The document summarizes a study that investigated the relationship between campus green space acreage and freshman retention rates at six University of Wisconsin system schools. Data was collected on campus acreage breakdown, enrollment statistics, location details, and retention rates. While some relationship between green space and retention was suggested by the downward trend in a graph, the analysis found no definitive direct relationship between the two variables. More research with more universities would be needed to make stronger conclusions.

1. Taylor Young
Campus Green Space Study
Arch 390_Assignment 4_Research Study

2. Introduction
Several Articles published by Science
Daily and HortTechnology suggest
that there is a relationship between
green space use and a student’s
perceived quality of life. These articles
were also publishing the findings of a
study that was done at a Texas
University to see if there was such a
correlation. The study was conducted
via email survey, and undergraduate
students were asked to respond to
several questions relating to their
usage of campus green space and
how happy they were in their life.
“The overall results from this study indicated
that, in general, students who used the campus
green spaces more frequently perceived their
quality of life as higher when compared with
those students who used green spaces less
frequently. Additionally, undergraduate student
use of campus green spaces was correlated with
the individual areas of overall quality of life, the
affective domain of quality of life of university
students, and, specifically, the total positive
affective dimension and the interaction with
students dimension. These results suggested
campus green spaces and their availability could
potentially be a contributing factor in student
retention, particularly among students new to
the university (i.e., freshmen)”(McFarland,
Waliczek, Zajicek).
My research is based on this study and
the information presented in these
articles, although I wanted to push it
beyond what students perceive, and
look more at the data to see if the
same relationship was evident. For my
research project I chose to investigate
the relationship between
acreage of campus green space
and freshman retention rate at 6
UW System schools.
From reading these articles, that
focused on green space users, it seems
to me in order to get students to use
green space on campus there first has
to be some, and that’s why I chose the
green space acreage as one of my
variables. Quality of life in my research
is represented by freshman retention
rate, because so much of a student’s
life is focused around the campus
atmosphere, and if they don’t like that
atmosphere, especially an undergrad-
uate freshman, they are less likely to
stay and or graduate from that
university.

3. Process
Universities:
I chose UW Schools because I wanted to
see how this applied to schools close to
home and that I was more familiar with. I
chose the 6 UW Schools with the highest
enrollment, these schools also are all
located within a city that all have a density
of a least 2,000 people/square mile.
•UW Eau Claire•UW LaCrosse•
•UW Madison•UW Milwaukee•
•UW Oshkosh•UW Whitewater•
Data:
I found numerical data and statistics about
the university and city from various
sources on the internet and organized it in
a spreadsheet.
The campus acreage data is not something
readily found on the internet, so I imple-
mented my own strategy to find acreage of
green space and recreational space. I used
a scaled Google map of the campus and
placed a grid over it, and then began filling
in the squares according to what was on
the map. I also included a 5 minute
walking radius and filled in any public
green space that was near campus, as I
think the surroundings and what is directly
accessible off campus plays a role as well.
All the colored squares were then counted
and translated into percentages, which
then could be converted into acreage.
This method is obviously not precise, but it
gives a close representation as to what the
make-up of the campus is like.
5 Minute
Walking
Radius
Campus
Outline
Public Green
Space: Parks,
Trails, nature
preserves, plazas
Campus
Recreational
Space (Outdoor):
Athletic fields
available to all
students
Campus Green
Space: Parks, nature
preserves, plazas,
landscaping, green
streets, lawns, forests
Campus
Non-Green Space

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© 2012 University Publications
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire – Rev. 11/12
To reac
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is closed to all non-university vehicles.
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RECREATION
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AMPUS
DISABILITY parking is
available in all lots.
(Guest permit must be obtainedd
from Visitors Center.)
NORTH
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
337 Acres
44 Acres
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Campus Rec Space
Campus Green Space
Non Green Space
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Campus Acreage
Enrollment
Undergraduate
Graduate
Freshman Retention Rate
4 Year Graduation Rate
6 Year Graduation Rate
Location
City SquareMiles
City Population
Density
337
11,233
10,578
655
83.2%
23%
64%
Eau Claire, WI
32
66,623
2,056 people/sq. mi.

