First-year students' expectations of conduct and consequence: A case study

Research on first-year students' expectations about college has explored areas of academic and social expectations, but not first-year college students' expectations about judicial conduct and consequence. The purpose of this study was to empirically explore two questions: what are first year students' expectations about campus conduct and consequence for their behaviors, and do their background characteristics inform those expectations? Specifically, this case study involved 273 first year students at a small, liberal arts college. Students answered a questionnaire designed to gather information about expectations for behaviors and consequences, and a small group of students participated in interviews to add narrative data. Statistical analysis revealed that student expectations varied and that there are differences in those expectations by various student characteristics. Male students expect to violate rules more than females. Males also expect that their peers will commit low-level violations (e.g. underage alcohol use, marijuana use and possession of drug paraphernalia). Students from suburban and rural communities expect that students will commit low-level violations, more than their urban peers do. First-generation college students expect that their peers will commit low and high-level violations (e.g. underage alcohol use, marijuana use and possession of drug paraphernalia, assault, sexual assault, harassment, and possession of pellet guns) more than students whose parents attended college. Students identifying as Black, White, or Native American expect that rules will be fair and there will be consequences whereas their Hispanic and Pacific Islander peers were not sure. Students from urban areas do not expect the rules will be as fair as their suburban and rural peers. Finally, an overall measure of expectations of consequences reveals that, across all first-year students, expectations are considerably lower than what is possible. In other words, first-year students significantly underestimate possible consequences for rules violations. The implications of these findings are discussed.