Student-Faculty Informal Contact and College Outcomes

This paper is a critical review and synthesis of the research on the association between student-faculty informal, nonclass contact and various outcomes of college. Relevant investigations are summarized according to sample characteristics, independent and dependent variables, statistical or design controls, and findings. A synthesis of the results indicates that, with the influence of student preenrollment traits held constant, significant positive associations exist between extent and quality of student-faculty informal contact and students’ educational aspirations, their attitudes toward college, their academic achievement, intellectual and personal development, and their institutional persistence. Methodological problems and issues in the existing body of evidence are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested. A conceptual model to guide future inquiry in the area is offered and discussed briefly.