HOUNDS IN THE

HALLS: ASSESSMENT
REPORT
MELISSA BRYANT, RENEE CONNELLY,
MAKENZIE MARSELL, BETTIE MATTISON,
CASSIE MCLAUGHLIN

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

 1

Executive Summary is beneficial to the students because it

allowed different populations to
This report assesses the progress and experience the program each
usage of the therapy dog program at month. This grew more interest in the
Northern Illinois University (NIU). The program across campus.
therapy dog program is a service provided
by the office of Counseling and Consultation Introduction
Services (CCS) at NIU. As of the 2018- "COMFORT
2019 academic year, the therapy dog As students enter
program has started a new process of their college years ANIMALS,
rotating each month to different residence mental health issues can SPECIFICALLY
halls on campus. The purpose of this
assessment is to evaluate the usage and
become more prevalent.
A young person's brain
THERAPY
participation of the rotation therapy dog has not fully developed, DOGS, IS A
program and how it compares to the coupled with the stress WAY FOR AN
outcomes of programs from previous years, of starting college, and INSTITUTION
when it just stayed in one location. entering a campus
This report explains different environment, mental
TO PROVIDE
literature on the topics of mental health, health issues can present STUDENTS
counseling centers, and pet therapy. This themselves CONTACT
report used different types of methods to (Eisenberg, Golberstein, WITH MENTAL
determine the usage and participation & Gollust, 2007). If a
outcomes of the therapy dog program. The mental health issue HEALTH
assessment team completed three research arises students do not SERVICES AND
methods to measure usage. The team always know where to LESSEN THE
distributed a survey to residents and staff in find help or what
the residence halls to determine who resources are available STIGMA."
attended these programs, and what the on campus.
positive and negative outcomes were from Furthermore, students
the attendees. The assessment team are still encountering
attended two separate therapy dog programs stigma surrounding
and completed thorough observations. As mental health and
well, the assessment team held telephone seeking treatment for
interviews with the dog handlers. These their conditions.
were individuals who participated in the Because of this stigma
program for many years and understand how students are not seeking
the program has developed over time and help in the numbers they
what successes have come from it. should (Eisenberg,
Overall, the data showed that the Downs, & Golberstein,
program was successful and there was an 2009). To combat this
increase in attendance from previous years. issue the Office of Counseling and
Challenges still exist however in that Consultation Services at NIU is seeking
marketing the program is an issue and many ways to work around the stigma and provide
students do not know where to find the mental health services to students,
program each month. Also, when the sometimes without the student realizing they
program was not held in an area with high are engaging in a form of therapy.
foot traffic, the program saw a decrease in This assessment will focus on
attendance numbers. Rotating the program NIU and the therapy dog program that visits

the residence halls which is sponsored
by CCS. The specific focus of the
assessment is on the usage of the therapy
dog program by students. NIU started a
program deploying therapy dogs to the
residence halls in hopes of helping students
cope with the stressors of college. The
program started in 2014 with one location,
Stevenson Residence Hall. The therapy
dogs visited Stevenson Hall monthly
throughout the school year in an open
community room allowing students to visit
with ease. Counseling services was happy
with the interaction and openness of the
students to the therapy dogs and wanted
to develop and increase the program more.
Starting in the fall of 2018 the program
started transitioning by rotating between the
residence halls with up to seven different
therapy dogs. Each month the therapy dogs
moved to a new residence hall, in the hopes
that this would allow more students to
experience the therapy dogs and engage in
the therapeutic effects of spending time with
the dogs.
Comfort animals, specifically
therapy dogs, is a way for an institution to
provide students with access to mental
health services and lessen the stigma.
Counseling centers are working more with
students in a group setting to see more
clients, reduce stigma, and reach a larger
audience. The therapy dog program, a form
of pet therapy, is a way the counseling
center can reach many students in the least
restrictive environment. Moreover, schools
are looking to engage in outreach activities
therefore changing the campus climate. An
option schools are contemplating is the use
of pet therapy and how effective it can be
for students. As an institution
of higher education, schools are assessing
the effectiveness of their current mental
health programs as well as ways they can
improve and incorporate more students.
2
Review of Literature
Current Mental Health Climate
With twenty-six percent of
Americans who are eighteen and older
experiencing symptoms associated with a
diagnosable mental disorder in any given
year (Kitzrow, 2003), and a ratio of
psychological counselors to students is an
average 1,900:1 on college campuses (Hunt
& Eisenberg, 2010) it is imperative that
college campuses are prepared to support
their students in concern and crisis. Mental
health concerns can range from anxiety,
depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorder,
substance use and more, range in complexity
and severity. Profoundly, on average ten
percent of traditional undergraduate students
have contemplated suicide in the past year
(Lamis, 2013). With many more ranging in
severity and displays of behaviors across
campuses.
Overall, mental health, should be on
the forefront of institutions policies and
approach when addressing students’ needs.
Kitzrow (2003) discusses how during the
ages of 18-24 is a prevalent time for onset of
a mental illness to display symptoms. When
looking at what the current climate looks
like, onset of depression, anxiety, suicidal
ideation, and self-injury are highly prevalent
in the traditional undergraduate population.
Without the proper support, students with
mental health concerns will not persist and
retain as strongly as their counterparts.
Eighty-six percent of students with mental
illnesses withdraw from college prior to
completing their degree compared to the
forty five percent withdrawal rate for the
general student population (Salzer, 2012)
leaving a gap of over forty percent for those
with mental illness to account for.
Counseling centers are incredible resources
to best support students and meet them
where they are at and support their
persistence towards their degree.

