SCOM388 Professor

1 Woo 12/14/18
 Table of Contents

Executive Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------3

Introduction
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------4

Situation Analysis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------4

Organization Analysis ----------------------------------------------------------------------6

Publics Analysis-----------------------------------------------------------------------------12

SWOT Analysis & Problem/Opportunity Statement-------------------------------14

Conclusion and Primary Research Plans --------------------------------------------15

Primary Research --------------------------------------------------------------------------16

Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------16

Research Questions and Hypotheses -------------------------------------------------16

Methods ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------23

Measurements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------23

Results ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------25

Conclusion -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------28

Implications ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------29

Limitations and Future Study ----------------------------------------------------------32

Bibliography ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------33

Appendices -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------37
1. Final Questionnaire
2. IRB form and Informed consent
3. Data Analysis Output
4. Team Member Approval Sheet

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 Executive Summary

Client
James Madison University is a public high educational institute located in
Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Issue Statement
Recently, college campuses in the southern part of the United States have faced crises
concerning monuments, plaques, and building names honoring Confederate soldiers.
This causes concern for universities in similar demographic and geographic settings and
calls for preventative public relations in order to avoid any possible crisis or damaging
situation to James Madison University.

Secondary Research Findings

At the University of Virginia, a rally was held to protest the removal of the Confederate
Robert E. Lee statue that lead to multiple injuries and a few deaths (Fortin, 2017). A
similar event occurred at UNC-Chapel Hill when multiple protests led to the removal of
Silent Sam, a statue on campus honoring the Confederacy (Hull, 2004). Due to these
past events and the increase in petitions at James Madison University drawing attention
to three campus buildings honoring Confederate generals and the university name’s
slave-owning history, this study is aimed to evaluate if James Madison University is on
its way to a potential crisis. There has been some effort made to enhance diversity on
campus at JMU after the Charlottesville events, but the administration at James
Madison University has done little to tackle the issue. JMU has a strong presence on
social media and multiple departments on campus that can be utilized to recognize lack
of diversity and knowledge of history in order bring this potential crisis to light and take
steps necessary to avoid events that took place at other universities.

Primary Research Findings

This study aimed to evaluate James Madison University’s students and faculty overall
levels of attitudes about diversity and inclusion on campus, levels of attitude about
Confederate figures and building names, levels of attitude towards the university name
and potential change implementations about both the building names and university
name. The survey was available through the School of Communications studies SONA
system and the JMU Bulk Email system for both undergraduate and graduate students,
as well as faculty.

This survey found that the participants had relatively negative views towards the
Confederacy and James Madison’s slave-owning past. However, the researchers found
that the participants relatively support changing the building names on campus, but not
the university name. The survey also found that the participants had a relatively low
perception of diversity on campus.

Suggestions for a Campaign

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Based on our research, James Madison University would benefit from renaming the
building names using input from students, faculty, alumni, and donors to decide what
historical figures best represent the Madison mission and deserve to be honored on the
campus. However, the researchers recognize that James Madison University would also
benefit from partaking in more research about this matter.

Introduction
James Madison University, a public university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, has
recently faced backlash due to on-campus buildings being named in honor of
Confederate soldiers. Ashby Hall, in honor of Confederate Commander Turner Ashby,
Jackson Hall, named for Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and Maury
Hall, dedicated to Matthew Maury—an astronomer who also served in the Confederate
States Navy—, have caused the student body to petition to rename these buildings, as
they shine a light on James Madison University’s racist past and create an environment
that does not welcome diversity to the school. On top of this, the university as a whole is
named after James Madison, a historical figure who is widely known for owning slaves.
The Tab, a journalism site that posts concerning about JMU specific topics posted an
article one year ago titled “Is it time to rename JMU because of James Madison’s slave-
owning past?” that covered this controversial topic. The article reveals that James
Madison had owned over 100 slaves (Sawyer, 2017) and the overall consensus is that on
top of having building names honoring Confederate soldiers, the university being named
after a slave owner increases and amplifies racism on campus. This fact ultimately leads
to James Madison University’s difficulties with being diverse, with 77.2 percent of the
student body being white (Sawyer, 2017). As a result of these two issues, the James
Madison University administration has created a committee to focus to “campus
climate” (JMU to address climate surrounding Confederate monuments, 2018).

As a result of the issue, the focus of this project will be to conduct a preventative public
relations campaign concerning how current students and staff view the names of the
buildings along with the name of the university and their opinions on how it affects
diversity on James Madison University’s campus.

Situation Analysis
Recently, college campuses across America have faced backlash against statues, dorms,
or buildings that honor Confederate soldiers and perpetuate racism and inequality in
the South. Most notably, the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill have made national news for protests and petitions created by their
respected student body, as well as for the changes that each university implemented in
the aftermath.

The University of Virginia and Charlottesville as a whole have both faced turmoil for
promoting the Confederate legacy on campus and within the community. On August
11th, 2018 the Unite the Right rally was held by white nationalists to protest the removal
of the Robert E. Lee statue (Fortin, 2017). The protest took place on the campus of the
University of Virginia, and not in the original designated area. Counter-protesters
responded, and the rally turned fatal when three people were killed and 35 were injured
(Ruiz & McCallister, 2017)

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At the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, the debate circled around Silent Sam, a
statue given to the university by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1913 to
honor more than 1000 students from the school that fought for the Confederate army
between 1861 and 1865 (Hull). Many believe that Silent Sam was a representation of
ongoing racial oppression at UNC-Chapel Hill. On August 21, 2018 Silent Sam was
knocked down by 250 protestors (Vera, 2018) after months of protesting in which both
students and faculty of the university called for the statue to be removed since it is
“exclusionary and offered a highly selective interpretation of the nation’s history” (Vera,
2018) and for concern that it would continue to promote and foster racist and
Confederate values on campus and within the student body.

At James Madison University, petitions have appeared on social media throughout the
past year to draw attention to the three building names. Many believe that honoring
Confederate soldiers and naming the university after a slave owner sends a message that
James Madison University encourages Confederate ideals among its students and that it
does not promote diversity around the campus or foster an environment that is
welcoming to its multicultural student body.

Consequences of the Situation

Consequences of a similar situation to that which happened at UNC-Chapel Hill
or Charlottesville and UVA happening at James Madison University include a
declining student body and declining donations from alumni and other donors.

A potential declining student body has the possibility to affect the institutions ability to
function, as fewer students mean less tuition money coming in. It would hinder
university programs, maintenance, and commodities. We see this becoming a
consequence if a similar situation happens at James Madison University due to safety
concerns that incoming and prospective students may have—especially in light of the
fact that the protests at the University of Virginia turned violent and deadly.

Along with a declining student body, another potential outcome may be a decrease in
donations from alumni and other donors if they do not agree with what may happen, or
how the James Madison University administration handles the event(s). Similar to that
of a declining student body size, fewer donations would also affect university-sponsored
programs, educational programs, maintenance, commodities, alumni events, and other
areas that currently receive funding from the institution.

Resolution of the Situation

While situations of protest and petition at James Madison University have not yet
become as severe as they have at University of Virginia and University of North
Carolina-Chapel Hill, the administration at James Madison University can learn how to
handle these situations if they do occur in the future concerning the Confederate
building names and the university name.

Since the protests that took place at University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, the
university has had to deal with public relations in terms of how people have spoken out

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against the university’s police response to the situation. The university held a meeting
for those who wanted to voice their concerns after the succession of events that took
place once Silent Sam was torn down (Johnson). On top of this, the administration also
urged students and community members to stay away from possible demonstrations
that were likely to take place after the original protest (McDonald).

At UVA, the administration offered a free concert in the aftermath of the Unite the Right
rally (Taylor, 2018). However, this approach faced backlash from students who were
upset that it was not doing enough, so the university then enforced new speech
regulations (Taylor, 2018) in order to prevent a rally from happening on campus
grounds in the future.

Organization Analysis

Internal Factor Analysis

Structure
Located in Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, James Madison University (JMU)
was originally founded as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at
Harrisonburg on March 10, 1908. The institution was established after the Virginia
General Assembly passed a bill that granted $50,000 for a teacher training school
earlier that evening (Crowley, 2006). When the Normal School first opened, it only had
150 enrolled students. “Dormitory No. 1” and “Science Hall” were the first two buildings
to be constructed on campus. They were eventually renamed in 1913 and 1917,
respectively, to honor the Virginian Confederates Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and
Matthew Fontaine Maury (“Major Buildings,” n.d.).

Since James Madison University is a public institution, it is a part of the Commonwealth

of Virginia’s statewide system of higher education. The JMU’s Board of Visitors are
elected by the state governor to ensure effective governance of the university. These
fifteen board members consist of alumni and non-alumni of the University, with only
two of them allowed to reside out-of-state; they are all appointed for four-year terms.
The Board of Visitors has five active committees: Education and Student Life
Committee; Advancement Committee; Audit Committee; and Finance and Physical
Development Committee; and the Athletics Committee (“History of the Board of
Visitors,” n.d.). Jonathan R. Alger was elected by the Board of Visitors in 2011 to become
the sixth president of James Madison University. He has served as the chief executive
officer of the university overseeing the Academic Affairs, Access and Enrollment
Management, Administration and Finance, Student Affairs, and Advancement
departments. The complete organizational structure of the university is shown below
(“Organizational Chart,” 2018).

Figure 1: Organizational Structure

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Performance
James Madison University is growing by a few hundred students every year (“Facts and
Figures,” n.d.). In the fall of 2018, the university received 24,226 applications and had
an acceptance rate of 68.5%. Additionally, they received 2,360 transfer applications with
an acceptance rate of 56%. In terms of diversity, one of JMU’s core values, only 22% of
the student population are minorities. Their total enrollment for fall of 2018 was 22,686
students with 1,375 faculty and staff members (“Just the Facts,” n.d.).

Many applicants are attracted to JMU for their competitive tuition and fee rates; for the
2018-2019 year, total in-state expenses stand at $22,108 and $38,508 for out-of-state
students (“Facts and Figures,” n.d.). JMU is recognized for its high graduation rates and
reasonable costs. Comparing quality education and value, the university recently earned
63rd place on Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s top 100 “Best Values in Public Colleges”
for 2017. The JMU prides itself on their 91% freshman retention rate and an 82% six-
year graduation rate (“Facts and Figures,” n.d.). Additionally, they were recently ranked
No. 25 for “Best Public College in the nation” and No. 9 for “Best Public College in the
South” by MONEY magazine’s 2018 Best Colleges ranking out of 727 other colleges
(“Best Colleges for your Money,” n.d.).

With 26% of their educational revenue coming from general funds and 72% from
student tuition, the university operates on a budget of $589.7 million (“Operating
Budgets,” n.d.). A substantial amount of JMU’s funding comes from private donors; in

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2018 the university experienced their largest fundraising fiscal year to date, receiving a
record of $21.4 million (“Giving to JMU,” n.d.).

Internal Impediments
There has been some effort made to enhance diversity on campus at JMU after the
Charlottesville events. President Alger has explained that diversity is core quality of the
university and that inclusion is a part of the university’s strategic plan. This is a great
idea in theory, but the administration at James Madison University has done little to
tackle the issue of their own neo-Confederate history. JMU’s inclusivity commitment
responding to Charlottesville seems hypocritical, as many of the buildings on campus
are still named after Confederate generals- Jackson, Ashby, and Maury. Many students
feel that the names of the halls go against the mission of the university. In the school’s
university newspaper, a student claimed: “We believe that the only tradition truly being
honored with these types of monuments is that of white supremacy and division”
(Nickolaou, 2017). This backlash has led President Alger to reexamine what it means to
“welcome students from all backgrounds and perspectives” (Nickolaou, 2017). President
Alger also explained that many people on campus are just beginning to realize where the
history of these buildings come from. Their issue is how to remember their history while
also staying true to their mission statement and values of inclusion and diversity.

Ethical Base
James Madison University’s mission is that they are “a community committed to
preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and
meaningful lives” (“JMU’s Strategic Plan,” n.d.). This statement is an integral aspect of
the Madison community. With a mission to be the nation’s most engaged university, the
administration is committed to enlightening students to be citizen-leaders who make
their mark on campus and beyond. Through their values of “academic quality,
community, diversity, excellence, integrity, and student focus” (“JMU’s Strategic Plan,”
n.d., para. 2), James Madison University encourages its students to be the change they
wish to see in the world.

