Sense Of Belonging On A Consolidated Campus A Mixed Methods Exploration Of Student Perceptions

Author's abstract: SENSE OF BELONGING ON A CONSOLIDATED CAMPUS: A MIXED METHODS EXPLORATION OF STUDENT PERCEPTIONS by AMY D. SMITH (Under the Direction of Steven Tolman) ABSTRACT This study explored the extent to which a subset of students who matriculated post-consolidation at the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University felt they belong at their institution. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study used a survey to examine general feelings of belonging and the influencing factors for belonging while presenting individual narratives collected from semi-structured interviews for eight students’ experiences. The data collected in this study revealed that significant differences exist in critical factors of sense of belonging based on race, gender, and LGBTQ+ identity. Additionally, data showed the importance of academic, social, and campus-community belonging with faculty relationships, peer friendships, and a strong campus culture and identity emerging as critical to overall belonging. Study participants revealed that intercampus dynamics impact how they perceive consolidation to affect their experiences and that campus identity emerges as more important than institutional identity. This study fills a gap in the literature as limited research exists on the impact of HEI consolidations on students, especially regarding sense of belonging. When considering and implementing future consolidations, HEI leadership must consider the implications for student belonging to mitigate attrition and enrollment drops and ensure they complete their educational mission of helping students meet their fullest potential.

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the effects of campus culture on minority students' perceptions of their academic success at a predominately White technical college in Pennsylvania. Critical Race Theory (CRT) formed the foundation for the study and defines the researches stances. In addition, retention models as identified by the literature, specifically Kuh and Love's (2000) cultural perspective on student departure, and studies investigating campus culture at PWIs develop the second and third prongs of the conceptual framework. The study sought to answer the central research question: How do minority students perceive the effect of campus culture on their integration to campus? Current students at the site institution participated in focus groups and responded to a qualitative open-ended questionnaire. Existing institutional campus climate quantitative data was analyzed by race to determine if there was significant difference in feeling a sense of belonging between students of different racial backgrounds. Data were analyzed and coded to inform results. The findings revealed four major themes regarding minority student perceptions of the effect of campus climate on academic and social integration: (a) Campus Climate, (b) Campus Involvement, (c) Support of Faculty and Staff, and (d) Positive Academic Experiences. The findings were situated within the literature to present three results of the study, (a) Participants perceive the campus climate to be inhospitable, (b) Participants are very engaged in the academic experiences, and (c) Participants have had positive social engagement experiences through events and organizations that have provided a niche to minority students. The desired outcome of the study was to use the findings to guide future practice in the area of increasing retention and graduation rates of minority students through creating inclusive campus environments.

Belonging – with peers, in the classroom, or on campus – is a crucial part of the college experience. It can affect a student’s degree of academic achievement, or even whether they stay in school. Although much is known about the causes and impact of sense of belonging in students, little is known about how belonging differs based on students’ social identities, such as race, gender, or sexual orientation, or the conditions they encounter on campus. College Students’ Sense of Belonging addresses these student sub-populations and campus environments. It offers readers practical guidelines, underpinned by theory and research, for helping students belong and thrive. Sense of belonging can come from peers, teachers or faculty, family members, social and academic groups, and living and learning environments. The book offers: a review and critique of current literature on sense of belonging in light of new and emerging theory a new conceptual model of belonging which helps the reader expand an understanding of sense of belonging new and recent research findings from quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies conducted by the author practical recommendations for improving educational environments, practices, policies, and programs to facilitate students’ sense of belonging on campus.

This mixed-methods study used the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on college student sense of belonging. The purpose of this study was to explore how environmental changes related to the disruptive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may have altered students’ sense of belonging to their institution. The results revealed a strong relationship between the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) engagement indicators and sense of belonging. Furthermore, the results suggest that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic altered how students experienced the CECE indicators. The implications for change leaders in higher education and future research are discussed.