Counseling Centers
Despite being key health care
resources on campus, college counseling
centers find themselves having to do more
with less physical and financial support
(Meilman, 2016). Because of the lack of
trained counselors on staff and less money
allocated to college counseling
efforts, many programs fall short of being
able to reach students. Students today come
to college with preexisting conditions and
create a higher demand for counseling
services (Farrell, 2008; Meilman, 2016).
This increase in demand and the fact that
college mental health programs are
understaffed leads counseling centers to
seek out help from other partners on campus
to create a joint effort to support students.
It is hard for counseling centers to
provide effective services for students when
working as a singular department.
Thorngren et al. (2013), discussed the
concept of strong interpersonal connections
being a positive factor in college retention
efforts. In this study, the research showed
that combining counseling with academic
programming provided positive outcomes in
engaging students. If the overall goal for
colleges and universities is retention, then
strengthening connections across campus
departments could prove useful for everyone
who see value in counseling services.
Poyrazli (2015) agrees and adds the fact that
students hear about counseling services from
other people in their networks, including
academic advisors.
Considering the struggles that
counseling centers currently face, effective
outreach programming is a major tool to
reach different groups of students. Seeking
out counseling/mental health services is not
the cultural norm for many groups of people,
so counseling centers face the issue of
having to move out of the office to provide
services. College student enrollments are
increasingly becoming more diverse, and it
is important for counseling outreach efforts
to be mindful of the changing needs of
3
college students (Asidao & Sevig, 2014).
To become a stronger unit, college
counseling centers will need the assistance
of many different departments.
Outreach
Outreach efforts require counselors
to reach out to best assist people that are in
need, usually requiring work outside of the
traditional office space. Outreach efforts
may manifest in a variety of ways. For
instance, counseling centers can reach more
students by offering consultations with
faculty and staff members who may be
concerned about a student. This system
allows for counseling centers to intervene in
crisis situations, but it also provides faculty
and staff with the necessary support to be
more effective helpers of students who will
not seek counseling (Mier, Boone,
& Shropshire, 2009). Outreach efforts may
also include programming with the intent of
disseminating information to students. For
instance, counseling centers may host
presentations focused on psychoeducation
(Marks & McLaughlin, 2005). Furthermore,
counseling centers should consider
alternative outreach options to reach
students whose cultural background may not
be congruent with the structured
appointment-based approach to counseling
(Boone et al., 2011). This non-traditional
approach to counseling may be more
applicable to some minority students,
allowing counselors the opportunity to
connect with more students in need.
When developing outreach
programs, counseling centers should also be
mindful of the factors that may increase
effectiveness. For example, programs are
more effective when they are marketed well,
when they are incorporated into course
curricula, and when the topic areas are of
personal interest to a student (Marks &
McLaughlin, 2005). Outreach often
includes the use of animals as it has
therapeutic effects on students and
 4