Niche
Since its inception, the school has had a history of change and development. It was
renamed numerous times over the years, and James Madison University became the
official name in 1977 (McCleary & Lee, n.d.). Today the institution is currently a
coeducational state research university with a total enrollment of 22,686 students, 75%
of whom are from the state of Virginia. (“Facts and Figures,” n.d.). To make up for such
expansion, the university has expanded past its historic “Quad” buildings that were built
with local limestone. Currently, JMU consists of 102 major buildings and sits on 655
acres of land, its handsome campus has grown in size to accommodate 104 degree
programs (“JMU Today,” n.d.). What sets the university apart from others is that JMU
alumni have reported in research conducted by Gallup that they are significantly better
off than other college graduates (Read, 2016). 1,385 JMU alumni were surveyed about
numerous aspects of their personal well-being including a sense of community, physical
health, social support, financial success, community belonging, and a feeling of purpose.
These results were compared to the Gallup-Purdue Index, which asks the same
questions to 30,151 graduates from across the United States. The survey had various

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conclusions. James Madison University alumni reported higher employment rates than
the national average. The study also showed that “JMU alumni are more likely than
alumni at top 100 universities to say their alma mater prepared them for life outside of
college, and attachment to their alma mater is much higher for JMU alumni than their
peers across the nation” (Read, 2016, para. 3).

Communication Audit
James Madison University has a communications department on campus. It is their job
to work with journalists to tell compelling stories that are happening on campus and to
manage their social channels. They have many people hired to respond to media
inquiries about the university, and they also help students and faculty get their
scholarship published in academic articles. In regards to social media, the JMU
communications department manages its Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter
accounts, communicating with their 185,000+ followers daily (Communications Staff,
2018). Their team is trained to monitor trends and their platforms 24/7 and check for
reputational risks. They work hard to give their communication platforms a personal
touch by developing engaging photo and video content.

Another main responsibility of the James Madison University communication

department is crisis and issues management. This is pertaining to communications
related to the disruption of the integrity of the university. They “continuously scan for
emerging issues and develop, implement and evaluate strategies to ensure that the right
messages are communicated to the right audiences both internally and externally”
(Communications Staff, 2018, para. 2).

An example of their responsiveness was shown on August 12, 2017, when violence
erupted at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville after their administration voted
to remove a statue of the Confederate Robert E. Lee. This decision was met with great
angst as fights between white supremacists and counter-protestors led to a local state of
emergency (Heim, 2017). The next day, the communications department partnered with
senior leadership to develop emails, speeches, and remarks that best represented JMU’s
stance on the issue. President Johnathan Alger released a statement responding to the
events (Alger, 2017). He wrote “as a public university, we will always respect and
protect rights of both free speech and freedom from discrimination that are essential
foundations for the learning environment” (Alger, 2017, para. 3).

Additionally, President Alger responded to the events by working to establish a Task

Force on Inclusion for the 2017-2018 academic year at Madison. This Task Force was
created to “facilitate thoughtful dialogue, analysis and reflection across the entire
campus regarding issues of inclusion (in all aspects, including issues such as race,
ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disabilities, etc.) both in
and outside the classroom” (“Task Force on Inclusion,” 2017). The Task Force has
broken into various committees to focus on classroom inclusivity, employee climate,
history and context, and the student campus climate. Many of their ideas and strategies
are in the works, a few of them include conducting a university-wide climate study,
providing additional information on the less positive aspects of James Madison’s life to
students and tour groups, hosting community dialogues on inclusion and diversity, and

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making a commitment to better understand the lives of black community
members/students at JMU (“Task Force on Inclusion,” 2017).

External Factors Analysis

Supporters
James Madison University was founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial
School for Women (“About JMU,” n.d.) when the population of Harrisonburg, Virginia
campaigned to bring a school to the Shenandoah Valley region. The university has gone
through many changes throughout its history, transforming from its original name to
State Teachers College in 1924, Madison College in 1938, and finally James Madison
University in 1977 (“JMU~ Name Changes Over the Years,” n.d.).

Since the beginning, the university has been supported by the Harrisonburg community,
as well as other colleges and universities located nearby in the southern portion of the
United States. In terms of the Harrisonburg community, James Madison University is
extremely supported in increasing its diversity and inclusion, as Harrisonburg is noted
as being one of the first cities in America to create signs in three languages—Spanish,
English, and Arabic—advocating acceptance for other cultures, ethnicities, and religions.
The signs read “No matter where you are from, we’re glad you’re out neighbor”
(Domonoske, 2016, para. 1). The groups that started these signs are strong supporters of
James Madison University’s inclusion and diversity initiation.

Figure 2: Harrisonburg Inclusivity Sign

Competitors
James Madison University’s competitors include other universities in the southern
region of the United States that offer a similar student body size, location (rural vs.
urban), programs, and extracurricular activities. Examples of these competitors are the
University of Virginia and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia
Tech).

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Out of students who are accepted into both James Madison University and the
University of Virginia, 93 percent will choose to go to UVA (Parchment). In comparing
the two schools, JMU currently has 20,798 undergraduate students, 1,888 graduate
students, 77 undergraduate degree programs, 46 master degree programs, and 8
doctoral degree programs (“Facts and Figures,” n.d.). The University of Virginia has
16,034 undergraduate students, 6,771 graduate and professional students, 69 degree
programs, 82 master degree programs, and 54 doctoral degree programs (“Facts &
Figures,” 2018).

75 percent of students deciding between JMU and Virginia Tech will choose to attend
the latter (Parchment). The break-down of what James Madison University has to offer
prospective students is listed in the above paragraph, but Virginia Tech is able to
compete with these facts because as a higher education institution they have: 25,384
undergraduate students, 6,792 graduate students, 121 undergraduate degree programs,
(“Facts & Figures,” n.d.).

Opposition
James Madison University does not have any influential opponents in the community
surrounding the campus. The largest complaint about having the university located in
Harrisonburg is that locals, also known as “townies”, often complain about noise and
party habits, leading to the recently enacted noise ordinance in the town.

The ordinance limits gathering size and level of noise acceptable before those in
attendance are given a citation and required to complete 50 community service
hours (Ordinance Amending and Re-enacting Section 15-3-2 and 15-3-3 of the
Code of Ordinances).

External Impediments
As with opponents, the largest external impediments would be regulation changes
within the Harrisonburg community that also affect the environment at James Madison
University. The before mentioned noise ordinance also affects any on-campus protest or
event that violates the new rules. It makes any event-goer take the risk of being marked
down as violating the ordinance on their record, along with the community service
requirement that is listed in the opponent’s section.

Public Environment

Visibility
James Madison University Marketing and Communications is represented on many
social and web platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Due to
their presence online and their strong reputation, the university has been receiving an
increased amount of applicants each year. With 36.6 thousand Instagram followers, 52.7
thousand Twitter followers and 91,681 likes on Facebook, JMU works hard to promote
their brand and inform their platforms on “why JMU is important and what makes the
university different from all others” (“Defining Brand,” n.d., para. 2).

Reputation

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James Madison University has a reputation that is different from many other
universities. Their communications and marketing team make an intentional effort to
establish JMU’s brand, Be the Change. Their brand expresses the JMU mission of being
the national model of the engaged university (“Our Brand,” n.d.). Their goal is for as
many people as possible to be engaged with the Madison Experience, all of their
branded platforms strive to seek an essence of this message. As the marketing
department mentioned “our vision is to be the national model for the engaged
university: engaged with ideas and the world. This vision signifies the foundation of our
brand: Intellect + Action” (“Our Brand,” n.d.).

Media Environment
After the deadly riots in Charlottesville, widespread political polarization and backlash
erupted across the nation. After the events, many colleges and universities, including
James Madison University, had vowed to do something. While the university was not in
the headlines, it’s publics have expected the university to tackle such issues (“After
Charlottesville,” n.d.). The media and stakeholders of James Madison University are
expecting a genuine effort on the administration’s part to address issues of inclusivity on
campus.

Publics Analysis

Identifying the Publics

James Madison University has a wide range of publics that impacts the campus day-to-
day. Future college students, alumni, and parents of students are all within JMU
publics. As for the controversy of statues and the names of certain buildings on campus,
core publics such as the student body, faculty, staff, and donors of JMU are important
aspects of the situation. Depending on the values of the core publics, it can positively or
negatively affect the rest of the public's mentioned above due to their importance of the
success of JMU in the future.

Customers
James Madison University is a community of 22,000 undergraduate and graduate
students and 4,000 faculty and staff (“JMU,” n.d.). As for the students who attend JMU,
specific organizations such as the College Democrats and College Republicans, as well as
students of various backgrounds and ethnicities are to be focused on. In JMU’s
statistical summary of 2017, 60% of students are female, nearly 74% of undergraduate
students are white and the remaining 26% are American Indian, Asian, Black or African
American, Hawaiian, Hispanic, two or more races, unknown or are non-resident aliens
(“James Madison University-Statistical Summary 2017,” 2017). Another key public,
faculty and staff, also add to the diversity of the university. A little more than half of the
faculty is female, around 80% are white, while the remaining 20% identifies as
American Indian, Asian, Black or African American, Hawaiian, Hispanic, two or more
races, unknown or are non-resident aliens (“Common Data Set 2017-2018,” 2017).
Overall, it is important to focus on the diverse group of students and faculty and staff at
JMU due to their dominant presence and impact on campus every day. Other than
students and faculty members, and staff, donors are also a key public of JMU. JMU
Giving is a program that encourages donations to enhance student success and

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highlights the impact of their purposeful donors. Private giving to JMU has topped $18
million in each of the last three years after averaging $10.3 million per year during the
previous three (“JMU,” n.d.).

Producers
James Madison University has a total operational budget exceeding 500 million dollars.
Not only does the faculty and staff add to the diversity of JMU, but all 4,000 of them
also cover many areas of expertise who all function as a unit to keep the school up and
running. 941 faculty members have earned their doctorate or another terminal degree,
504 have received their master’s and 73 faculty members’ highest degree is a bachelor’s
(“Common Data Set 2017-2018,” 2017). The program, Canvas, is also a key producer for
how academics are run at the university. Canvas is a cloud-based learning management
system that holds all of the tools and resources for teachers and is used by more than
3,000 universities, school districts and institutions around the world (“Learning
Management System,” n.d.). Aramark, a corporation that provides food service, facilities
and uniform services is also a producer of JMU. Aramark provides catering and dining
services at JMU; departments must utilize its catering and dining services unless
permission to use an outside vendor is obtained (“JMU,” n.d.). As for beverages and
vending, Pepsi’s contract with JMU gives them rights to the distribution, promotion,
selling and sampling of all beverage products on JMU’s campus (“JMU,” n.d.).

Enablers
The Center for Faculty Innovation at James Madison University is led by faculty and
educational developers whose mission is to create opportunities for professional growth
and innovation. The CFI has created mutually beneficial partnerships and co-
sponsorships in order to build shared programming vision, develop high impact designs,
create reliable assessment strategies, and follow evidence-based faculty development
models (“Faculty Empowering Faculty: A Guide to Partnering with the CFI,” n.d.). The
CFI partners with the Center for Assessment and Research Studies to develop or
enhance program assessment methods, as well as jmUDESIGN, which is a team of
experienced facilitators who provide participants with skills, knowledge, and support
needed to have a successful learner-centered environment (“JMU,” n.d.). Other than on-
campus partnerships, The Madison Center for Community Development facilitates the
development of community-based research, learning, and mutually beneficial
partnerships. Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Mercy
House, Shenandoah Valley Workforce Investment Board, Harrisonburg Education
Foundation, Rockingham County Schools, Harrisonburg-Rockingham Community
Health Clinic, Town of Dayton, Elkton and Grottoes are all partners in the Community
Leadership Program (“JMU,” n.d.).

