A Determination of La Crosse Clergy's Involvement with Students at the University of Wisconsin--La Crosse

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the involvement of La Crosse's clergymen with college students at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. In addition, the study sought to investigate if the clergymen in La Crosse sought to initiate contact with the college students. A sample size of fifty~five clergymen in the city of La Crosse was derived from the membership list of the La Crosse Ministerial Association. A questionnaire was used to collect the data for the study. Fifty clergymen, or 90.9 per cent of the sample, responded to the instrument. Based upon the results of the questionnaire,it was concluded that La Crosse's clergymen (78% of the sample) had an involvement, as clergymen, with college students at the UW-La Crosse. In addition, it was also determined that clergymen (67% of the sample) actually sought involvement with the college students. The study ,indicated that the clergymen's involvement with college students varied from general religious services to matters of a personal nature. The clergymen perceived themselves as being placed in the role of counselor in their dealings with the college students. There was a lack of any continuing dialogue between the city's clergymen and the Counseling Center at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. It was also indicated that attendance at religious services could serve as an initial step for some college students to establish contact with a clergyman for other reasons. A major recommendation listed the need for a cooperative relationship between La Crosse's clergymen and the staff of the various offices of the Student Personnel Services at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.