individuals with and without mental health change. However, the perceived stress test
concerns. that the students took indicted that their
exam stress declined after participating in
Pet Therapy the dog intervention (Barker, Barker,
Pet therapy has an early history McCain, and Schubert 2016). sNGF levels
dating back to 1792. In 1792 the York are more easily measured when the stress is
Retreat was developed, which was a type of higher such as stress from relationship
treatment used to heal mental illness. Since conflict. The stress of exams is not high
1792, pet therapy and its research has enough to detect a change in sNGF.
overcome many challenges and has been However, students felt more comfortable
highly supported in the mental health field expressing and explaining their anxiety due
as more studies are developed. However, to the intervention of pet therapy.
research is still in its early stages and the
study of pet therapy will continue to Assessment Design
progress and evolve. Since the first official
study of pet therapy in 1961, research has The purpose of
shown that therapeutic animals help clients this assessment was to
who are withdrawn and non-communicative. determine if moving the
"THE
Clients feel a non-judgmental bond between therapy dog program INSTRUMENTS
themselves and the animal, and this makes it across multiple
easier, especially for children, to open-up to residence halls was USED FOR DATA
their counselor during sessions. Along with effective, and to COLLECTION
this, the presence of an animal has also determine whether one
proven to lower anxiety, improve memory residence hall was more INCLUDED
and reality, and motivate participation in popular with attendance ATTENDANCE
therapy (Chandler 2001). than others.
It is important to note that animal- Therapy dog sessions at NUMBERS
assisted therapy, which is commonly used in NIU are ran by the
today’s counseling practices, is not a style of Counseling and OBSERVATIONS
therapy but rather can be a supplemental Consultation Services /FIELD NOTES,
tool to a certain counseling style (Chandler office. These sessions
2001). In the Barker, Barker, McCain, and previously only took INTERVIEWS,
Schubert (2016) study, 78 university place in Stevenson Hall AND ONLINE
students were examined and assigned to once a month. Now,
therapy dog interventions. The study CCS staff are rotating STUDENT
measured the effects of stress during the to different residence
week leading up to final exams. To measure halls once a month and
SURVEYS."
stress, participants were asked to take finding spaces that are
surveys about perceived stress, as well as accessible to more
give a sample of a salivary nerve growth people in order
factor (sNGF). During the therapy dog to increase attendance.
sessions, the students interacted and pet at The goals that CCS had
least one dog. The results from for our assessment were
the sNGF levels of students who interacted to examine the
with dogs and those whom did not were popularity of the
undetectable. The result levels from therapy dog sessions,
the sNGF test were not extreme enough to determine the methods
determine a measurable and meaningful that students used to

find the programs, as well as analyze the
attendance rate of these programs.
In this assessment, our aim was to determine
if moving to different residence halls created
a positive impact on the therapy dog session
outcomes. The assessment project measured
whether moving to different residence halls
allowed more people to interact with the
dogs, particularly people who would not
otherwise attend this event. Future results
will determine whether this program grows
or not, and if therapy dog sessions continue
to rotate around campus.
The population of this study was
anyone who attended a therapy dog session
on campus at Northern Illinois University.
The sample included students, staff, faculty,
professionals, as well as community
members. Also, these were the same people
included in data collection. Based on an
initial meeting with counseling and
consultation services, this assessment’s
methods focused on where participants came
from to see the dogs, where were they going
to see the dogs, and whether people
followed the dogs or attended sessions out
of convenience. An additional question this
assessment attempted to answer is if the
therapy dogs encouraged students to utilize
the counseling center more.
Methods
The data collected for this
assessment was both qualitative and
quantitative. Qualitative data included the
observation field notes, responses from
interviews, and survey responses.
Quantitative data included the number of
people who attended therapy dog sessions in
the past, compared to those from 2018 so
far. The assessment group collected
experiences, satisfaction and attendance
regarding therapy dog sessions from this
data. Methods for this assessment consisted
of in-person observations of two therapy dog
sessions held in October and November.
One group member attended the entirety of
5
the session that lasted 1.5 hours. The group
member took field notes, and organized the
data thematically afterwards for analysis.
The purpose of the observations was to
witness organic interactions of students with
therapy dogs, gauge general satisfaction
signals from students and other attendees, as
well as observe operations of a typical
therapy dog session. The
satisfaction surveys were distributed to
students through residence hall directors and
community advisors via email. The purpose
of the survey was to gather perspectives
from students about therapy dog sessions,
where they went to see dogs, where they
were coming from, and how they found out
about the program. 77 people submitted
responses for the survey, and data collection
lasted from November 8th, until November
25th. Two members of the assessment group
conducted telephone interviews with five of
the current dog handlers who participate in
the therapy dog program at NIU.
Participants were recruited after one
of the therapy dog sessions, by asking dog
handlers to provide their names, dog name,
and contact information for an interview.
Interviews with dog handlers lasted about 45
minutes. The final method of data collection
included reviewing
attendance numbers from therapy dog
sessions as well as any special events where
the therapy dogs were present such as events
held during finals week. The attendance
numbers collected were from
the CCS therapy dog sessions held during
2016-2017 academic year, 2017-2018
academic year and 2018 semester through
November. The instruments used for data
collection included guidelines for
observations/field notes, interviews, and
Qualtrics-based student surveys.
Results
Increased Usage
As the therapy dog program shifted
into different residence halls the average