Limiters
Although JMU is a successful university, there is plenty of competition out there.
According to U.S. News, James Madison University is ranked #6 in regional universities
in the south. Elon University, Rollins College, The Citadel, Samford University, and
Stetson University are seen as limiters due to their higher rank (“The 10 Best Regional
Universities in the South,” n.d.). About 40 percent of students who decided not to go to
their college or university of their first choice cited reasons related to costs (Seltzer,

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2017). Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing, Virginia State University, The
University of Virginia’s College at Wise, Norfolk State University, and the University of
Mary Washington are schools in Virginia that have cheaper in-state tuition than JMU,
which is another limiting factor (“Virginia In-State Tuition Ranking,” n.d.).

Opinion Leaders
The Office of Communications at James Madison University plays a role as an opinion
leader due to its power over social media. Director of the Office of Communications, Eric
Fife, is responsible for media relations and social media publishing in order to make
sure traditional news media or social media about JMU establishes, sustains and
manages a positive relationship between the university and traditional news media
outlets (“JMU,” n.d.). Fife also overlooks the university’s role in the use of social media,
as well as ensuring JMU’s strategic priorities and messages are advanced in a consistent
and effective manner. Other than the Office of Communications, The Board of Visitors is
another group of opinion leaders at JMU. The Board of Visitors has been authorized by
the Commonwealth of Virginia to govern James Madison University (“Code of Virginia §
23.1-1600,” n.d.) and the board has also delegated the authority to manage the
university to the president (“JMU,” n.d.).

SWOT Analysis

Strengths Weaknesses
 Well-recognized university  JMU’s student body and faculty
 No. 2 top public university in and staff are not very diverse
the south  Location
 Known for great balance of  Size
educational, social and
extracurricular activities
 Qualified faculty and staff

Opportunities Threats
 Alumni networking  Cheaper universities
 New construction  Protests and strikes
 Partnerships in support of  Diversity of region
university initiatives  Negative public perception
 Expansion of cultural activities

Problem Statement
The crisis of honoring Confederacy on college campuses has emerged throughout the
country, especially in Virginia and North Carolina, and JMU is one of them. Due to
JMU’s lack of diversity and knowledge of history, its publics must recognize and act on
the problem of controversial building names on campus, concerning what has occurred
at other universities.

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Conclusion
The conclusion encompasses James Madison University and the upcoming issue over
whether current times are allowing for a transitional period to occur. This includes
removing historical figures’ names associated with academic buildings and the
university itself. Secondary research finds evidence that the JMU population views this
issue as requiring attention and needing raised awareness. This indicates that student
and professor attitudes and knowledge of issue may be able to predict or locate a pattern
as to which steps of action will be taken to transition the university. Other universities
such as the University of Virginia and the University of North Carolina have undergone
issue awareness, action, and steps toward transitioning the historical atmosphere and
affiliations of their school. Secondary research indicates this issue may become relevant
to JMU in the possible future, and further research must be conducted to analyze the
situation’s potential and meaning for the future of this university.
Some issues that have come up would be whether the future status of this
university's historical figures can be measured accurately in current times, or how
accurately the attitude range can be gauged through anonymous surveys.
Students and professors who are not aware of this issue cannot be gauged
properly through the survey method because unawareness will make it difficult to
predict future patterns for action taken toward transitioning the university’s
historical atmosphere.
Practical Implications
Current research indicates that other universities, such as the University of Virginia, are
undergoing similar steps in advocating for change. Other areas besides universities,
such as high schools/other academic buildings have maintained advocating for change
and have been subject to protests regarding the situation. This will weigh in on whether
or not JMU is going to be affected by the upcoming trends of transitioning the
university’s history toward being unaffiliated with southern/Confederate history.

Primary Research Plan

The secondary research analyses indicate that it is necessary to conduct primary
research through the survey method approach. Students and professors will be given the
same survey with questions regarding participants’ attitudes/opinions toward
transitioning JMU’s historical associations from southern and Confederate history. The
survey will also gauge students and professor’s historical and political knowledge on the
current affiliations the university holds with these historical names given to academic
buildings and even the name of the university itself, ‘James Madison’. Participants will
also be questioned about concern for future events. Another feature of future research
would be to engage students and professors on whether or not they believe the
university’s affiliations with Confederate historical figures represent the university in a
potentially negative way. The survey could reveal trends/patterns for future action taken
toward transitioning the university from Confederate and southern affiliations. The
survey may be able to reveal whether students or professors believe the values of these
historical figures play a role in the representation of their university and which
consequences the institution takes on by preserving this particular history.

15
 Part Two: Primary Research

Introduction
By conducting this survey, KASE Communications hoped to better understand the
public’s (James Madison University students and faculty) awareness and attitudes
concerning the memorialization of Confederate soldiers and a former slave-owner on
campus, as well as their perceptions of diversity at James Madison University. In this
survey, the concepts addressed are: awareness of past situations concerning Confederate
monuments/honors on other college campuses, awareness of three Confederate soldiers
(Turner Ashby, Jr., Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and Matthew Fontaine Maury) and
former President James Madison, attitudes towards these four historical figures,
perceptions of diversity on JMU’s campus, and finally how our public’s would feel if the
James Madison University administration took steps to remove these honors. This area
of research is extremely important in light of recent events concerning Confederate
monuments at other higher education institutions--University of North Carolina, Chapel
Hill-- and in towns with similar demographics to the JMU community--Charlottesville.
Both these communities had to implement crisis communications campaigns after
protests broke out concerning Confederate monuments, a problem which could
potentially affect James Madison University in the near future.

This survey was conducted through the School of Communications Studies SONA
system and was also made available to James Madison University students and faculty
through the bulk email system which provided the Consent form along with a link to the
survey if they chose to participate. The overall purpose of this survey was to gather the
aforementioned awareness, attitudes, and perceptions so that the James Madison
University administration could apply them to a preventative public relations campaign,
thus avoiding a crisis communication scenario similar to that of Charlottesville and
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The findings from this survey can provide
JMU with insight on how to prevent protests and other crises concerning the
Confederate building names and university name, which ultimately could help increase
diversity on campus. The James Madison University administration will be informed
about its publics attitudes and perceptions from this survey--areas it may currently be
unaware of--and allow them to utilize this information in future communications plans
for the institution.

Research Questions and Hypotheses

Attitude towards the Confederacy

Americans still debate about the relevancy of the Confederacy in today’s society. In a
Pew Research Center survey, published in 2011, it was found that the Confederacy and
the Civil War is still relevant yet still divisive. In a nation that has been divided by deep
racial tensions for centuries, the Confederacy still elicits strong reactions for many
people. The survey found that half of the public (49%) reported that it is unacceptable
for public officials to honor the Confederate soldiers of the Civil War; only 36% say that
is appropriate (Clark, 2011). Another conclusion that the study found was that

16
Southerners were the only group who thought that the public official’s praise of the
Confederacy was more appropriate than inappropriate (52%-32%). This data is
important because James Madison University is a southern school with various of its
buildings on campus named after Confederate soldiers. Additionally, the Pew survey
claimed that 59% of people with at least a college degree say that praising leaders of the
Confederacy is not appropriate (Clark, 2011). Their findings are important because they
help identify what James Madison University’s key publics, college educated individuals,
may be feeling. This Pew research survey is important because since its publication,
many Southern schools, like the University of Virginia (Fortin, 2017) and the University
of North Carolina Chapel Hill (Vera, 2018), have faced issues surrounding the topic of
the Confederacy. James Madison University must work to prevent a public relations
crisis similar to that of its other university counterparts. After the violence that occurred
at the University of Virginia, President Alger responded by saying “as a public
university, we will always respect and protect rights of both free speech and freedom
from discrimination that are essential foundations for the learning environment” (Alger,
2017, para. 4). In the statement, President Alger clearly sided with the anti-Confederate
protest group. The administration must work to understand how the university’s
Confederate past and buildings influence its reputation. In order for the JMU
administration to learn how to handle any potential controversy or protests regarding
what the Confederacy means for the university today, they must measure what the level
of attitude towards the Confederacy is among its students and faculty. Thus, the
following research question was devised:

RQ1: What is the level of attitude towards the Confederacy?

Attitude towards the Confederate building names on campus

James Madison University has recently faced backlash from parts of it student body
signing a petition against three of the buildings on campus being named in honor of the
Confederate soldiers: Ashby Hall, Jackson Hall, and Maury Hall. During the time that
these buildings were named, there were only 150 students enrolled. The students at the
name voted to honor the Confederates; Stonewall Jackson and Matthew Fontaine Maury
(“Major Buildings,” n.d.). Art Dean, the Executive Director of Campus and Community
Access and Inclusion at JMU claimed that “it’s important to understand what was going
on in the community and the U.S. as a whole to get an idea as to why people would want
to name buildings named after Confederate soldiers… But when it comes to identifying
the exact reason… the rationale is unclear” (Waltemyer, 2018, para. 3). Following James
Madison University’s mission of being the top school for engagement in the nation, their
history and context committee wants to engage students about the history of the
building names on campus. Their goal is to not only make JMU more inclusive but
improve society and the nation as a whole (Waltemyer, 2018). JMU is not the only
institution who has dealt with similar issues regarding Confederate building names and
monuments. Since the protests that turned violent at The University of Virginia in 2012,
there has been a surge of movements to take down statues, monuments, and building
names that honor the Confederate leaders of the Civil War. Confederate figures have
been taken down all across the country; from Los Angeles to Orlando (Zanna & Rempel,
2008). James Madison University must be intentional about their choice of building

17
names on their campus and what values they represent. This study is meant to
determine what to do about JMU’s building names, therefore it is necessary to first
measure the level of attitude toward the Confederate building names among students
and faculty. This research leads us to ask the following research question:

RQ2: What is the level of attitude towards the building names on campus?

Attitude towards the university name, James Madison University

Since its inception in 1908, James Madison University has held many titles. Its original
name is the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg. The
university’s current name was adopted from Madison College to James Madison
University in 1977, in honor of the father of the Constitution, President James Madison
(“JMU Centennial Celebration,” n.d.). James Madison, one of America’s founding
fathers and fourth president, was known for many of his great achievements. However,
James Madison seemed to have contradicting opinions on the institution of slavery.
Through his writing, it seems that James Madison believed that slavery was morally
wrong, yet he failed to address these opinions when it came to policy and was known for
having slaves of his own (“Princeton and Slavery,” n.d.). In fact, “he owned over one
hundred slaves on his Virginia plantation, brought enslaved people to the White House,
and ultimately sold them for a personal profit” (“Princeton and Slavery,” n.d., para. 3).
Understanding the level of attitude towards James Madison’s controversial past is
necessary in order to understand how best uphold the reputation of the university’s
name. This statement is supported from a research article called “Changing names,
merging colleges” which states that while decisions to change university names are
difficult, the revision of these titles can prove to have lasting results. The research
concluded that the decision for colleges to change their names, in the past, has
influenced their organization’s ability to survive and maintain viability (Platt, Chesnut,
McGee, & Song, 2017). Additionally, Eric Fife, co-chair of JMU’s history and context
committee stated in the university’s newspaper “in order to understand the values of the
university, it is crucial to understand the values of the person it is named after”
(Waltemyer, 2018, para. 5). This research, along with James Madison’s slave-owning
legacy, means that the idea of re-naming the institution could be a viable option for the
university. Before the James Madison University administration takes steps to change
the university name, it is important to understand the level of attitude towards the
university name itself. These proposals lead us to ask the following research question:

RQ3: What is the level of attitude towards the university name?

