The impact of student opinions of built heritage on their perceptions of institutional loyalty: implica-tions for marketing strategies

Abstract

Research has shown that the racial diversity of university student populations improves social tolerance and academic performance. However, students of colour are more likely to drop out than their white counterparts and to feel isolated and excluded from campus life. One possible reason for such feelings is the built heritage on campuses, in particular those with colonial-era style. This research uses student survey data from St Mary’s College of Maryland in the US and Rhodes University in South Africa to investigate student attitudes towards, and knowledge about, campus built heritage and their perceptions of its impact on student loyalty.