New students arrive on college campuses filled with anticipation, uncertainty and the quiet hope that they’ll find their place. For many, this is their first time away from home, family and longstanding support systems. The transition is monumental. If we as educators neglect the social and emotional transitions that students are undergoing, especially in their first year, we undermine their ability to thrive – no matter how strong the curriculum.
In engineering education, the stakes are particularly high. The learning is rigorous, and the scale of the material students must master – plus the size of many introductory cohorts – can be overwhelming. For students from under-represented groups, the sense of isolation can be particularly acute. A deliberate, inclusive welcome can be powerful. After all, students don’t persist solely because they pass exams; they also persist because they feel they belong.
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And belonging must be actively built. For first-year engineering students to feel part of a community – intellectually, socially and personally – the work begins the moment they arrive, and it should involve coordinated effort across faculty, staff and student organisations. Most of all, it requires that we – as educators – rethink how we define our role.
Create belonging in the classroom
Classrooms are among students’ first point of contact with university life. These spaces should be welcoming, not intimidating. It can help to demonstrate responsiveness to them as individuals. On day one, for example, I do an anonymous survey that asks students to share their goals, concerns and interests. Their responses shape how I teach – but, more importantly, I follow up with a personal note to each student, reinforcing that they were admitted because they belong here and that I’m committed to their success.
Office hours, too, can be reimagined as welcoming spaces, whether they are large-group problem-solving sessions or one-to-one drop-ins. Often, in our department, undergraduate learning assistants lead the sessions and provide peer-level mentorship. Flexible structures help normalise help-seeking and encourage collaboration rather than competition.
Support peer-led inclusion efforts
Belonging can also be catalysed when students are allowed to lead inclusion efforts among themselves. One of the most impactful support systems we’ve seen started with a group of female students in our introductory circuits course. Wanting to connect with others facing similar challenges, they formed a study group. But rather than limit participation, they announced in class that their review sessions were open to all. Their message was clear: we’re creating space to support women in engineering – and everyone is welcome. Those sessions became hubs of collaborative learning, and the model has inspired similar initiatives across our department.
For educators, the lesson is simple: create structures that make student-led initiatives possible – by offering space, faculty endorsements and modest resources – and then step back and let students shape the community they need.
Invest in community outside the classroom
Students are more likely to succeed when they feel they are part of something bigger. Events such as department-wide tailgates, “fun Fridays” (informal weekly gatherings hosted by the department where students can drop in for games, snacks and conversation with faculty and peers), fall picnics and weekend hikes with students, faculty and staff aren’t just feel-good events – they’re infrastructure for community. These activities are typically arranged by a partnership between faculty and our departmental student services team, with student organisations often co-sponsoring specific events. They allow students to connect with faculty in informal settings, build networks of support, and see themselves as full members of the university ecosystem.
Students can also find kinship in national professional organisations – such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) – which often provide departmental funding for student-led events, conference travel and competitions. This signals that we don’t just support students’ academic progress; we’re investing in their full development as future engineers.
Break down institutional silos
Students shouldn’t have to navigate a bureaucratic maze to find support. Think about how you can break down the “not my job” mentality among faculty and staff. Members of our advising team function as life coaches, not just academic schedulers – meaning they proactively check in with students about stress, time management and personal challenges, and help them navigate campus resources instead of simply approving course selections.
Our faculty meet regularly to identify and address student challenges. We train for “warm handoffs” – ensuring that when a student needs help beyond our area, we don’t just refer them; we quite literally walk with them.
Creating a welcoming environment is not ancillary to the academic mission; it should be central to it. The first-year experience is a crucible. It’s where confidence is built, identities are shaped, and trajectories are set. No student should feel like a number. No student should feel like they don’t belong. I’ve taught engineering for more than three decades – from the University of Maine to my role at Virginia Tech – and I’ve seen firsthand how educators’ actions matter.
If we want students to flourish, we must stop treating belonging as a bonus – and start seeing it for what it truly is: an essential condition for learning, for persistence and for the future of our disciplines.
Scott Dunning is the associate head and chief of operations in the Bradley department of electrical and computer engineering at Virginia Tech.
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