Perception of diversity at James Madison University

As one of the school’s core values, James Madison University’s diversity statement is
proudly published on their website as followed:

We are a department that supports diversity in the rigorous and open discussion

of the past. Our research reflects a comprehensive and critical interpretation of

18
 history. In our teaching and engagement, we strive to include students of all

gender identities, races, ethnicities, sexualities, abilities, ages, nationalities,

religious beliefs and non-beliefs, and socio-economic backgrounds. Reflecting our

university, we are committed to creating a learning community that values

equality and challenges prejudice. (“Diversity Statement,” n.d., para. 1)

This statement is evidence of the university’s mission to provide resources for their
minority populations in an attempt to create a more diverse learning environment. In
the article “Diversity Experience and College Student Learning and Personal
Development,” by Shouping Hu and George D. Kuh, published in 2003, it was stated
that universities value increasing diversity because they see it as a learning opportunity
to prepare students to be productive members of a diverse workforce and society. The
researchers created an interactional diversity scale that measured a combination of
student backgrounds, institutional traits, and student contact with peers of diverse
backgrounds. This study concludes that in order to create a diverse learning
environment, it is necessary to measure the level of perception of diversity on a
university’s campus. Similarly, Joseph J. Ramirez and Hilary Zimmerman’s Diverse
Learning Environments (DLE) survey, developed in 2011, focuses on understanding
perceptions of campus diversity. In their study, it was found “that students may
recognize their institutions’ efforts in promoting an appreciation for cultural differences,
but they continue to encounter and perceive racial tensions in their daily experiences”
(Ramirez & Zimmerman, 2016, p. 1). This study explains that students may be aware of
their university’s efforts in creating a diverse learning environment, but this is not the
same as their perception of diversity on campus as they experience it for themselves.
Due to the findings from this previous research, along with the intention of this study
for James Madison University to improve the perception of diversity on its campus in
order to create an inclusive learning environment, the following research question is
proposed.

RQ4: What is the level of perception of diversity at James Madison University?

H1: Attitude toward the Confederacy will influence the attitude toward the buildings
with Confederate names.

The Attitude toward the Confederacy concept is the independent variable, while the
attitude toward the buildings with Confederate names concept is the dependent
variable. Attitude toward the Confederacy identifies student’s preconceived notions of
feeling toward the Confederate army and components, while attitude toward the
buildings with Confederate names refers to student’s preconceived notions toward
James Madison University’s Confederate associations with academic building names.
The importance of these two concepts provides the basis for student’s attitude/feeling
toward the Confederacy, thereby providing a basis for the influence this may hold over
their attitude/feeling toward the Confederate associations with academic building

19
names at James Madison University. This hypothesis came to be through analyzing the
psychology of attitudes. Eagly and Chaiken (1998) discuss the issue of attitudes' internal
and external structure and the structural motivational, or functional, issue of the goals
that attitudes serve”. The importance of this chapter as associated with this hypothesis is
to analyze the stages of attitude and it’s processing, applying the structure and function
that attitudes have to preconceived influences in everyday life and to assumptions.
Negative or positive associations can have residual effects on issues relevant to another
issue at hand, providing insight into how certain attitudes transcend into other areas.
This may indicate why attitude toward the Confederacy could influence attitude toward
buildings with Confederate names at the university (Eagly, A. H., & Chaiken, S. (1998).

H2: Attitude towards James Madison’s slave-owning past will influence the attitude
towards the university name.

The attitude towards James Madison’s slave-owning past concept is the independent
variable, while the attitude towards the university name concept is the dependent
variable. Attitude towards James Madison’s slave-owning past indicates student’s
preconceived feelings about the knowledge that James Madison’s slave-owning past, if
any at all. The attitude towards the university name indicates student’s feelings toward
associating James Madison with a slave-owning past and then relaying this knowledge
toward their feelings on the university name. This hypothesis is necessary to evaluate
the feelings/attitude held by students toward James Madison’s slave-owning past and
indicate whether this will influence the attitude towards the university name. According
to the chapter in Attitudes: Their structure, function and consequences, authors Zanna,
M. P., & Rempel, J. K. discuss the new outlook on attitudes as changing and not
permanent overtime. It was concluded “that an attitude should be defined as "the
categorization of a stimulus object along an evaluative dimension based upon, or
generated from, three general classes of information: (1) cognitive information, (2)
affective/emotional information, and/or (3) information concerning past behaviors or
behavioral intentions" (Zanna, p.319). This indicates that for the hypothesis an attitude
requires cognitive and/or affective/emotional information to become a concern to an
individual’s feeling. Therefore, if students have a previous attitude towards James
Madison’s slave-owning past, then this should indicate or influence their feeling towards
the university name by following this route of cognitive, affective or emotional
information. The independent variable should show greater influence on the dependent
variable once this information is given in the first concept to students (Zanna, M. P., &
Rempel, J. K., 2008).

H3: Perceptions of diversity at JMU will influence the perceptions of the culture of
diversity and inclusion at JMU.

The perceptions of diversity at James Madison University concept is the independent

variable, while the perceptions of the culture of diversity and inclusion at James
Madison University concept is the dependent variable. The perceptions of diversity at
JMU indicates the perception that students feel diversity is represented at the

20
university, while the perceptions of the culture of diversity and inclusion at JMU
indicate student’s perceptions on whether the university upholds an environment and
culture that is diverse and inclusive for all students/faculty that attend the university.
The rationale for choosing these concepts of perception to measure is necessary to
gather information on the current level of diversity identified and whether this level of
diversity influences the perceptions of the culture of diversity and inclusion at JMU. In
order to gauge whether one influences the other, it is important to establish a basis with
the independent variable. According to ‘Aspects of Diversity, Inclusion and Democracy
within Education and Research, author Sangeeta Bagga-Gupta discusses the lack of
diversity and its consequences within education, and that attending to students and
their needs it advances the concept of education for all students composed in that same
group. This article discusses alternatives that can be implemented to ensure each
student feels their needs are met and integrated into the academic agenda. From this
research perspective, it becomes clear that diversity and inclusion are vital in the culture
of education for students. The concepts chosen gather information on the current level
students perceive diversity at JMU. This should influence their perceptions of the
culture of diversity and inclusion, ultimately indicating whether it is necessary to apply
future research in this area at the university (Sangeeta Bagga‐Gupta, 2007).

H4: Attitude towards buildings with Confederate names will influence attitudes to
change these building names.

The attitude towards buildings with Confederate names concept is the independent
variable, while the attitudes to change these building names concept is the dependent
variable. The attitude towards buildings with Confederate names indicates students
preconceived feelings toward the Confederate associations with James Madison
University’s academic building names, while the attitudes to change these building
names is students potential feeling toward transitioning these building names into a
more neutral historical ground setting. The rationale behind choosing these concepts is
to measure the influence that students’ attitudes toward buildings with Confederate
names have on determining whether they will feel their attitude aligns with the notion of
possibly changing these building names in the future. According to ‘The Influence of
Attitudes on Behavior’, authors Icek Ajzen and Martin Fishbein discuss the relationship
attitudes have on behavior. As an introductory example, Ajzen and Fishbein discuss
Donald Trump in the 2016 United States presidential election and his views on illegal
immigration. Trump strongly favored a wall separating the southwestern US from
Mexico, and so his voters were confronted with questions that gauged their views. In the
end, ‘Trump’s own attitudes clearly guided his discourse, which in turn shaped key
voters’ attitudes’ (Ajzen, p. 6,). This prompted the authors to undergo extensive research
into the past given that attitudes and intended behaviors have not always matched and
discovered that there is recent research indicating attitudes may be better predictors of
behavior and influencers of other attitudes than previously thought. In the past,
however, ‘it became evident that attitudes are poor predictors of behavior, investigators
were concerned with the validity of verbal attitude measures. It was argued that such
measures may be systematically distorted or biased and thus may not reflect a person’s
“true” attitude (e.g., Campbell, 1950; Cook & Selltiz, 1964; Guilford, 1954). Therefore,

21
given the uncertainty of attitudes influence over behavior or attitude toward intended
change, it is necessary to measure these concepts just to give an indication on whether
students may or may not be influenced by attitude towards buildings with Confederate
names and the desire to change these building names (Ajzen, I., & Fishbein, M. 2005).

H5: Attitudes towards James Madison’s name will influence attitudes towards
changing the university name

The attitudes towards James Madison’s name concept is the independent variable, while
the attitudes towards changing the university name concept is the dependent variable.
The attitudes towards James Madison’s name is students’ feelings toward this historical
figure’s name, which may be able to indicate the influence these feelings will have
toward students’ attitude towards possibly changing the university name. The
importance of studying these concepts of attitude will help to indicate whether a change
in the university’s name is indicated through information gathered from students and
provide a basis of support for the hypothesis. According to ‘ATTITUDE CHANGE:
Persuasion and Social Influence’, author Wendy Wood discusses attitude through the
lens of persuasion and social influence. Wood analyzes the motives behind peoples’
attitudinal changes and the possibility that these attitudes will transfer into attitudes
about other issues, stating ‘a common thread is the recognition that attitude change can
be motivated by normative concerns for (a) ensuring the coherence and favorable
evaluation of the self, and (b) ensuring satisfactory relations with others given the
rewards/punishments they can provide, along with an informational concern for (c)
understanding the entity or issue featured in influence appeals (Wood, p. 541). So it is
possible that the concepts being measured in the hypothesis indicate that attitudes may
shift based on the ideals of others and themselves. This ties into The Cognitive
Dissonance Theory, as well. According to ‘A first look at communication theory’, author
Em Griffin defines the theory as the ‘mental discomfort experienced by a person who
simultaneously holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. This
discomfort is triggered by a situation in which a person’s belief clashes with new
evidence perceived by that person (Ch. 16, Griffin). This could indicate that students
who have discovered information earlier regarding James Madison’s name and the
associations to a slave-owning past will likely desire to resolve this dissonance by
adopting an attitude towards changing the university name. This cannot be certain, and
so the concepts provided are vital for indicating an attitude toward change for the
university name.

H6: Familiarity with Confederate figures will influence attitudes towards Confederate
names.

The familiarity with Confederate figures concept is the independent variable, while the
attitudes toward Confederate names concept is the dependent variable. The familiarity
with Confederate figures is an indication on how familiar students are with the historical
figures associated with the Confederacy, while the attitudes toward Confederate names
are whether or not students’ familiarity with these Confederate associations influences
their attitude toward Confederate names for academic buildings at JMU. The rationale

22
for including the concept of familiarity in the hypothesis is to gather information that
may indicate whether familiarity influences attitude. According to ‘Brand Familiarity
and Advertising Repetition Effects’, authors Margaret C. Campbell and Kevin Lane
Keller discuss the communication between familiarity, repetition and its influence on
attitude and feelings associated with brands that have been repeated to audiences. The
study centers on how brand familiarity produces an effective response with repetition,
while unfamiliar brands do not show increased effectiveness based on repetition.
Considering the hypothesis and its concept of familiarity, if students are unfamiliar with
the Confederate figures, then this may produce little effect on their attitude towards the
Confederate names, while if students are familiar with the Confederate figures, then this
may influence their attitude towards Confederate names and their associations to
academic buildings at the university. The concepts are important to measure to gather
information further on this notion and discuss future implications leading to more
negative or positive associations with this familiarity of Confederate figures and
attitudes towards Confederate names.
Methods

Sampling Method
The participants in this study are the students and faculty of James Madison University
who have been reached by bulk email or through the SONA system, a system in which
undergraduate communications students have the option to participate in an array of
surveys and experiments. The sampling method chosen for this survey is convenience
sampling because it will allow us to gather primary data regarding our topic. Using this
method will directly reach our target audience of JMU’s students and faculty by the
SONA system and bulk email, making the survey easily accessible. Some drawbacks of
using convenience sampling are a potential bias in the data, as well as difficulty in
generalizing the conclusions drawn from the results. These disadvantages can
potentially skew data, making it hard to tell if interpretations of the study are accurate.

Data Collection and Procedure

The methodology we used to collect data was a self-administered online survey.
Students and faculty of James Madison University represent the sample that was asked
to participate in this survey, as they show for the various demographics within the
population being studied. The students and faculty were invited to take the survey on
Qualtrics by receiving an email through his or her dukes account, while also having the
opportunity to participate in the study through the SONA system. The participants in
this survey were asked to answer questions regarding JMU’s potential crisis of campus
buildings being named after Confederate generals. Students and faculty were also asked
questions regarding James Madison’s past, as well as questions about diversity and
inclusion at the university.

