Environmental amenities and student migration patterns at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The study is an investigation of the effects of environmental amenities on student migration patterns at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The hypothesis tested is that environmental amenities are significant factors in student decisions to attend Tennessee. The secondary purposes of the study are to assess familiarity with and use of environmental amenities by student migrants.

A questionnaire was mailed to out-of-state freshmen students, Spring Quarter, 1980. The questionnaire sought to discover the underlying reasons in student decisions to attend the university and to assess student familiarity with and use of recreational areas.

The ten most important reasons in student decisions to attend Tennessee are: (1) academic reputation, (2) desire to live away from home, (3) social atmosphere, (4) tuition costs, (5) size of the student body, (6) influence of family, (7) climate of East Tennessee, (8) scenery and topography of East Tennessee, (9) recreational opportunities, and (10) location of the university.

The importance of environmental amenities differs by regional origins of students. Midwesterners are influenced the greatest by environmental amenities. Northeasterners are influenced by environmental amenities, but financial reasons are more important. Southerners are influenced the least by environmental amenities.

The students' familiarity with and use of recreational areas differ by whether or not they believe that environmental amenities are important in their decisions to attend Tennessee. Students who believe that environmental amenities are "very important" are more familiar with recreation areas and use a greater variety of recreation areas. Responding students seem to have a general image of the environmental amenities in the vicinity of Knoxville. Respondents indicated that environmental amenities influence decisions to attend Tennessee; however, once they arrive at the university, they use mostly the areas with which they are familiar, mainly the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The image of environmental amenities is mythical because there are a variety of other federal, state, and commercial recreational areas which comprise the amenities of the Knoxville area.

Environmental amenities and their effects on permanent movements have been studied, but there is a lack of studies on the effects of environmental amenities on student migration patterns. This study shows that the migration to The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is affected by environmental amenities, but environmental amenities are not the most significant factors in student decisions. They are of secondary importance. The study is an investigation into the spatial interaction process of migration to clarify and improve an understanding of migration.