program attendance increased by over fifty
people. In Table 1, it shows that the
average attendance per program in the 2016-
2017 academic year was in the 90s and
in the 2017-2018 year it was almost in the
140’s which is a significant jump in overall
attendance.
This is consistent with students reporting
whether they are willing to travel to see the
therapy dogs at Northern Illinois University.
The results of the survey support the
switch to multiple residence halls for more
exposure to more students. Observations
also reveal that the change of location from
Stevenson Hall to New Hall allowed for
more students to attend the program. New
Hall held a therapy dog session during the
dinner hour in a wide-open space that was
able to fit a large numbers of students. This
session had approximately 200 attendees.
Angela Kaminski, who is one of the CCS
staff that manages the therapy dog sessions,
stated that it was the highest number of
attendees at any of the therapy dog sessions
they have held in the past. Because of the
close proximity to the exit, there was a lot of
foot traffic near the therapy dogs, which
allowed for better recruitment. Students
passing by on their way to the dining hall in
the building saw the dogs, and the
6
Counseling and Consultation Center staff
were able to recruit more people over to the
area where the dogs were. Students were
surprised to see the dogs as they came into
the building, and subsequently came over to
pet the dogs. Had the students not seen the
dogs in the New Hall Swing space (which is
right near an entrance), they
would likely not made it over to
see the dogs.
Interviews with therapy
dog handlers reveal that there has
been an increased usage of the
program as well. Two of the owners stated
that the program had more people attending
than previous ones held in Stevenson Hall.
Based on this data, the students show a
willingness to go to multiple halls and are
attending the program in the multiple
locations.
Access Reaches More Students
During the program observations, the
general program structure was noted. At the
therapy dog sessions, the dog handlers
arrived before the start time of the program,
and they spread out in the assigned room
with their dogs so that each dog handler
had their own space. Once the program
starts, students attend on a walk-in basis.
That is, students can arrive at any time and
they may stay for as long as they choose.
Some students will cycle around the room to
visit all the dogs, but some students will
visit with one dog briefly and then leave. It
is a very casual event, and students can
experience the program per their own

preferences. Because the set-up is less
formal, students are able to take advantage
of seeing the therapy dogs as much as they
need to.
A survey was sent out to community
advisors at NIU to distribute to residents in
the residence halls to give feedback on
their experience with the location rotation of
the therapy dog program. The survey aimed
to look at where students lived, attended
programs and general awareness of the
move and shift in program. When asked
where residents had attended the therapy
dog program the predominant answer was
New Hall for the Fall 2018 semester as seen
in Figure 1. It should be noted that that is
one of the primary dining options open and a
new location of the program.
In comparing where residents have
attended therapy dog programs and where
they lived to track who is attending the
therapy dog programs, as shown in Figure 2,
most of the survey respondents were from
New Hall which is in line with the highest
attendance being recorded with the New
Hall therapy dog event.
Different venues greatly impact both
attendance and the comfort of the therapy
dogs. The two sessions that were observed
took place in New Hall and Gilbert. As
stated previously, in New Hall the room was
located the New Hall Swing space, which
is a high traffic area that contributed to
many attendees. The area itself was a very
7
open space with lots of room for people to
sit and chat. The room had carpet on the
floors. The room also provided easy access
being close to an entrance/exit and located
on the first floor. The room in Gilbert was
much more tucked away, which made it
harder for the handlers to find the room.
This also made it more difficult for CCS
Staff to recruit students over to the room that
the therapy dogs were in. Upon entering,
people who wanted to see the dogs, had to
find signage, one of the CCS staff members
or ask someone who worked there to find
out where the dogs would be held. There
were a number of different doors and
hallways that prevented quick access to the
dogs. The room in Gilbert was a smaller
room, which had less space and capacity for
people to be in. This created an issue when
more students came in, because it seemed to
be a tight squeeze with the dogs, handlers,
staff, tables/chairs, and students. It is likely
that because of the setup of this area,
attendance at this session was much lower.
Approximately 80 attendees were recorded
at the Gilbert Hall session. Furthermore, the
tiled floor was uncomfortable for the dogs,
and some of the dogs had never been to that
area before so they seemed uneasy in the
new location.
Another note about both the
locations of the program in the residence
halls is that people must swipe into the
residence halls with their student IDs. This
can be a barrier for the dog handlers when
they try to access the program venue, and it
can also be a barrier for non-residents who
want to attend the program. Another
important remark made by some students is
that they did not know about the program.
Most students either heard about it through
word of mouth, or just happened to walk
past the program. It is beneficial for the
program to “recruit” participants by placing
the program in high-traffic areas (such as
New Hall). However, some students who
attended came directly to the dogs with
groups of friends, indicating that there was