5. University of Wisconsin LaCrosse
120 Acres
45 Acres
Public Green Space
Campus Rec Space
Campus Green Space
Non Green Space
Campus Acreage
Enrollment
Undergraduate
Graduate
Freshman Retention Rate
4 Year Graduation Rate
6 Year Graduation Rate
Location
City SquareMiles
City Population
Density
120
10,074
9,119
955
86%
33%
69%
LaCrosse, WI
22
51,719
2,330 people/sq. mi.

6. University of Wisconsin Madison
Public Green Space
Campus Rec Space
Campus Green Space
Non Green Space
936 Acres
32 Acres
res
Campus Acreage
Enrollment
Undergraduate
Graduate
Freshman Retention Rate
4 Year Graduation Rate
6 Year Graduation Rate
Location
City SquareMiles
City Population
Density
936
42,441
30,367
12,074
94.2%
53%
83%
Madison, WI
85
236,901
2,797 people/sq. mi.

7. University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
73 Acres
Public Green Space
Campus Rec Space
Campus Green Space
Non Green Space
Campus Acreage
Enrollment
Undergraduate
Graduate
Freshman Retention Rate
4 Year Graduation Rate
6 Year Graduation Rate
Location
City SquareMiles
City Population
Density
73
29,726
24,639
5,087
71.5%
14%
40%
Milwaukee, WI
97
597,867
6,164 people/sq. mi.

8. University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
166 Acres
28 Acres
Public Green Space
Campus Rec Space
Campus Green Space
Non Green Space
Campus Acreage
Enrollment
Undergraduate
Graduate
Freshman Retention Rate
4 Year Graduation Rate
6 Year Graduation Rate
Location
City SquareMiles
City Population
Density
166
13,461
12,232
1,229
75.8%
14%
50%
Oshkosh, WI
27
66,344
2,493 people/sq. mi.

9. University of Wisconsin Whitewater
400 Acres
134 Acres
Public Green Space
Campus Rec Space
Campus Green Space
Non Green Space
Campus Acreage
Enrollment
Undergraduate
Graduate
Freshman Retention Rate
4 Year Graduation Rate
6 Year Graduation Rate
Location
City SquareMiles
City Population
Density
400
11,629
10,214
1,415
77.5%
26%
56%
Whitewater, WI
7.3
14,769
2,023 people/sq. mi.

10. Eau Claire
83%
LaCrosse
86%
Milwaukee
71.5%
Oshkosh
75.8%
Whitewater
77.5%
50%
Green
Space
University
Freshman
Retention
Rate
Madison
94.2%
Campus Rec Space
Campus Green Space
Results by Percentage

11. EauClaire
83%
LaCrosse
86%
Madison
94.2%
Milwaukee
71.5%
Oshkosh
75.8%
Whitewater
77.5%
100Acres
University
Freshman
Retention
Rate
200Acres
300Acres
400Acres
500Acres
Public Green Space
Campus Rec Space
Campus Green Space Results by Acreage

12. Conclusion
Although the article in which
this study was based on
suggests that there may be a
relationship between the
amount of green space a
campus has available and its
retention rate my findings state
that there is not a definite direct
relationship between the 2
variables by either percentage
of campus green space or just
by the amount of green acre-
age.
When comparing acreage with
retention rate there is some-
what of a relationship that can
be seen, as the bars do create a
downward slope overall, but it is
not a true direct relationship
because 2 of the 6 bars are not
in sync with the downward
slope of the bar graph. So
overall this set of results could
suggest that there is a direct
relationship between the 2
variables, meaning the more
green acreage there is available
the higher a retention rate a
university will have, but further
investigation with more univer-
sities should be done to see if
those 2 inconsistent bars really
are just outliers of the trend, or
if there is in fact no trend at all.
I also think it would be interest-
ing to see how these schools
stack up against the other US
System schools, several of
which are in rural or suburban
areas, and not in the setting of a
city like these 6 are. Given more
time I would have liked to
explore this.

13. Sources
Articles:
American Society for Horticultural Science
(2008, September 30). Campus Green Spaces
Enhance Quality Of Life. ScienceDaily. Retrieved
April 29, 2013, from http://www.sciencedai-
ly.com /releases/2008/09/080929104611.htm
Websites:
Google Maps
U.S. News
University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin LaCrosse
University of Wisconsin Madison
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin Whitewater