Measurements

Familiarity with Confederate Names

23
One of the main variables measured was familiarity. This variable was used to
determine the participants’ familiarity with JMU’s use of Confederate names, as well as
their familiarity with James Madison’s slave-owning past. According to Tony Craig,
Anna Conniff, and Carlos Galan-Diaz’s urban study research, they measured perceived
similarity and environment on a Likert scale (2012). Five questions in our study were
asked by researchers pertaining to this variable. The first question asked was: How
familiar are you with the historical figure, Confederate commander, Turner Ashby Jr.?
The second question asked was: How familiar are you with the historical figure,
Confederate Navy officer, Matthew Fontaine Maury? The third question included was:
How familiar are you with the historical figure, the Confederate general, Thomas
“Stonewall” Jackson? The fourth question asked: How familiar are you with the building
on the JMU campus being named after the Confederate commander, Turner Ashby Jr.?
The last question asked using this variable included: How familiar are you with James
Madison’s slave-owning past? All of these questions were asked using a five-point Likert
scale in which answers ranged from not familiar at all to extremely familiar.
Familiarity with Confederate figures (Q12-14) had both an initial and revised Cronbach
α=.742.

Attitudes towards Confederate and University Names

Another important variable measured in research was attitudes. This variable was used
to determine participants’ attitudes towards Confederate names, civil war, JMU’s use of
Confederate names, and James Madison’s slave-owning past. In a Pew Research study,
attitude towards the Confederacy was measured on a semantic-differential scale (Clark,
2011). In our study, the five questions regarding participants’ attitudes towards these
variables, excluding civil war, were all measured on a three-point semantic-differential
scale in which the respondents selected their answers ranging from bad to good,
unpleasant to pleasant, and unfavorable to favorable. The sixth and final question
created about attitude, however, was measured with a seven-point Likert scale where
the respondents were given statements about the civil war: “Civil war is still relevant to
American politics and political life”, “civil war is important historically, but has little
relevance today”, “it is appropriate for government officials today to praise Confederate
leaders”, and “my reaction is positive when I see the Confederate flag displayed.”
Participants have to choose their position on a scale that ranges from strongly agree to
strongly disagree. Attitude toward Confederacy had an initial Cronbach α=.832, and a
revised Cronbach α=.832 as well. Attitude toward Confederate names had both an initial
and revised Cronbach α=.974. Attitude towards Confederate building names was
another measurement that had both an initial and revised Cronbach α=.982. Attitude
towards James Madison’s slave-owning past had both an initial and revised Cronbach
α=.979. Attitudes toward JMU being named after James Madison had both an initial
and revised Cronbach α=.982.

Perception of Diversity and Inclusion

Another variable measured in research was perception. This variable was specifically
used to determine students and faculty’s perception of diversity and inclusion at James

24
Madison University. According to Sylvia Hurtado’s “The Campus Racial Climate:
Contexts of Conflict” she conducts a study that measures student’s commitment to
diversity, perception, and expectation to protest (1992). Seven of the questions in our
survey ask participants how often they talk to others at the university about social
issues, how often they have made friends of another race, how often they have had
serious conversations with a person of another race, how often they have encountered
diverse perspectives outside the classroom, how often they have had meaningful
discussions about social justice issues with diverse students, how often they have had
discussions regarding inter-group relations with diverse students, and how often they
have shared personal feelings and problems with diverse students. All of these questions
were measured using a five-point Likert scale with answers that ranged from never to
very frequently. Another research question for this variable gave statements that said,
“JMU does a good job of creating a diverse multicultural environment on campus”, and
“the JMU administration does everything in their power to promote inclusion on
campus.” The participants have to opportunity to choose their position on a seven-point
Likert scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The final question asked
for this variable asked JMU students how many classes they have taken that relate to
major social issues such as racial diversity, human rights, equality, or justice. This
question was measured on a scale ranging from none to more than three. Perception of
diversity (Q4-10) had an initial and revised Cronbach α=.842. Culture of diversity and
inclusion at JMU (Q11_2, 11_3) was the third measurement with an initial Cronbach
α=.688 and a revised Cronbach α=.809 after removing Q11_1 and 11_4.

Attitudes towards implementing changes

The last variable measured in research was participants’ attitudes towards changing the
name of James Madison University, its buildings named after Confederate generals, and
the attitude towards changing the representation of minorities, diversity, and inclusion
at the university. In a study done by the Department of Public Administration,
willingness to implement changes in public policies was measured (Bekkers, Steijn,
Tummers, 2010). The questions asked using this variable were measured on a seven-
point Likert scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. Statements
included were: “JMU should increase representation of minorities in the faculty and
administration” and “I would protest on campus to advocate for more diversity at JMU.”
Another question included in the survey asked participants how they would feel if JMU
took action to change the names of Ashby, Maury, and Jackson Hall. This question was
measured using a three-point semantic-differential scale in which respondents selected
their answers ranging from bad to good, unpleasant to pleasant, and unfavorable to
favorable. Attitude toward JMU taking action to change building names (Q22_1, 22_2,
22_3) had both an initial and revised Cronbach α=.990. The final measurement,
attitude toward JMU taking action to change university name (Q23_1, 23_2, 23_3) had
both an initial and revised Cronbach α=.983.
Communication Intent Scale Kim, Y. (2015).

Results
A total of 369 respondents participated in the online survey. The average age of
participants was 20 years old (SD = 4), with a range of 17 to 49. There were more female

25
participants (n= 225, 60.6%) than male participants (n=136, 36.7%). 3 participants
identified as “other” (0.8%), and 6 participants responded, “prefer not to say” (1.6%). In
terms of academic year, the majority of participants were first-years (n=194, 52.3%),
followed by fourth-year students (n=51, 13.7%). 47 participants were second-years
(12.7%), 45 were third-years (12.1%), 21 participants were graduate students (5.7%), 12
participants were fifth-years (3.2%), and 1 participant was a faculty member (0.3%). In
terms of location, 136 participants were from the Mid Atlantic region (36.7%), 112 were
from the Northeast (30.2%), 111 participants were from the Southeast (29.9%), 5 were
from the Southwest (1.3%), 2 participants were from the West (0.5%), and 2 participants
were from the Midwest (0.5%). Regarding ethnicity, most participants were of
White/Caucasian origin (n=296, 79.8%). After this, there were 19 Black/African
American respondents (5.1%), 19 Asian/Asian American respondents (5.1%), 16
Hispanic/Latino respondents (4.3%), 3 American Indian/Alaska Native respondents
(0.8%), and 1 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander respondent (0.3%). There were 16
respondents who identified as “other” (4.3%). Lastly, the majority of participants
identified as being Democrats (n=158, 42.6%), followed by Republican (n=86, 23.2%).
Out of 369 participants, 78 were identified as Independent (21.0%), 21 were Libertarian
(5.7%), and 27 responded as “other” (7.3%).

Research Questions- only report if significant

RQ1: What is the level of attitude towards the Confederacy?

In terms of attitude towards the Confederacy, the average score among participants was
2.13 (SD=1.16). The researchers can conclude from this number that overall,
participant’s attitudes towards the Confederacy were negative.

We also found that participants gender will influence attitudes towards the Confederacy.
After running an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test, attitudes towards the Confederacy
were more negative for female participants (m=1.93, SD= 1.02) than male participants
(m=2.42, SD=1.27). The difference is statistically significant (F (3, 369) = 6.211,
p<.001).

RQ2: What is the level of attitude towards the building names on campus?

In terms of levels of attitude towards the building names, the average score among
participants was 2.79 (SD=1.31). The researchers can conclude from this number that
participant’s attitude towards the building names on campus was generally negative.

RQ3: What is the level of attitude towards the university name?

In terms of attitude towards the university name, the average score among participants
was 3.94 (SD=1.04). The researchers can conclude from this number that overall,
participant’s attitudes towards the university name were positive.

RQ4: What is the level of perception of diversity at JMU?

26
In terms of the level of perception of diversity at JMU, the average score among
participants was -6.91 (SD=1.06). The researchers can conclude from this number that
overall, participant’s perception of diversity at JMU was low.

In terms of ethnicity affecting levels of perception of diversity at JMU, White/Caucasian

respondents had an average score of 3.05 (SD=0.72), Black/African American
respondents had an average score of 3.22 (SD=0.97), American Indian/Alaskan Native
respondents had an average score of 3.00 (SD=0.70), Asian/Asian American
respondents had an average score of 3.14 (SD=0), and Hispanic/Latino respondents had
an average score of 3.21 (SD=0.95). Respondents in the “Other” category had an average
score of 3.08 (SD=0.76). From this, researchers can conclude that ethnicity does not
affect levels of perception of diversity at JMU (F (6, 369) =2.103, p=.052).

In terms of academic year affecting levels of perception of diversity at JMU, 1st year
respondents had an average score of 2.85 (SD=0.71), 2nd year respondents had an
average score of 3.23 (SD=0.74), 3rd year respondents had an average score of 3.33
(SD=0.83), 4th year respondents had an average score of 3.40 (SD=0.74), 5th year
respondents had an average score of 3.33 (SD=0.57), Graduate Student respondents had
an average score of 3.22 (SD=0.58), and Faculty respondents had an average score of
3.14 (SD=0). From this, researchers can conclude that academic year does affect levels
of perception of diversity (F (6, 370) =7.060, p<.001).

Hypotheses

H1: Attitude toward the Confederacy will influence the attitude toward the buildings
with Confederate names.

H1 states that there will be a relationship between the attitude toward the Confederacy
and the attitude toward the buildings with Confederate names. A regression test was
performed. The results showed that respondents attitude toward the Confederacy does
influence the attitude toward the buildings with Confederate names (β= .756, P<.0001).
This means that the more negative the attitudes towards the Confederacy are, the more
negative their attitudes were towards the buildings with Confederate names. Thus, H1
was supported.

H2: Attitude toward James Madison’s slave-owning past will influence the attitude
towards the university name.

H2 states that attitudes toward James Madison’s slave-owning past will have an effect
on attitudes towards the university name. A regression test was performed. The results
showed that as attitudes towards James Madison’s slave-owning past increases, so does
the attitude towards the university name (β=.499, p<.001). This means as attitudes
towards James Madison’s slave-owning past increased, levels of attitudes towards the
university name did not increase significantly. Thus, H2 is rejected and we support the
null hypothesis.

27
H3: Perceptions of diversity at JMU will influence the perceptions of the culture of
diversity and inclusion at JMU.

H3 states that perceptions of diversity at JMU will influence the perceptions of the on-
campus culture of diversity and inclusion. A regression test was performed. The results
showed that there is no correlation between perceptions of diversity at JMU and its
influence on the perceptions of the culture of diversity and inclusion at JMU (β=.016,
p=.762). This means there is a weak, positive relationship between perceptions of
diversity at JMU and perceptions of the culture of diversity and inclusion at JMU. Thus,
H3 is rejected, and we support the null hypothesis.

H4: Attitude towards buildings with Confederate names will influence attitudes to
change these building names.

H4 states that the level of attitudes towards the buildings with Confederate names will
influence the level of attitudes to change the building names. A regression test was
performed. The results showed that respondents attitudes towards these building names
will influence their attitudes to change the names (β=.792, p<.001). This means that as
respondent’s attitudes towards these building names increased, the more likely they are
to want to change these building names. Thus, H4 is supported.

H5: Attitudes towards James Madison’s name will influence attitudes towards
changing the university name.

H5 states that attitudes towards James Madison’s name will influence attitudes towards
changing the university name. A regression test was performed. The results showed that
attitudes towards James Madison’s name will not influence attitudes towards changing
the university name (β=-.677, p<.001). Thus, H5 is rejected, and we support the null
hypothesis.

H6: Familiarity with Confederate figures will influence attitudes towards Confederate
names.

H6 states that participant’s familiarity with Confederate figures will influence their
attitudes towards Confederate names. A regression test was performed. The results
show that as familiarity with Confederate figures increases, so do strong attitudes
towards the Confederate names (β=.315, p<.001). This means that as familiarity with
Confederate figures increases, so will negative attitudes towards the Confederate names.
However, the result is not significant. Thus, H6 is rejected and we support the null
hypothesis.