intent on behalf of these students to attend
the program. Students are talking about the
program with others, which contribute to
increased usage.
The more noteworthy answers were
students survey opinions about the switch to
rotating the program to different residence
halls, and their opinions about how the
program could be improved. Multiple
handlers reported that when the program
was only hosted in Stevenson, they often
saw the same students each time. The
change to rotating the program allowed
more students to conveniently attend the
program, and also increased the visibility of
the program across campus. The handlers
who are not familiar with the NIU campus
reported that they sometimes struggled to
find the different residence halls; however,
they believed that this change was very
beneficial for the program.
Program Thrives Despite Marketing
To account for whether attendees
were aware of the switch to rotation rather
than a continuous location the assessment
team included a question on the survey
asking if participants were aware and the
majority, 61% of the survey respondents
were aware of the rotation of the therapy
dog program as demonstrated in Figure 4.
Knowing the awareness of the rotation and
the students’ willingness to attend the
program in different residence halls is
important in the initiation of expansion of
the program. 38 of the 53 said they would
attend a program in another hall as seen
in Figure 5. Marketing was not available for
the therapy dog sessions on either the CCS
website. Flyers were provided in the Gilbert
location, but not New Hall. Students were
not advertised when these programs are
happening or where they will be moving to
next. During observations, this information
was reiterated as students shared that they
did not know where the dogs would be, and
that the information was not available
online.
8
The handlers did not have very much
feedback about the program, as they felt that
it was structured very effectively and that
the recent changes had been very beneficial.
One handler felt that the program could be
marketed more effectively. This handler’s
suggestion was to decide all of the times and
locations for the program at the beginning of
the semester, and to hand out flyers at each
therapy dog session. During observations,
therapy dog handlers were helping to spread
the word about future sessions. A few dog
handlers were telling students where the
location would be during the next month if
they knew of the information. Per
the interviews with the dog handlers, the
program is running very smoothly, and the
recent changes have improved the program
even more.
There were many consistencies
among the interviews, observations, and
survey data about satisfaction of the
program. All of the handlers have dogs that
are very enthusiastic about spending time
with students, and they all reported that the
students greatly enjoy the time they spend
with the dogs. Observations revealed that
students are happy when they see the
therapy dogs in their residence hall. The
survey also showed that students would
likely attend the program again if they had
been previously.

Discussion
The results support the
effectiveness of the switch to
rotating the program through
the residence halls on
increased usage; specifically,
when considering the
increased attendance trends
since making this structural
change. However, other
trends were noted that could
impact the participation of
students, and these factors
must be noted as well. These
factors include: the impact of
location and accessibility on
participation in the program,
as well as marketing efforts
that impact whether or
not students are aware of the
program. The structural
change of the program has
been a way for
the sessions to make contact
with a wider variety of
students. However, given the
goal of increasing student
participation as much as
possible, these other factors
can be integrated into
programmatic efforts in order
to help meet the goal of
increased student engagement.
Recommendations
After reviewing the results of the
assessment project, the following are
recommendations for addressing the issue of
student engagement with the therapy dog
program.
9
Recommendation #1:
"THIS YEAR HAS The program should continue
with its recent structural
DEFINITELY BEEN A changes. The program should
be rotated to different
TESTAMENT TO THE residence halls each month.
Rotating the program
FACT THAT through the residence halls
allows for a wider variety of
[ROTATION] students to be exposed to the
program. This provides a
INCREASES convenient opportunity for
residents to attend the program
PARTICIPATION." at their own residence hall, but
it also raises awareness about
-NIU DOG HANDLER the program overall.
Additionally, this serves as a
first point of contact with more
students who may also attend
subsequent therapy dog sessions
in other residence halls. This
structure allows for broader
student engagement and an
opportunity to impact a much
larger group of students.
Recommendation #2:
Marketing strategies should
be more comprehensive with
deliberate outreach efforts.
Although the program is
running very effectively, NIU
Counseling and Consultation
Services should consider the ways that they
are marketing the program and connecting
with students. Although the program gets a
strong number of attendees regardless, many
students struggle to find information online
or elsewhere about the program. NIU CCS
should consider marketing the program
online for students who would like to attend,
including methods such as updating a
webpage with the latest information,
submitting the events to the NIU Events
Calendar, and marketing the program on the
NIU Housing Facebook profile. It would be
very beneficial to interested students to have
a webpage on the NIU website with all
 10

