Belonging, the feeling of being connected to and valued by a community – whether that’s a course, an institution or academia as a whole – can be the difference between a student flourishing, missing out on key parts of the university experience or dropping out altogether. Yet belonging is difficult to quantify. One way is to see it as the emotional complement to inclusion, existing in the space between equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), participation and “fitting in”. As such, it requires nurturing across the spectrum of university activities – from creating an inclusive campus to listening to the student voice to pronouncing names correctly. This collection gathers case studies, practical advice and top-level initiatives to ensure university is a place where all feel welcome.
What is belonging and where to start?
Find out how faculty and university staff around the world define student belonging and what are the key factors that affect it. These resources explore how educators and support staff can best foster this intangible yet important attribute across diverse campus communities.
What matters to students’ sense of belonging? Using an intersectional and decolonial lens and fostering the formation of a discipline-specific identity are ways to make belonging the cornerstone, rather than merely an outcome, of higher education EDI initiatives, writes Salma Al Arefi of the University of Leeds.
Belonging - why it is the next step on the equity, diversity and inclusion ladder: Belonging feels good, improves student retention rates and supports other EDI efforts. Joanna West of the University of Luxembourg offers six ways campuses can foster this intangible essential.
Common barriers to belonging and how to overcome them: Belonging in higher education goes beyond access – it’s about feeling seen, valued and supported. Bhawana Shrestha of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University explores the barriers that prevent true inclusion and offers ways to create a more welcoming academic culture.
Building identity and belonging among students: Proactively building students’ sense of identity and belonging is vital for positive learning outcomes, explains Blake McKimmie of the University of Queensland. In this video, he gives advice on how it can be achieved.
Three strategies to build student belonging from the start of their academic journey: Many students struggle with the jump from school to university life. Here are three ways to help them hit the ground running, from Siu Yau Lee of Hong Kong Baptist University.
Working with students to build belonging
Students, particularly those from Generation Z, seek out learning environments where they can be authentic, feel they are valued and that their presence, voice and actions matter. Co-creation and open dialogue have a role in fostering a sense of belonging across diverse cohorts. Here’s how to make them count.
Not all students want to fit in, but every student wants to matter: Making students feel they matter can dramatically improve lecture attendance. Here are ways to do it from Celine Caquineau of the University of Edinburgh.
How to initiate conversations about belonging: Belonging may not 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, writes Emma Palmer of the University of Hull.
Reimagining connection and communication for Gen Z students: Generation Z students relate, communicate and build connection in ways shaped by digital fluency, disrupted in-person learning and evolving social norms. This gives educators an opportunity to rethink how they teach, say Gary F. Fisher and Dean Fido of the University of Derby.
How student-led research can build belonging and agency: 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, Jen Coleman and Vicki McDermott-Thompson, of the University of East Anglia, share what they learnt.
Partner with your students to build belonging on campus: By actively fostering belonging through the strategies outlined here by Tom Ritchie and Adam Alcock of the University of Warwick, universities can cultivate a more holistic and supportive environment where all students can thrive, both academically and personally.
WhatsApp and campus trails: supporting students in building peer-support networks: Group activities and social networks help students to feel supported. Here, colleagues at the University of East Anglia explain how to facilitate interactions that build peer-support networks.
Build friendlier, more inclusive learning environments
The rise of online and blended learning has made social cohesion and identity even more important in supporting students’ academic motivation, success and well-being, experts claim. These resources offer educators, whether teaching remotely or in person, ways to help learners find connection with their teachers and each other. Intentional activities, like the ones described here, are an opportunity to bring marginalised groups into the fold.
Use watch parties to enhance learning and build a sense of belonging online: Jennifer McBride of the University of Manchester explains how using online watch parties with live chatboxes has enhanced students’ learning in a digital environment.
Pride in HE - how to create an inclusive community online: With more university education now being delivered digitally, Richard Senese of Capella University offers advice on how leaders can make sure they are building an LGBTQ+ inclusive community online.
Ten actions lecturers can take to boost black students’ belonging: A 10-step guide from Patrice Sewou of the University of Northampton to help lecturers improve the experience of black students studying in predominantly white institutions.