Conclusion
As a public university in the South, James Madison University is aware of the
controversy among their key publics regarding their on-campus buildings named in
honor of Confederate soldiers: Ashby Hall, Jackson Hall, and Maury Hall. The
university is also aware of their namesake, James Madison’s, racist and slave-owning
past that could have negative implications on their reputation. Additionally, college

28
campuses across the South, like the University of Virginia and the University of North
Carolina Chapel Hill, have dealt with backlash against statues, dorms, and buildings that
honor Confederate soldiers, believing that they perpetuate racism and inequality.

The purpose of this study is to understand the level of attitudes that JMU students and
faculty have towards the Confederacy, the building names on campus, and the university
name itself. Additionally, this study aims to determine the level of perception of
diversity that people have on James Madison University’s campus. The researchers
developed multiple hypotheses to create a preventative public relations campaign, in an
effort to avoid a communication crisis similar to that of the University of Virginia and
the University of North Carolina.

Summary
As mentioned previously, the focus of this study is to collect data on James Madison
University’s students, staff, and faculty. This information was to be used for the
researchers to understand how these key stakeholders feel about the names of the
Confederate buildings and university name, itself, in an effort to further the university’s
mission of creating a diverse and inclusive learning environment for all. After running
multiple regression and ANOVA tests on the data, a few conclusions could be made from
the findings. The researchers found that of the participants who took the survey, their
attitude towards the Confederacy was generally negative. The researchers also
concluded that participant’s attitudes towards the Confederacy have a significant
influence on their attitudes towards the building names and their willingness to change
the names. Additionally, female participants responded more negatively towards the
Confederacy than their male counterparts. This is important because the student
population of James Madison University is female (60%). In regards to the university
name, the researchers found that the participants responded generally with negative
attitudes when asked about James Madison’s slave-owning past. They also found that as
attitudes towards James Madison’s past increases, the attitudes towards the university
name does as well. However, the results showed that although attitudes towards James
Madison’s past may be negative, leading to a more negative attitude towards the
university name, this did not influence the participant’s attitudes towards changing the
university name. In regards to the perception of diversity at James Madison University,
the survey results showed that there is no correlation between perceptions of diversity at
JMU and its influence on the perceptions of the culture of diversity and inclusion at the
university. These findings are important in creating a public relations campaign to
improve the campus climate and prevent protests or bad publicity regarding their
building and university names.

Theoretical Implications
The empirical findings of this study have shown that the participants had relatively
negative attitudes towards the Confederacy, which was significantly related to their
negative attitudes towards the Confederate building names on campus. These negative
feelings were also significantly related to the participant’s willingness to change the
building names. These findings support previous research and trends that have
happened across the United States. In the article “In Whose Honor? On Monuments,
Public Spaces, Historical Narratives, and Memory,” researchers found that many people

29
are supporting the removal of Confederate statues and building names because they
have increasingly negative attitudes towards what the Confederacy stood for. They
believe that these Confederate symbols further marginalize people of color by
contributing to racist ideologies (Saul & Marsh, 2018). The article also mentioned that
this widespread shift in attitudes towards the Confederacy has lead to the removal of
some monuments overnight, like in Baltimore, for example (Saul & Marsh, 2018).
Additionally, a Pew Research study found that there has been a trend of people
supporting the Confederacy less and less and that attitudes towards the Confederacy are
increasingly low among college-educated people (Clark, 2011). Their study found that
nearly half of the public believes that honoring the Confederacy is inappropriate, but
this study did not focus on the removal of Confederate building names and monuments.
However, according to a New York Times article, there has been a strong movement
across the United States, since the incidents in Charlottesville, of removing Confederate
monuments, statues and building names (Bidgood, et al. 2017). All of these research
findings support the conclusion that the participant’s negative reactions to the
Confederacy ultimately lead to them supporting changing the building names on James
Madison University’s campus.

Practical Implications
The study’s findings suggest the level of attitude towards the Confederacy and the
Confederate building names on campus is relatively low and that there is a significant
relationship between the participant’s level of attitude toward the Confederacy and their
level of attitude towards the Confederate buildings on campus. The study also found
that although James Madison University’s students and faculty have relatively negative
attitudes towards James Madison’s slave-owning past, they ultimately do not support
changing the university name. This conclusion supports the decision of changing the
building names on James Madison University’s campus, but not the university name.

The researchers understand the importance of keeping the university’s key publics
satisfied. As two of the main stakeholders in James Madison University, it is necessary
for the institution to take the appropriate steps in how to best deal with the Confederate
buildings on campus that satisfy the students and faculty of the institution. Although
there has not been any research conducted on how to best go about the removal of these
Confederate building names, the researchers suggest creating an educational, and
perhaps philanthropic, event out of it. As noted on James Madison University’s website,
their mission is “We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated
and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives” (JMU Strategic
Plan). The university could look for successful alumni who have gone on to be
“enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives” and have donors,
students, faculty and staff vote on who best represents the Madison mission. The top
names would be the ones to replace the Confederate building names on campus.
Another idea could be opening up these building names to be in honor of donors who
have pledged money to the university. This money could be used for the educational
purposes of teaching students about the history of James Madison University and how it
was influenced by the Confederacy. It could also be used to remind people of James
Madison’s accomplishments, but also bring light to the bitter realities of his slave-
owning past. The researchers recommend that James Madison University do additional

30
research before deciding to implement a public relations campaign surrounding this
issue.

The researchers found that gender had a significant impact on the participant’s level of
attitude towards the Confederacy, with females having more negative opinions than
their male counterparts. The researchers recommend having two different approaches,
for each gender, for James Madison University preventative public relations campaign.
For the female student population, the researchers wanted to address the importance of
educating the JMU community about how the University has been influenced by the
Confederacy. It is recommended that the JMU administration sponsor events where
students and faculty can discuss their feelings and teach people about how we can learn
from the history of the Confederacy and why it is important to remove the buildings.
James Madison University already has many resources that help students and faculty
create safe spaces for public conversations in hopes of helping people understand
complicated issues. 4C, JMU’s Campus Community Civic Collaborate, is an incredible
resource for the administration to partner with in order to provide trained and impartial
facilitators to lead this difficult conversation with the community (“4C: Campus
Community Civic Collaborative,” n.d.) This solution would be a great outlet for students,
especially the females who had negative attitudes towards the Confederacy, to speak out.
The benefit of this is that hopefully, people will learn from one another if the university
hosts a public dialogue regarding this issues. Hopefully, the community will be more
accepting of changing the building names on campus.

For male student population, the JMU administration would like to emphasize that this
change is not only to remove the Confederate building names but to highlight the
accomplishments of alumni and donors who have lived great lives in accordance with
the university’s mission. James Madison University could start an online campaign for
their key publics to vote for who be exemplifies the Madison mission. This public is not
as supportive of changing the building names, but once they realize who the names will
be changed to, they will be more willing to accept it. This is also great publicity for the
university to be put in a great light. Students, faculty, donors, alumni, and incoming
freshmen will be able to see the great accomplishments of their fellow Dukes. This
campaign is beneficial because it gets people excited about the change of building
names.

Campaign Goals
The campaign should use the most effective route of communication channels to show
results pertaining to key publics involved. The key message that we hope to gather from
the results will provide information on awareness, attitudes and perceptions about
James Madison University, and the effect these concepts will have on the client in the
future. These concepts will regard the Confederacy associations to academic
buildings and James Madison’s slave-owning past. In order to achieve this goal of
raising awareness of these concepts and their potential to indicate a transition for the
university in the future toward a more neutral standing historical ground, we will
advocate by bringing in secondary research. This secondary research will allow our
client to utilize these findings in order to navigate potential transitions for the university
and reveal similar circumstances that have occurred to other universities, such as the

31
scenario involving Charlottesville and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. By
analyzing these past circumstances James Madison University will be able to create a
more effective and efficient campaign by developing its strategies based on this
secondary research. The survey method used allows for some shortcomings for data
collection, so analyzing secondary research provides necessary information to better the
campaign in the future for James Madison University.

Limitations & Suggestions for Future Studies

Based on the survey method provided to students and faculty some data was not
uncovered. The survey was online and administered through the School of
Communications Studies SONA system which measured the concepts of awareness,
attitudes, and perceptions. It was presented through a bulk email system that operated
with a consent form and a link to the survey if participants were willing to take the
survey.

Measurement issues included generalizability. Due to the data and how questions were
formed, the data sample provided could not be generalized and showed a weakness of
the survey by not being as in depth. There were no reliability issues. There were racial
differences in response categories and only one faculty member responded, making it
not representative of the data. The majority of respondents were white (n=296, 79.8%),
with Blacks and Asians with the second highest level of participants (n-19, 5.1%). The
analysis of participants provides more information for majority white participants
response as opposed to minority response at James Madison University. A suggestion
for future research would be to include more minority participants to represent the data
more accurately.

Survey questionnaires provide a generalized weakness in gathering data and cannot go

as in-depth as other research methods. So it is necessary to include a more in-depth
method of collecting participant data in the future. Adding a focus group would allow a
more in-depth look at participant’s attitudes, perceptions, familiarity on diversity and
inclusion regarding the university’s academic building names and James Madison’s
slave-owning past. Another suggestion for future research would be to target a more
diverse population to gather more representative data. Increasing diversity in data
collection will allow for better result analysis given the research questions and
hypothesis pertain to those questions of diversity and inclusion at the university. The
survey method, in general, is weak in gathering data that is relevant or more accurate to
the research.

32
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36
 Appendix
1. Final Questionnaire
Q2 Please select your level of agreement or disagreement with the following
statement about the Civil War.
Strongly Somewhat Neither Somewhat Strongly
disagree (1) disagree (2) agree nor agree (4) agree (5)
disagree (3)

The Civil War is o o o o o

still relevant to
American politics
and political life.
(1)

The Civil War is o o o o o

important
historically, but
has little
relevance today.
(2)

It is appropriate o o o o o
for public
officials today to
praise
confederate
leaders. (3)

My reaction is o o o o o
positive when I
see the
confederate flag
displayed. (4)

Q3 Now, please answer the questions about diversity at JMU.

Q4 During your time at JMU, how often have you had serious discussions with
other students about major social issues such as racial diversity, human rights,
equality, or justice?

37
o Never (1)
o Rarely (2)
o Occasionally (3)
o Frequently (4)
o Very Frequently (5)

Q5 During your time at JMU, how frequently have you made friends with
students from a race different than your own?
o Never (1)
o Rarely (2)
o Occasionally (3)
o Frequently (4)
o Very Frequently (5)

Q6 During your time at JMU, how often have you had serious conversations with
students from a different race or ethnicity?
o Never (1)
o Rarely (2)
o Occasionally (3)
o Frequently (4)
o Very Frequently (5)

Q7 During your time at JMU, how often have you encountered diverse
perspectives outside the classroom?
o Never (1)
o Rarely (2)
o Occasionally (3)
o Frequently (4)
o Very Frequently (5)

Q8 During your time at JMU, how often have you had meaningful and honest
discussions about issues related to social justice with diverse students?
o Never (1)
o Rarely (2)
o Occasionally (3)
o Frequently (4)

38
o Very Frequently (5)

Q9 During your time at JMU, how often have you had discussions regarding
inter-group relations with diverse students ?
o Never (1)
o Rarely (2)
o Occasionally (3)
o Frequently (4)
o Very Frequently (5)

Q10 During your time at JMU, how often have you shared personal feelings and
problems with diverse students?
o Never (1)
o Rarely (2)
o Occasionally (3)
o Frequently (4)
o Very Frequently (5)

Q11 Please select your level of agreement or disagreement with the following
statement.
Strongly Agree Somewhat Neither Somewhat Disagree Strongly
agree (1) (2) agree (3) agree disagree (6) disagree
nor (5) (7)
disagree
(4)
JMU should o o o o o o o
increase the
representatio
n of
minorities in
the faculty
and
administrati
on. (1)

39
 JMU does a o o o o o o o
good job of
creating
diverse
multicultural
environment
on campus.
(2)
The JMU o o o o o o o
administrati
on does
everything in
their power
to promote
inclusion on
campus. (3)
I would o o o o o o o
protest on
campus to
advocate for
more
diversity at
JMU. (4)

