The University Climate in Distance Learning. An empirical study of student perceptions

University climate encompasses rules, trust, academic support, social relationships, and connectedness. It reflects students’ perceptions of social interactions both within and beyond the classroom and plays a crucial role in shaping their development, influencing academic performance, well-being, self-esteem, sense of community, and professional identity. What happens when all activities shift online? Can a “university climate” exist without in-person interactions? To explore these questions, during the Covid-19 pandemic – when teaching transitioned to virtual platforms – empirical research was conducted to assess perceptions of university climate in distance education. This study focused on first-year students in the BA program in Educational Sciences at the University of Parma, using UCliQ-DE, a 22-item questionnaire. A cluster analysis of the collected data identified four main trends, supplemented by a contingency analysis.