How to advance equitable learning in your classes: 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 of the University of Missouri.
Creating a culture of belonging with inclusive pedagogy: Building cultural humility and meaningful relationships with students are two of several strategies to foster belonging in students from minoritised backgrounds, write Yusra Siddiqui and Musarrat Maisha Reza of the University of Exeter.
Five simple ways to make your classroom more LGBTIQ+ friendly: From encouraging the use of pronouns for all to utilising the power of narrative, Lucas Lixinski of UNSW Sydney marks IDAHOBIT day by offering tips on LGBTIQ+ inclusion.
Creating a university community where everyone feels welcome
Maslow put belonging ahead of esteem and self-actualisation in his pyramid of needs, and even motivations such as achievement and power can be linked to belonging, according to psychologists Baumeister and Leary. Based on trust, stability and community, true belonging requires a culture of inclusivity and participation across university activities, whether that’s an institutional framework or a targeted extracurricular programme.
To foster belonging, make a cultural shift: Denise Coles of Loughborough University explains how to hone your EDI practices and make your university an anti-discriminatory institution.
Extracurricular activities are powerful tools for building belonging: Encourage students to get involved in societies, participate in sports and engage in formal extracurricular programmes to foster a sense of belonging within the student community, writes Natalie K. D. Seedan of the University of the West Indies.
A whole-campus approach to boost belonging for student success: Joint efforts among faculty, staff and students themselves can support first-year and transfer scholars to feel included and engaged, write Lorett Swank and Catherine Thomas of Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities.
How civic arts programmes can make students feel welcome: Empowering students to co-create music events with peers can foster a sense of belonging in their university and city. Jessica Santer and Carley Divish of the University of Southampton describe how a student-community collective breathed new life into a 50-year-old venue.
Informal networking and how to meet people on campus: Belonging is not just a result of being in a place – nor it is the sole preserve of students. For university faculty, it comes from chance encounters, small gestures and stepping outside your comfort zone, writes Glenn Fosbraey of the University of Winchester.
‘Resilience isn’t innate – it is a skill that can be learned’: Core aspects of university life – education, encouragement and experience – are key to cultivating belonging and resilience in students. Paulin Straughan of Singapore Management University explains how a framework of programmes and activities brings them together.
Where EDI meets belonging: how to create networks based on shared values
Sometimes, despite a university’s comprehensive equity, diversity and inclusion efforts, individuals may still struggle with the voice that whispers: “You don’t fit in here.” That is where work to foster belonging is at its most powerful. Social connections are part of the fabric of university life, and belonging is a two-way process that requires allies at all levels – from leadership to students – as these resources explain.
Student support takes a village – but you need to create one first: To support students from diverse backgrounds, universities should actively foster supportive communities. For the University of Auckland, this meant creating a ‘village’ on campus, as Melissa Leaupepe explains.
Make social groups work for under-represented students: Collaborate with students to create social groups that foster connection by focusing on inclusion rather than emphasising difference among lived experiences, writes Ian Norman of the University of East Anglia.
How to create a sense of belonging for black students in a majority white academy: Taking active, practical and nuanced approaches to ensuring the belonging of black students in majority white universities, at a micro and macro level, is everyone’s responsibility, explains Edith Lewis of the Canterbury Christ Church University.
What you can do today for a meaningful Pride Month: Fear of being tokenistic, or feeling they don’t know enough to start, can stop many people from engaging with queer inclusion. Brooke Szücs of the University of Queensland offers first steps towards allyship.
Creating an environment where staff and students feel comfortable sharing their pronouns: Using the correct pronouns is a key part of respectful communication – so where do we begin with creating a university environment where sharing pronouns becomes a natural part of our workplace culture? Asks Kat Smith of the University of the Arts London.
What my students have taught me about being a teacher: Approach teaching as a collaboration between you and your students. Simon Fraser University’s Veselin Jungic looks back on what he’s learned.
Thank you to all the academics and higher education professionals who contributed their professional advice on this wide-ranging topic.
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