Talking Stick - November/December 2013 - 25

changes in elevation misrepresented
the actual distance to the selected site
and made the walk more difficult.
Focus group participants relayed these
concerns, which led to the university
ultimately selecting a new site. The
resulting 1,200-bed facility would not
have been in a convenient location if
students, the facility's ultimate users,
had not been given the opportunity to
share their views.
Focus groups on college and
university campuses have impacted
a wide range of key project decisions
including facility offerings, desired
amenities, space sizing and allocation,
integration of technology, target
markets, hours of operation, and many
other factors that are incorporated
into planning the kind of facilities that
students will appreciate and enjoy.
Few exercises yield more accurate and
practical information, and few yield
such a diverse representation of ideas
and opinions so efficiently.
The first step in preparing to
conduct focus group interviews is to
develop a moderator's guide. This onepage guide should include the series of
questions that will be asked, arranged
in a logical order, and a clarification of
the objectives. If a particular question
will not bring the session closer to
achieving an objective, then replace it
with one that will.
Select moderators who can be
objective and professional, while at the
same time able to establish a rapport
with the participants. One of the most
crucial skills for moderators is active
listening, which involves maintaining
eye contact with the participants,
leaning towards them when they
speak, and offering their full attention:
all difficult to do if they are also taking

notes. For this reason, plan on using
two moderators, not just one, so that
one can take notes while the other
fully engages in the conversation,
interfacing directly with the students.
Focus groups should be preselected based on the participants'
demographic profiles. Representative
samples are more likely to lead
to conclusions that reflect market
realities. For example, if conducting

in favor of another activity. In one of
our campus focus group sessions, two
students from each residence hall were
invited to participate, which resulted in
a spirited discussion that contributed
to a robust set of recommendations.
To maximize participation rates, set up
interview times that will most likely
align with students' schedules; 5:30
p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on any weekday but
Friday are ideal times, as students are

What do you ask?
These are a few
sample questions that
are commonly used in
student housing focus
groups.

Why did you choose to attend XYZ University?
What were your expectations before you arrived?
How well do facilities meet your needs?
Have you visited other colleges or universities?
If you have visited other schools, which ones?
What does the "college experience" mean to you?

interviews at an institution with a
50-50 male-female student population
ratio, don't settle for a session
composed of 80 percent men and
20 percent women. Similarly, don't
randomly select people to participate;
if they happen to be from the same
sorority or sports team or honors
program or any other self-selected
group, their views on some issues
might not be representative of those
of the larger campus population. As
part of the planning process, it is
also important to ensure institutional
support for the focus groups and to
coordinate participation and confirm
attendance before the event.
Ideally, a focus group should
consist of 8-12 students, meaning you
should invite about 12-15, knowing that
a few might opt out at the last minute

likely to be on site, out of class, and
not yet getting ready for their evening
activities. Incentives like free food can
help guarantee sufficient turnouts,
provided the food is available as soon
as students arrive.
In some cases, if not enough of
the original respondents show up,
participants may need to be found at
the last minute. In one of our sessions,
the tiny contingent that did show
up was kept occupied with free food
while moderators made their way to
a nearby dining facility, where they
selected a diverse subset of students.
Being friendly and direct was the
key to engaging their interest. After
a 20-second pitch to each individual
about what the school is doing and
why their participation would be
valuable, most accepted the offer and
November + December 2013

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Talking Stick - November/December 2013

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