This volume offers institutional researchers several examples of the ways in which quantitative and qualitative methods can be integrated for a better grasp of how members of our educational communities understand and experience their environments on the basis of their multiple identities. The first two chapters provide context for the volume's theme with definitions and overview of the underpinnings of mixted methodology. Subsequent chapters illustrate the multiple ways in which qualitative and quantitative methods can be integrated to understand the complexity of identity and experiences of marginalized groups in the academy. Other chapters focus on students' experiences and demonstrate how mixed-methodology approaches were used to explore college access among first-generation Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders analyze racial ideology of white males with interview data driving analysis of longitudinal dataset and research and accessment generating accurate understanding how of race and gender shape students' experiences within the campus The final chapter presents findings of a mixed-methods inquiry to challenge current conceptions about racial categorization and practices for gathering institutional data on students' identity. Volume editors Kimberly A Griffin, assistant professor of education policy studies at the Pennsylvania State University, and Samuel D. Museus, assistant professor of educational administration at University of Hawai?i Manoa, and contributing authors advocate for intersectionality research and argue that it holds great promise for advancing knowledge in higher education. Their book is ideal for institutions and institutional researchers who want to understand and most effectively serve their students and faculty. This is the 151st volume of the Jossey-Bass quarterly report series New Directions for Institutional Research. Always timely and comprehensive, New Directions for Institutional Research provides planners and administrators in all types of academic institutions with guidelines in such areas as resource coordination, information analysis, program evaluation, and institutional management.

This study explored perceptions of sense of belonging in academic and social contexts at West Coast University for Indian international LGBQ students in the United States with a focus on how institutional contexts and sociohistorical factors influence perceptions of sense of belonging on campus at the intersection of multiple identities. To address individual and institutional factors, a critical qualitative framework of Intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989, 1991) and a constructivist qualitative framework of Sense of Belonging (Strayhorn, 2012) grounded this phenomenological study. The current study used intersectionality to highlight the multiple and intersecting sociohistorical structures that influence Indian international LGBQ students' perceptions of sense of belonging on campus. Sense of Belonging encapsulates how perceptions of personal and interpersonal experiences impact an individual's connectedness and overall success on campus. Strayhorn (2012) conceptualization of Sense of Belonging into seven elements is used in framing and analyzing the study. The seven elements are (a) sense of belonging is a basic human need; (b) is a fundamental motive; (c) takes on heightened importance in certain contexts at certain times in certain populations; (d) is related to, and seemingly is a consequence of, mattering; (e) social identities intersect and affect college students' sense of belonging; (f) engenders other positive outcomes; and (g)m be satisfied on a continual basis and likely changes as circumstances, conditions and contexts change (Strayhorn, 2012). All four participants partook in three semi-structured phenomenological interviews based on Seidman's (2013) three-part interview structure: (a) focused life history- understanding of individual and cultural values and journey to U.S. higher education; (b) details of the experience - exploring individual interactions in campus and academic contexts; and (c) reflection on the meaning of the phenomenon - how individuals perceive and make meaning of these experiences. The data analysis developed three major themes: (1) Defying Boundaries, Defining Self and Community, (2) Speaking Language to Power, and (3) Centering Self within Sociohistorical Contexts. Overall, participants did not feel strong sense of belonging on campus. While interpersonal relationships fostered some belonging, there was a clear lack of overall perceptions of sense of belonging within academic and social contexts. The most salient facets of identity influencing sense of belonging for Indian international LGBQ students were sexuality, race, international student status, linguistic ability, and gender. While undergraduate and graduate students had similar perceptions of sense of belonging, graduate students expressed a need for relationships with other Indian international students while undergraduate students intentionally looked for domestic social circles. At the institutional level, salient factors influencing belongingness for Indian international LGBQ students were: (a) lack of awareness among domestic peers and faculty; (b) lack of visibility of Indian international LGBQ identities and communities on campus, (c) English language testing and requirements and (d) lack of institutional funding support. Intersecting sociohistorical factors influenced individual perceptions of sense of belonging by creating a culture where students did not feel it possible to express their intersectional identities on campus. Finally the study ends with recommendations for practice and research by higher education professionals and scholars. The study concludes recommendations for practice and research to foster sense of belonging for Indian international LGBQ students by enhancing support and services specifically for this population while also challenging current definitions of sense of belonging and expanding monolithic representations of international students.

