mixed methods analysis revealed four primary conclusions. First, when educated about the resources offered, students demonstrate high levels of self-efficacy regarding the use of victim services resources offered on campus for themselves and others. Second, students perceive high levels of internalization and affective learning regarding the relevance of victim services resources. Third, students report a desire to seek information regarding victim services resources from multiple sources. Fourth, this analysis revealed how communication campaigns that do not adequately address each of the IDEA model elements may fail to achieve affective, cognitive, and behavioral learning among target populations. Ultimately, these conclusions reveal how UCF ought to revisit and revise the “Let’s Be Clear” communication campaign to improve achievement of its strategic learning outcome goals among college students.
Committee:
Dr. Deanna Sellnow (chair)
Dr. Harry Weger
Dr. Adam Parrish
Dr. Dr. Jami Warren
Read More