Campus environments exhibit a profound impact on the experiences of students in college and the outcomes that they achieve during their time in higher education (Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, Whitt, & Associates, 2005; Museus, 2014). 

Strange and Banning (2015) illustrate a framework to underscore four critical aspects of the campus environment in college: physical, organizational, human aggregate, and socially constructed environments 

1. Physical environments: Refer to the physical features of campuses that stimulate, limit, or otherwise influence individual behaviors (Ellen, 1982; Moos, 1979).

2. Organizational environments: Emerge from the patterns of organization, structure, and process that evolve within institutions to achieve goals (Etzioni, 1964; Moos, 1979; Strange & Banning, 2001, 2015). 

3. Human aggregate environments: Dominant characteristics of individuals in a given setting (Moos, 1986; Strange & Banning, 2001, 2015). 

4. Socially constructed environments: Emphasize the socially constructed elements of organizational environments and acknowledge that a consensus of individuals constitutes an important environmental press that exerts direct influence on human behavior (Moos, 1986; Strange & Banning, 2015). '

Implications for Student Support Professionals

1. Focus on the environment 

2. Recognize the power of spaces and structures 

3. Consider multiple levels of context 

4. Account for diversity and the differential impact of environments 

According to Manisah M.A. et al. (2018), non-academic support received by students with special needs while pursuing their studies at a university will provide a more accessible means of understanding and supporting the students, helping them to be successful in the future. For this subject, there are three main support themes: service support, learning support, and socio-emotional support.

Individuals Needing Accommodations 

1. • Most US higher education institutions have established a disability support services (DSS) office that provides assistance to students with disabilities and deals with disability issues. Support given by colleges and universities can include:

   • Accommodation adapted for the needs of students with disabilities (installing accessible facilities, such as ramps and lifts for physically disabled, for Deaf or Hard-of-hearing, reasonable accommodations typically include video captioning, audio amplification equipment, sign language services during the class)

   • Professional care staff (mental check-up, stress-relieved packages for students)

   • Help from volunteers (1-1 tutoring, tour guide before entering university)

   • Service(s) standards

• Ensure that the student is able to use support services used by the students of the institution in general on the same basis as a student without a disability, and without experiencing discrimination. 

• If a specialized support service is necessary for the student to be able to participate in the activities for which he or she is enrolled, and is of a kind that is provided by the education provider, the provider must take reasonable steps to ensure that the student has access to the service  

• If a specialized support service is necessary for the student to be able to participate in the activities for which he or she is enrolled, and is of a kind that is not provided by the provider, the provider must take reasonable steps to facilitate the provision of the service to the student by another person or agency. 

Ethnic Minority Students

• Culturally competent practice is fundamentally ethical practice requiring deep reflection about the students:

  • Social Justice: due to discrimination between races and ethnics in campus environment, it is important for ethnic minority students to be treat equitably regardless of personal opinion.

  • Risk Management: ethnic minority students need to be educated about risk so that they can be safe, to treat students as individuals who can make reasoned choices, and to address human dignity and community—all ethical principles of student affairs practitioners

There are many ways to define Underrepresented groups; however, we can consider them as those whose share of specific characteristics (e.g., gender, age, nationality, socioeconomic background, migratory background) is lower than the share of a comparable group in the total reference population.

The Radar-Graphs of the student population for three Indiana University campuses are great examples of the role of diversity and inclusion in Higher education. Collecting data on each underrepresented group helps understand their needs and demands and leads to a healthy campus culture.

Mitchell, B. C., & King, W. J. (2018). How to run a college: A practical guide for trustees, faculty, administrators, and policymakers. JHU Press.

Osfield, J., K. and Ludeman, B. J. (2009). "Section VIII: Student affairs and services functions in higher education: professional services and programmes delivered for enhancement of student learning and success" in Student affairs and services in higher education: Global foundations, issues and best practices. International Association of Student Affairs and Services (IASAS). p. 65.67. 

Schuh, H. J., Jones, R . S., & Torres Vasti. (2016). "Chapter 16 - Framing Student Affairs Practice" in Student Services a Handbook for the Profession. Sixth Edition. Jossey-Bass. 375-381(https://app.luminpdf.com/viewer/63d423996f7eccd7a75f1c8a)

Manisah M.A et al (2018), Learning Support for Students with Special Needs at a Public University from the Perspective of Non Academic Staffs, Journal  of  ICSAR, Vol. 2 (1).