Cultivate a sense of belonging on campus

By Laura.Duckett, 21 May, 2024
Series Type
Collections
Teaser
A student’s experience of higher education can be greatly enhanced by an institution’s deliberate and considered actions towards building a sense of belonging on campus. But this goal is made that much more difficult in the wake of constant change brought on by industry-disrupting innovations. And with a section of the student body that lives off campus or who have commitments outside their studies, the challenge can sometimes seem almost too great. This collection of resources homes in on what belonging means in higher education, how we can cultivate it and how we can create and protect inclusive spaces for our students.
Description
A student’s experience of higher education can be greatly enhanced by an institution’s deliberate and considered actions towards building a sense of belonging on campus. But this goal is made that much more difficult in the wake of constant change brought on by industry-disrupting innovations. And with a section of the student body that lives off campus or who have commitments outside their studies, the challenge can sometimes seem almost too great. This collection of resources homes in on what belonging means in higher education, how we can cultivate it and how we can create and protect inclusive spaces for our students.
Resource
By Laura.Duckett, 28 May, 2025

Make your Freshers’ Week activities sing

A student with a guitar surrounded by others smiling
Songwriting sessions, treasure hunts and biscuit decorating are among the creative Freshers’ Week activities that help students build self-confidence, connect with others and ease the transition to university life
Reading time
2minutes
By Laura.Duckett, 16 May, 2025

How student-led research can build belonging and agency

Students working together in the library
A project that hired students as co-researchers to explore inclusion and connection resulted in higher levels of agency and belonging. Here, the academics behind the scheme share what they learnt
Reading time
4minutes
By Laura.Duckett, 8 May, 2025

Common barriers to belonging and how to overcome them

Academics chatting
Belonging in higher education goes beyond access – it’s about feeling seen, valued and supported. This resource explores the barriers that prevent true inclusion and offers ways to create a more welcoming academic culture
Reading time
4minutes
By Laura.Duckett, 6 May, 2025

Make social groups work for under-represented students

Students playing a boardgame
Collaborate with students to create social groups that foster connection among those with shared lived experiences. Above all, ensure these groups have a clear purpose and focus on inclusion, rather than emphasising difference
Reading time
5minutes
By Laura.Duckett, 11 March, 2025

What matters to students’ sense of belonging?

Students sitting together in a library
Using an intersectional and decolonial lens and fostering the formation of a discipline-specific identity are some of the ways to make belonging the cornerstone, rather than merely an outcome, of higher education EDI initiatives
By Laura.Duckett, 4 June, 2024

Partner with your students to build belonging on campus

Students playing board games
By actively fostering belonging through the strategies outlined in this resource, universities can cultivate a more holistic and supportive environment where all students can thrive, both academically and personally
Reading time
5minutes
By Laura.Duckett, 8 November, 2023

How to initiate conversations about belonging

Group of students smiling at the camera
Belonging may not always look the same for all students, but creating opportunities for organic conversations can foster partnerships between staff and students and help us understand what students need
Reading time
3minutes
By Miranda Prynne, 27 October, 2021

Building identity and belonging among students

Advice on why and how to build a sense of identity and belonging among students for better learning outcomes
Proactively building students’ sense of identity and belonging is vital for positive learning outcomes, explains Blake McKimmie. In this video, he gives advice on how it can be achieved
By Miranda Prynne, 12 January, 2023

The power of events to build belonging among students

Students enjoying an informal get together over coffee
XJTLU’s new Entrepreneur College had to work fast to build a sense of belonging among its first student cohorts, and one way it did this was by hosting a series of events. Xiaotong Lu shares the strategies adopted
Reading time
4minutes
By dene.mullen, 24 February, 2023

How to advance equitable learning in your classes

Welcome sign for belonging at university
We must extend belonging to help students feel they’re cut out for college, lower barriers such as impostor syndrome and ultimately support learning, says Flower Darby
Reading time
4minutes