Sense of belonging refers to the extent a student feels included, accepted, valued, and supported on their campus. The developmental process of belonging is interwoven with the social identity development of diverse college students. Moreover, belonging is influenced by the campus environment, relationships, and involvement opportunities as well as a need to master the student role and achieve academic success. Although the construct of sense of belonging is complex and multilayered, a consistent theme across the chapters in this book is that the relationship between sense of belonging and intersectionality of identity cannot be ignored, and must be integrated into any approach to fostering belonging.Over the last 10 years, colleges and universities have started grappling with the notion that their approaches to maintaining and increasing student retention, persistence, and graduation rates were no longer working. As focus shifted to uncovering barriers to student success while concurrently recognizing student success as more than solely academic factors, the term “student sense of belonging” gained traction in both academic and co-curricular settings. The editors noticed the lack of a consistent definition, or an overarching theoretical approach, as well as a struggle to connect disparate research. A compendium of research, applications, and approaches to sense of belonging did not exist, so they brought this book into being to serve as a single point of reference in an emerging and promising field of study.

Higher education institutions are facing a major challenge in retaining 1st-year college students and engaging them in meaningful activities and programs to promote their sense of belonging (Strayhorn, 2012; Astin, 1993). Though a few belonging intervention practices have been studied (Perrell, 2018; Peck, 2011), there is a lack of understanding on the dynamic mechanisms of developing belongingness through a combination of belonging enhancement practices (Yob, 2014). Moreover, there is an urgent need to examine which belonging enhancement practice has the most impact on students' academic performance (Slaten, Elison, Hughes, Youg, & Shemwell, 2015). This study used convergent, parallel mixed-methods design to make meanings from both qualitative and quantitative data on the effect of the service-learning leadership program (SLLP) for 1st-year students at a large, public university on perceived sense of belonging and related academic performance, and the mechanism of the dynamic process. Quantitative data contained 2 parts: the 1st part is university student record data from 2007 to 2018 with total of 2,762 students, and the 2nd part of the data were collected through pre-and post-surveys from total of 262 students in treatment and control groups. Qualitative data were collected from 9 participants through individual interviews, focus group and weekly journals. Quantitative datasets were analyzed through mixed-design MANOVA, mixed-design ANOVA and hierarchical (logistic) multiple regressions, and qualitative data was analyzed through spiral approach. The findings demonstrated that the studied program protected against the decline of sense of belonging in the 1st semester of college year, and it brought more benefits to male and racial minority students as compared to female and racial majority students. Moreover, the findings indicated mentorship and living-learning community practices had the most impact on students' sense of belonging and academic performance, and suggested further improvement for performance feedback, social media and service-learning practice. The results of the study have implications for future institutional interventions and provide comprehensive practical guidelines for belonging enhancement programs for 1st-year students. The conclusions provide recommendations for designing and implementing belonging intervention programs that bring maximum outcomes on students' sense of belonging, retention and academic performance.

The 6-year graduation rate for Black undergraduate men is the lowest of all students attending all postsecondary institutions in the United States. Only 35% of Black undergraduate men graduate in 6 years, compared to 60% of all students. The literature suggests that developing a sense of belonging may be particularly difficult for minoritized students who attend predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Sense of belonging is a student's perceived social support on campus or feeling of connectedness and mattering. Additional research is needed to inform practices that foster higher levels of belonging for Black undergraduate men who attend PWIs to reduce the gap in college completion rates between Black undergraduate men and their peers. This study used a one-phase concurrent triangulation mixed-methods design. The mixed-methods approach involved analyses of quantitative data from the Student Experience in the Research University Undergraduate (ugSERU) Survey and analyses of qualitative data from in-depth student interviews to understand how sense of belonging varies among students of different race/ethnicities and gender and how Black undergraduate men experience sense of belonging at PWIs. The findings reveal that sense of belonging is higher for women compared to men. African Americans and Asians have comparable sense of belonging scores, but they are lower than White and Hispanic students. African American, Asian, Nonresident, and Multiracial men and women have significantly lower sense of belonging scores than Hispanic and White men and women. Two overarching themes emerged from the in-depth interviews, including forces that worked against students' sense of belonging and forces that supported students' sense of belonging. The in-depth interviews also revealed the divergent role that one force could play for different students by promoting sense of belonging for some students and working against sense of belonging for others. The findings from this study have several implications for higher education administrators serving at PWIs who wish to improve the retention and graduation of Black undergraduate men.