scheduling information that can be found by
searching “therapy dogs” on the NIU
website.
Recommendation #3: The
program dates and locations should be
planned at the beginning of the semester.
Another marketing tactic that would
be beneficial is to have all of the dates and
locations for the semester decided at the
beginning of the semester. This will allow
CCS staff and dog handlers to provide
students with as much information as
possible about upcoming sessions during the
therapy dog program. This will also allow
CCS to create comprehensive marketing
materials. For instance, CCS could create a
flyer with all of the dates and locations for
the semester to be distributed at the
program. CCS could also post these flyers
in the residence halls. Attendees are
primarily learning about the program
through hall staff, and other marketing
tactics can connect with students who do not
have as close of contact with hall staff. This
will contribute to a more diverse group of
students attending the program, as well as
increase attendance numbers. Furthermore,
improved marketing tactics will enable
students to “follow” the program to other
residence halls. Previously, students were
able to anticipate that the program would
take place at the same location. Given the
rotating schedule, it is increasingly
important to provide students with
information on upcoming locations for the
program.
Conclusion
attendance numbers and dog handler
feedback show that rotating the program has
increased attendance, and it has also given a
wider variety of students the opportunity to
attend. Additionally, students self-reported
that they were willing to travel to attend the
program in other residence halls, which
suggests that this new rotation program
structure is a good fit for NIU students. The
primary area of improvement for this
program lies in a marketing expansion.
Many students hear about the program
through hall staff or through walk-ins, but
students struggle to find information about
the program. Given the fact that the
program will no longer be in a consistent
location, it is vital for Counseling and
Consultation Services to plan ahead so that
as many students as possible can learn about
upcoming therapy dog sessions. Dog
handlers and attendees both enjoy the
current structure of the program, so the best
area for improvement is increasing
communication through more thorough
marketing tactics.

Although the therapy dog program

hosted by Counseling and Consultation
Services at Northern Illinois University has
been an effective and successful ongoing
program, this assessment reveals trends that
can help CCS to make decisions to continue
to improve the program. The program
structure is very beneficial, and students
enjoy the program overall. Additionally, the
 11

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Appendix A

Observation Guidelines:
• Role of the observer is categorized as Complete Observer (non-participant). Defined as a
not involved with the setting or participants, not seen or heard (Cooper, 2009).
• Information collected for the purposes of gathering information about student satisfaction
and interaction with therapy dogs
o To determine whether moving from hall to hall is effective in increasing
participation and satisfaction.
• Observer will observe in one or more locations of the room as determined upon arrival to
best collect data
• Observation will be done for the duration of one hour when attending the session
• Observer will arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the event
• Observer will note date, time, and location of the therapy dog session
• Field notes will be written down or typed and later transcribed to share with the research
group
• Observer will take note of the following:
o Initial impressions, thoughts and feelings
o Set up of the room in detail, and objects in the environment (done prior to the start
of the event; can draw a picture)
o Room location within the residence hall (high traffic area, floor number, etc.)
o Accessibility to students (ex: needs to be accessed with student ID, stairs, etc.)
o Any direct quotes (requires quotation marks)
o People involved in actions happening (CCS staff and students)
 15

Appendix B

Interview Questions: (For Dog Handlers)