Q12 How familiar are you with the historical figure, Confederate commander
Turner Ashby, Jr.?
o Not familiar at all (1)
o Slightly familiar (2)
o Moderately familiar (3)
o Very familiar (4)
o Extremely familiar (5)

Q13 How familiar are you with the historical figure, Confederate Navy officer
Matthew Fontaine Maury?
o Not familiar at all (1)
o Slightly familiar (2)
o Moderately familiar (3)
o Very familiar (4)
o Extremely familiar (5)

40
Q14 How familiar are you with the historical figure, Confederate general Thomas
"Stonewall" Jackson?
o Not familiar at all (1)
o Slightly familiar (2)
o Moderately familiar (3)
o Very familiar (4)
o Extremely familiar (5)

Q15 In general, how do you feel about the Confederate leaders like Turner Ashby
Jr., Matthew Fontaine Maury, and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson?
1 2 3 4 5
1 (1) 2 (2) 3 (3) 4 (4) 5 (5)
Bad Good
o o o o o

Unpleasant Pleasant
o o o o o

Unfavorable Favorable
o o o o o

Q16 How familiar are you with the building on JMU's campus being named after
the Confederate commander Turner Ashby, Jr.?
o Not familiar at all (1)
o Slightly familiar (2)
o Moderately familiar (3)
o Very familiar (4)
o Extremely familiar (5)

Q17 How do you feel about the building on JMU's campus named after the
Confederate leaders like Turner Ashby Jr., Matthew Fontaine Maury, and
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson?
1 2 3 4 5
(1) (2) (3) 4 (1) 5 (2)
Bad Good
o o o o o

41
Unpleasant Pleasant
o o o o o

Unfavorable Favorable
o o o o o

Q18 During your time at JMU, how many classes related to major social issues
such as racial diversity, human rights, equality, or justice have you taken?
o None (1)
o 1 (2)
o 2 (3)
o 3 (4)
o More than 3 (5)

Q19 How familiar are you with James Madison's slave-owning past?
o Not familiar at all (1)
o Slightly familiar (2)
o Moderately familiar (3)
o Very familiar (4)
o Extremely familiar (5)

Q20 How do you feel about James Madison's slave-owning past?

1 2 3 4 5
1 (1) 2 (2) 3 (3) 4 (4) 5 (5)
Bad Good
o o o o o

Unpleasant Pleasant
o o o o o

Unfavorable Favorable
o o o o o

Q21 How do you feel about James Madison University being named after James
Madison?
1 2 3 4 5
1 (1) 2 (2) 3 (3) 4 (4) 5 (5)

42
 Bad Good
o o o o o

Unpleasant Pleasant
o o o o o

Unfavorable Favorable
o o o o o

Q22 How would you feel if JMU takes action to change the names of Ashby,
Maury, and Jackson Hall?
1 2 3 4 5
1 (1) 2 (2) 3 (3) 4 (4) 5 (5)
Bad Good
o o o o o

Unpleasant Pleasant
o o o o o

Unfavorable Favorable
o o o o o

Q23 How would you feel if JMU took action to change the name James Madison
University?
1 2 3 4 5
1 (1) 2 (2) 3 (3) 4 (4) 5 (5)
Bad Good
o o o o o

Unpleasant Pleasant
o o o o o

Unfavorable Favorable
o o o o o

43
Q24 What is your age? _____ years old.

_______________________________________________________
_________

Q25 What is your gender?

o Male (1)
o Female (2)
o Other (Please specify) (3)
________________________________________________
o Prefer not to say (4)

Q26 What academic year are you?

o 1st year (1)
o 2nd year (2)
o 3rd year (3)
o 4th year (4)
o 5th year (6)
o Graduate Student (5)
o Faculty / Staff Member (7)
o Others (Specify): (8)
________________________________________________

Q27 What part of the United States are you from?

o Northeast (1)
o Mid Atlantic (2)
o Southeast (3)
o West (4)
o Southwest (5)
o Midwest (6)

Q28 What is your ethnicity?

o White or Caucasian (1)
o Black or African American (2)
o American Indian or Alaska Native (3)
o Asian or Asian American (4)

44
o Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander (5)
o Hispanic or Latino (6)
o Other (Please Specify) (7)
________________________________________________

Q29 What is your political affiliation?

o Republican (1)
o Democrat (2)
o Independent (3)
o Libertarian (4)
o Other (Please specify:) (5)
______________________________________________

2. IRB Form and Consent Form

James Madison University
Human Research Review Request
FOR IRB USE ONLY:
Exempt: Protocol Number: 1st Review: Reviewer:

Expedited: IRB: 2nd Review: Reviewer:

Full Received: 3rd Review:

Board:

Project
Title: Confederate Monuments Questionnaire
Project
Dates: From: 11/02/18 To: 11/ 01 /19
(Not to MM/DD/YY MM/DD/YY
exceed 1
year minus
1 day)

Responsibl
e
Researcher
(s): Emma Laney, Karlie Lorenz, Samantha Sadler, Abbey Hagan

45
E-mail laneyea@dukes.jmu.edu Lorenzkm@dukes.jmu.edu
Address: Sadlersl@dukes.jmu.edu haganap@dukes.jmu.edu

Telephone: 203-644-7580, 609-955-1806, 804-205-4277, 860-798-7476

Departmen School of Communications Studies
t:
Address 2106
(MSC):
Please Faculty Undergraduate Students
Select:
Administrator/Staff Member Graduate Student

(if Applicable):
Research
Advisor: Chang Wan Woo, Ph. D.
E-mail woocw@jmu.edu
Address:
Telephone: 5405683815
Departmen School of Communication Studies
t:
Address 2106
(MSC):

Minimum
# of
Participant
s: 100
Maximum
# of
Participant
s: 500

Funding: Yes:
External Funding: No: If yes, Sponsor:
Yes:
Internal Funding: No: If yes, Sponsor:

46
 Yes:
Independently: No:
Incentives: Will monetary incentives be offered? Yes: No:

If yes: How much per recipient? In what form?

Must
follow JMU
Financial http://www.jmu.edu/financemanual/procedures/4205.shtml#.394
Policy: IRBApprovedResearchSubjects

Institution Use of recombinant DNA and synthetic nucleic acid

al molecule research:
Biosafety Yes No
Committee If “Yes,” approval received: Yes No Pending
Review/Ap IBC Protocol Number(s):
proval: Biosafety Level(s):

Will Yes No
research If “Yes,” please complete and submit the International
be Research Form along with this review application:
conducted http://www.jmu.edu/researchintegrity/irb/forms/irbinte
outside of rnationalresearch.docx.
the United
States?

Certain Minors
vulnerable Pregnant women (Do not check unless you are specifically
population recruiting)
s are Prisoners
afforded
additional Fetuses
protections My research does not involve any of these populations
under the
federal
regulations
. Do human
participant
s who are
involved in
the

47
proposed
study
include any
of the
following
special
population
s?

Some Elderly
population Diminished capacity/Impaired decision-making ability
s may be Economically disadvantaged
vulnerable
to coercion Other protected or potentially vulnerable population (e.g.
or undue homeless, HIV-positive participants, terminally or seriously ill,
influence. etc.)
Does your My research does not involve any of these populations
research
involve any
of the
following
population
s?

Investigator: Please respond to the questions below. The IRB will

utilize your responses to evaluate your protocol submission.

1. YES NO Does the James Madison University Institutional Review Board

define the project as research?
The James Madison University IRB defines "research" as a "systematic
investigation designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.” All
research involving human participants conducted by James Madison University
faculty and staff and students is subject to IRB review.

2. YES NO Are the human participants in your study living individuals?

“Individuals whose physiologic or behavioral characteristics and responses are
the object of study in a research project. Under the federal regulations, human
subjects are defined as: living individual(s) about whom an investigator
conducting research obtains:

48
(1) data through intervention or interaction with the individual; or (2)
identifiable private information.”

3. YES NO Will you obtain data through intervention or interaction

with these individuals?
“Intervention” includes both physical procedures by which data are gathered
(e.g., measurement of heart rate or venipuncture) and manipulations of the
participant or the participant's environment that are performed for research
purposes. “Interaction” includes communication or interpersonal contact
between the investigator and participant (e.g., surveying or interviewing).

4. YES NO Will you obtain identifiable private information about

these individuals?
"Private information" includes information about behavior that occurs in a
context in which an individual can reasonably expect that no observation or
recording is taking place, or information provided for specific purposes which the
individual can reasonably expect will not be made public (e.g., a medical record
or student record). "Identifiable" means that the identity of the participant may
be ascertained by the investigator or associated with the information (e.g., by
name, code number, pattern of answers, etc.).

5. YES NO Does the study present more than minimal risk to the
participants?
"Minimal risk" means that the risks of harm or discomfort anticipated in the
proposed research are not greater, considering probability and magnitude, than
those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during performance of routine
physical or psychological examinations or tests. Note that the concept of risk
goes beyond physical risk and includes psychological, emotional, or behavioral
risk as well as risks to employability, economic well being, social standing, and
risks of civil and criminal liability.

CERTIFICATIONS:
For James Madison University to obtain a Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) with
the Office of Human Research Protection (OHRP), U.S. Department of Health &
Human Services, all research staff working with human participants must sign
this form and receive training in ethical guidelines and regulations. "Research
staff" is defined as persons who have direct and substantive involvement in
proposing, performing, reviewing, or reporting research and includes students
fulfilling these roles as well as their faculty advisors. The Office of Research
Integrity maintains a roster of all researchers who have completed training
within the past three years.

49
Test module at ORI website
http://www.jmu.edu/researchintegrity/irb/irbtraining.shtml

Name of Researcher(s) and Research Training Completion Date

Advisor

Emma Laney 10/01/2018

Karlie Lorenz 9/28/2018

Samantha Sadler 10/01/2018

Abbey Hagan 12/05/2017

Chang Wan Woo 9/26/2018

For additional training interests, or to access a Spanish version, visit the National
Institutes of Health Protecting Human Research Participants (PHRP) Course at:
http://phrp.nihtraining.com/users/login.php.

By signing below, the Responsible Researcher(s), and the Faculty

Advisor (if applicable), certifies that he/she is familiar with the
ethical guidelines and regulations regarding the protection of human
research participants from research risks. In addition, he/she agrees
to abide by all sponsor and university policies and procedures in
conducting the research. He/she further certifies that he/she has
completed training regarding human participant research ethics
within the last three years.
________________________________________
Principal Investigator Signature Date

_________________________________________
Principal Investigator Signature Date

_________________________________________
Principal Investigator Signature Date

_________________________________________
Principal Investigator Signature Date

50
_________________________________________
Faculty Advisor Signature Date

Purpose and Objectives

Please provide a lay summary of the study. Include the purpose, research
questions, and hypotheses to be evaluated. (Limit to one page)

The purpose of our study is to analyze awareness and attitudes of JMU faculty
and students concerning the confederate building names on the Quad and also
the university’s name due to his past as a slave owner. Some of our research
questions include: If students at JMU become increasingly aware of the
confederate building names and James Madison’s slave-owning past, will JMU
administration be prepared to handle the changing perception of diversity at
JMU and be able to improve on-campus diversity and inclusion?, If the James
Madison administration does takes steps to improve inclusion on campus, will
diversity at the school also increase?, and will minorities feel more included on
campus if the JMU administration takes measures to remove the Confederate
building names on campus? Our hypothesis is that as attitudes and awareness
increase about the building names and university name, the perception of
diversity at JMU will change.

Procedures/Research Design/Methodology/Timeframe
Describe your participants. From where and how will potential participants be
identified (e.g. class list, JMU bulk email request, etc.)?

Our participants will be JMU undergraduate students and the university

faculty. Students will be pulled from the SCOM SONA system as well as through
the bulk email request system at JMU. Faculty will also be pulled through the
bulk email system. All participants will be at least 18 years of age.

Dear student/faculty member,

You are invited to take part in a research study, approved for distribution to
James Madison University students and faculty by Institutional Review Board, to
learn more about awareness and attitudes concerning Confederate monuments
and diversity on college campuses. This study is being conducted by Emma Laney
lanyea@dukes.jmu.edu, Karlie Lorenz Lorenzkm@dukes.jmu.edu, Abby Hagan
haganap@dukes.jmu.edu, Samantha Sadler Sadlersl@dukes.jmu.edu, and Isaac
Woo woocw@jmu.edu from the School of Communications Studies at James
Madison University.