Duration: Maximum 30mins
Pre-Interview: (To be asked prior to starting the interview)
1. Thank participant for their willingness to share information about their experiences with
the therapy dog program at NIU.
2. Remind them of the purpose of our study: to learn about student/community perceptions
of the therapy dog program, rotating locations to different residence halls.
3. Remind them that it is okay to skip questions, and about confidentiality of our findings.
4. Ask them to verbally consent to the interview. (Note their response)
Introductory Questions:
• Can you tell me about how you became involved with the therapy dog program at NIU?
o Follow-up (if needed): How long have you participated in this program?
Questions About Therapy Dog Sessions: (experiences, thoughts, opinions)
• As a dog handler please explain how a typical therapy dog session is conducted?
• Can you tell me a story about your favorite experience during one of the therapy dog
sessions?
• Tell me a bit about your dog and his/her (insert dog’s name) interactions with the
students.
• How do you think rotating therapy dog sessions will affect attendance and participation?
• Do you think that there is anything that could be improved with the therapy dog
sessions?
• What are your thoughts about whether students are enjoying the presence of the therapy
dog sessions on campus?
• Do you have any additional questions for me or additional information that you would
like to share?
 16

Appendix C
The Counseling and Consultation Services webpage on the NIU website
 17

Appendix D
Survey given out to residents in the residence halls

Therapy Dogs in the Halls

Start of Block: Have you ever attended the Therapy Dog Program in any of the Residence
Halls?

Q1 Have you ever attended the therapy dog program in any of the residence halls?
o Yes (1)
o No (2)

Skip To: Q15 If Have you ever attended the therapy dog program in any of the residence halls?
= No

Q4 How are you affiliated with Northern Illinois University? Select one. 
o Student (1)
o Staff (2)
o Faculty (3)
o Community Member (4)

Skip To: Q5 If How are you affiliated with Northern Illinois University? Select one. = Student
Skip To: Q2 If How are you affiliated with Northern Illinois University? Select one. = Staff
Skip To: Q2 If How are you affiliated with Northern Illinois University? Select one. = Faculty
Skip To: Q2 If How are you affiliated with Northern Illinois University? Select one. =
Community Member

Q5 What year in school are you? 

o Freshman (1)
o Sophomore (2)
o Junior (3)
o Graduate (4)
o Doctoral (5)

Q2 Which Residence Hall do you live in? 

o New Hall (1)
o Gilbert Hall (2)
o Grant Towers (3)
o Stevenson Towers (4)
o Neptune Hall (5)
o Northern View (6)
o Off-Campus (7)
 18

Q3 Please select ALL the Residence Halls in which you have attended the therapy dog program.
• New Hall (1)
• Stevenson Towers (2)
• Neptune Hall (3)

Q6 How did you hear about the therapy dog program? Please comment below. 
________________________________________________________________

Q7 Are you aware that the therapy dog program is rotating to a different hall each month? 
o Yes (1)
o No (2)

Q8 How likely are you to attend another therapy dog event?

o Extremely likely (1)
o Moderately likely (2)
o Slightly likely (3)
o Slightly unlikely (4)
o Moderately unlikely (5)
o Extremely unlikely (6)

Q12 Are you willing to travel to a different residence hall to see the therapy dogs? 
o Definitely yes (1)
o Probably yes (2)
o Probably not (3)
o Definitely not (4)

Q9 What is your favorite aspect of the therapy dog program? Please select ALL that apply. 
• Location of Program (6)
• Selection of Dogs (7)
• Frequency of Program (8)
• Time of day (evening) (9)
• Other (10)

Skip To: End of Survey If What is your favorite aspect of the therapy dog program? Please select
ALL that apply.  = Other
 19

Skip To: End of Survey If What is your favorite aspect of the therapy dog program? Please select
ALL that apply.  = Location of Program
Skip To: End of Survey If What is your favorite aspect of the therapy dog program? Please select
ALL that apply.  = Selection of Dogs
Skip To: End of Survey If What is your favorite aspect of the therapy dog program? Please select
ALL that apply.  = Frequency of Program
Skip To: End of Survey If What is your favorite aspect of the therapy dog program? Please select
ALL that apply.  = Time of day (evening)

Q15 Why have you not attended a therapy dog program? Select all that apply.
• I am not interested in the program (4)
• I am allergic to dogs (5)
• I was not aware of the program (6)
• Location (7)
• Other (8)

Q16 Now that you are aware there is a therapy dog program are you more likely to attend in the
future?
o Yes (1)
o No (4)

End of Block: Have you ever attended the Therapy Dog Program in any of the Residence
Halls?