If you agree to participate in the study, you will be asked to complete an online
survey using Qualtrics software (an online survey tool). You will be asked to
provide answers to questions related to your awareness, feelings, and perceptions
concerning Confederate building names on campus, diversity at James Madison
University, and past events concerning Confederate honors.

51
This study should take 15-20 minutes of your time. Although you will not receive
any direct benefit, this research can help the investigators understand how to
prevent communication crises related to the aforementioned questions.

Confidentiality of your responses will be maintained. The survey does not ask for
nor require any personally identifiable information.

Participation in this study is voluntary, and there will be no penalties for not
participating in the research. You may refuse to participate or withdraw at any t
ime. You have the right to not answer any questions you prefer not to answer.

If you have any questions or concerns during the time of your participation in the
study or after its completion, please contact: Emma Laney
laneyea@dukes.jmu.edu, Karlie Lorenz lorenzkm@dukes.jmu.edu, Abbey Hagan
haganap@dukes.jmu.edu, Samantha Sadler sadlersl@dukes.jmu.edu or Isaac
Woo woocw@jmu.edu.

If you consent to participate in this study you may access the survey at the link
below:

How will subjects be recruited once they are identified (e.g., mail, phone,
classroom presentation)? Include copies of recruitment letters, flyers, or
advertisements.

Subjects will be recruited through the JMU bulk email system and the
SCOM SONA system. Upon IRB approval, the researchers will inform the SONA
system advisor to post the link to the survey through both mediums so that
interested students and faculty can take it. After reading the informed consent
and upon their agreement, students and faculty will be able to fill out the
questionnaire. The data will be collected through Qualtrics.

Describe the design and methodology, including all statistics, IN DETAIL. What
exactly will be done to the subjects? If applicable, please describe what will
happen if a subject declines to be audio or video-recorded.

After reading and agreeing to the informed consent at the beginning of the
survey, subjects will click “next” to continue onto the questionnaire where they
will be asked questions about their attitude, awareness, and perception of JMU
before knowing about the building names and the university name, and then once
informed in the questionnaire, they will be asked again about their attitude,
awareness, and perception to see how these variables affect them. Data will be
analyzed through SPSS.

Emphasize possible risks and protection of subjects.

Anticipated risks are no more than minimal (risks associated with everyday life).

What are the potential benefits to participation and the research as a whole?

52
There are no benefits to participating. The area of research will benefit from the
study by understanding how the university’s publics perceive honoring
Confederate members and former slave owners.

Where will research be conducted? (Be specific; if research is being conducted off
of JMU’s campus a site letter of permission will be needed)

Research will be conducted online through the Qualtrics system.

Will deception be used? If yes, provide the rationale for the deception. Also,
please provide an explanation of how you plan to debrief the subjects regarding
the deception at the end of the study.

Deception will not be used.

What is the time frame of the study? (List the dates you plan on collecting data.
This cannot be more than a year, and you cannot start conducting research until
you get IRB approval)

11/02/18 (pending IRB approval)-11/01/19

Data Analysis
For more information on data security, please see:
http://www.jmu.edu/researchintegrity/irb/irbdatasecurity.shtml.

How will data be analyzed?

Data will be analyzed through SPSS which will run it through statistical tests.

How will you capture or create data? Physical (ex: paper or recording)?
Electronic (ex: computer, mobile device, digital recording)?

Data will be captured electronically on a computer.

Do you anticipate transferring your data from a physical/analog format to a

digital format? If so, how? (e.g. paper that is scanned, data inputted into the
computer from paper, digital photos of physical/analog data, digitizing audio or
video recording?)

No, the data will already be in a digital format.

How and where will data be secured/stored? (e.g. a single computer or laptop;
across multiple computers; or computing devices of JMU faculty, staff or
students; across multiple computers both at JMU and outside of JMU?) If
subjects are being audio and/or video-recorded, file encryption is highly
recommended. If signed consent forms will be obtained, please describe how
these forms will be stored separately and securely from study data.

53
Data will be stored in a locked file on a computer. The file will require a password
in order to view it.

Who will have access to data? (e.g. just me; me and other JMU researchers
(faculty, staff, or students); or me and other non-JMU researchers?)

Besides Dr. Woo, Emma Laney, Karlie Lorenz, Abbey Hagan, and Samantha
Sadler will have access to the data through the secure online location. All the
electronic data will be encrypted using Windows Encrypting File System (EFS)
for PCs and File Valut 2software for Mac Computers.

If others will have access to data, how will data be securely shared?

Others will not have access to the data, and so the data will not be shared with
anyone outside of the research group and the faculty advisor. Within the group, it
will be shared online. All the electronic data will be shared using Windows
Encrypting File System (EFS) for PCs and File Valut 2software for Mac
Computers.

Will you keep data after the project ends? (i.e. yes, all data; yes, but only de-
identified data; or no) If data is being destroyed, when will it be destroyed, and
how? Who will destroy the data?

After the project, the data will be destroyed after 1 year. Data will be destroyed by
a researcher or the faculty advisor by deleting the secure file.

Reporting Procedures
Who is the audience to be reached in the report of the study?

The audience to be reached in the report of the study will be JMU undergraduate
students and the university faculty. Students include those who are not enrolled
in the SCOM388 class as well.

How will you present the results of the research? (If submitting as exempt,
research cannot be published or publicly presented outside of the classroom.
Also, the researcher cannot collect any identifiable information from the subjects
to qualify as exempt.)

At the end of the research, Emma, Karlie, Abbey, and Samantha will present the
results to their SCOM388 class. The data will also be included in the campaign
analysis report but will not contain any identifying information.

How will feedback be provided to subjects?

54
Feedback will be given if desired. Individual subjects interested in receiving
feedback and hearing the results of the study may email any of the student
researchers or the faculty advisor.

Experience of the Researcher (and advisor, if student):

Please provide a paragraph describing the prior relevant experience of the
researcher, advisor (if applicable), and/or consultants.If you are a student
researcher, please state if this is your first study. Also, please confirm that your
research advisor will be guiding you through this study.
Chang Wan Woo, Ph. D., research advisor, has conducted and published multiple
studies involving human participants with IRB approval in peer-reviewed
academic journals including Public Relations Review and Journalism and Mass
Communication Quarterly. He has taught research methods classes at JMU
including Intro to Communication Research (SCOM 280), Communication
Research Methodologies (SCOM 383), and Campaign Research Methods (SCOM
388).
The student researchers have taken SCOM280 as their prior research
experience and are currently enrolled in SCOM388 where they are learning
campaign research methods with Dr. Woo. This is the student researchers first
study, and therefore will be guided by our professor. The researchers reserve the
option to present their results at a regional or a national conference (e.g., SCOM
undergraduate research conference), if their papers are selected for presentation

Consent to Participate in Research

The consent to participant will appear at the landing page of the survey.

Identification of Investigators & Purpose of Study

You are being asked to participate in a research study conducted by Emma Laney,
Karlie Lorenz, Abbey Hagan, and Samantha Sadler from James Madison
University. The purpose of this study is to analyze and assess JMU’s faculty and
student’s awareness, attitudes, and perceptions concerning diversity and
inclusion at the university especially in concerns to the Confederate building
names and the university name. This study will contribute to the researchers’
completion of their classroom project.

Research Procedures
Should you decide to participate in this research study, you will be asked to click
“next” on the landing page of the survey, which states the consent form. This
study consists of a survey that will be administered to individual participants
through Qualtrics, an online survey system. You will be asked to provide answers
to a series of questions related to diversity, inclusion, knowledge of confederate
buildings on campus, and knowledge of James Madison’s past as a slave-owner.

Time Required
Participation in this study should take no longer than 20 minutes.

Risks

55
The investigator does not perceive more than minimal risks from your
involvement in this study (that is, no risks beyond the risks associated with
everyday life).

Benefits
There are no benefits to participants of this survey. The area of research will
benefit by gaining insight on how to address and prevent potential public
relations crises on college campuses concerning Confederate monuments and
other honors that can affect the diversity of the institutions.

Confidentiality
The results of this research will be presented to the SCOM388 class at the end of
the semester. The researchers reserve the option to present their results at a
regional or a national conference (e.g., SCOM undergraduate research
conference), if their papers are selected for presentation. While individual
responses are anonymously obtained and recorded online through Qualtrics
software, data is kept in the strictest confidence. No identifiable information will
be collected from the participant and no identifiable responses will be presented
in the final form of this study. The researcher retains the right to use and publish
non-identifiable data. All data will be stored in a secure location accessible only
to the researcher. At the end of the study, all records will be destroyed. Final
aggregate results will be made available to participants upon request.

Participation & Withdrawal

Your participation is entirely voluntary. You are free to choose not to participate.
Should you choose to participate, you can withdraw at any time without
consequences of any kind. However, once your responses have been submitted
and anonymously recorded you will not be able to withdraw from the study.

Questions about the Study

If you have questions or concerns during the time of your participation in this
study, or after its completion or you would like to receive a copy of the final
aggregate results of this study, please contact:

Emma Laney
Student of the School of Communication Studies
James Madison University
laneyea@dukes.jmu.edu

Karlie Lorenz
Student of the School of Communications Studies
James Madison University
lorenzkm@dukes.jmu.edu

56
Samantha Sadler
Student of the School of Communications Studies
James Madison University
sadlersl@dukes.jmu.edu

Abbey Hagan
Student of the School of Communications Studies
James Madison University
haganap@dukes.jmu.edu

Chang Wan Woo

School of Communication Studies
James Madison University
woocw@jmu.edu
(540-568-6228)

Questions about Your Rights as a Research Subject

Dr. Taimi Castle
Chair, Institutional Review Board
James Madison University
(540) 568-5929
castletl@jmu.edu

Giving of Consent
I have been given the opportunity to ask questions about this study. I have read
this consent and I understand what is being requested of me as a participant in
this study. I certify that I am at least 18 years of age. By clicking next, and
completing and submitting this anonymous survey, I am consenting to
participate in this research.

______________________________________
Name of Researcher (Printed) Date

3. Data Analysis Output

Means Tests

RQ1 – What is the level of attitude towards the Confederacy?

RQ2-What is the level of attitude towards the building names on campus?

57
RQ3-What is the level of attitude towards the university name?

RQ4: What is the level of perception of diversity at JMU?

Regression Tests

H1-Attitude toward the Confederacy will influence the attitude toward the buildings
with Confederate names.

58
H2-Attitude towards James Madison’s slave-owning past will influence the attitude
towards the university name.

H3-Perceptions of diversity at JMU will influence the perceptions of the culture of

diversity and inclusion at JMU.

59
H4-Attitude towards the buildings with Confederate names will influence attitudes to
change these building names.

60
H5-Attitudes towards James Madison’s name will influence attitudes towards changing
the university name.

H6-Familiarity with Confederate figures will influence attitudes towards Confederate

names.

61
 4. Team Member Approval Sheet

Team members are required to sign off on the various stages of the campaign. A Team
Member Approval Sheet is required with the following submissions:
Secondary Research Report
Primary Research “Proposal” Report
Final Report (i.e., Secondary & Primary Research Report)

The Team Member Approval Sheet should include the following information. Make it
look like a
professional business note with a business heading of your team name, or a logo if you
have one.

Team Name: KASE Communications

62
Course Title, Instructor: SCOM 388 Campaign Research Methods, Dr. Chang Wan
"Isaac" Woo

Date: December 12, 2018

Submission type (as above): Final Primary Research Report

The following submission is made with the approval of the KASE Communications,
project team.

Name __Emma Laney______________

Signature__Emma Laney____________ Date __December 12, 2018

Name __Abbey Hagan______________

Signature___Abbey Hagan__________ Date__December 12, 2018

Name ____Karlie Lorenz____________

Signature__Karlie Lorenz_____________ Date __December 12, 2018

Name ___Samantha Sadler_____________

Signature___Samantha Sadler__________ Date ___December 12, 2018

63