A strong sense of belonging is key to success and well-being in higher education. Our new paper explains how colleges and policymakers can strengthen these connections.
We’ve all felt that moment of uncertainty when we entered a new environment and wondered: “Do I belong here?” For today’s higher education learners, a strong sense of belonging is key to their success and well-being – and it can be a deciding factor in their decision to persist or stop out.
Everyone deserves to find communities where they can be themselves, feel accepted, and receive support – places where they truly belong. Learners who feel a sense of belonging at their college are more likely to persist, complete their degree, and enjoy better mental health and overall well-being. In a 2023 Gallup poll, learners listed “don’t feel like they belong” as one of the top reasons they considered stopping out of higher education. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that high levels of engagement and learning occur when a sense of belonging is in place within classroom environments.
For example, when the results of a 2023 study were generalized for a sample of 749 institutions, the researchers found data implications that, when social belonging interventions are paired with learning environments that create opportunities for learners to belong, this could have potentially increased full-time first-year college completion for an additional 12,136 students, the majority of whom would likely be among historically underrepresented groups.
The positive impact of belonging interventions appears to be true across underrepresented groups as well. In a 2011 published study, the equity gap between the grade point averages among a group of African American learners who received a social belonging intervention, and a randomized control group of European Americans was closed by 79% by their senior year.
Our new research paper, Online by Design: Cultivating a Culture of Care and Belonging Is Critical to Learner Persistence and Success, explores the critical role of student belonging in higher education. It uplifts the breadth of data and research on belonging in higher education and shares six key design elements to help institutions cultivate a culture of belonging. This is the third paper in the Online by Design series, which offers a new framework for learner-centered higher education design to guide the development of more equitable and accessible systems.
Key Elements of Belonging in Higher Education
CHEPP’s paper offers a learner-centered design framework and outlines six key elements of belonging in higher education to help guide institutions:
- Institution-wide messaging to promote belonging and inclusion
- Faculty and staff training on belonging interventions
- Robust advising resources that promote relationship-building and personalized student support
- Peer-to-peer relationship-building activities
- Data utilization to inform a continuous improvement process and mindset
- Cross-section working groups that measure, assess, and drive the implementation of belonging practices
Building a culture of belonging across higher education systems will help ensure that learners feel included and supported among their peers, faculty, staff, and entire college community. With this support, learners will be more confident in their academics and more likely to complete their degree.
Belonging Across Modalities: In Person and Online
Learners have complex lives, and are increasingly seeking out and enrolling in online higher education programs that meet them where they are and accommodate their work and childcare schedules. Cultivating belonging in a traditional, on-campus college setting can be more straightforward, with activities like team sports, affinity clubs, and study sessions readily available to students. In contrast, belonging practices online require more planning and strategic implementation. Setting up separate discussion boards for students to connect outside their courses and creating platforms for online affinity groups can help foster belonging among online learners.
Faculty can facilitate peer-to-peer connections in online settings through certain assignments and best practices, like learning students’ names and sharing some personal information about themselves. While there will always be distinctions between online and in-person belonging practices, advances in technology have made it possible to apply practices across program settings and ensure equitable experiences for all learners.
Belonging Ties to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and Accessibility
Historically, students of color and students with disabilities enrolled in college at lower rates than their white peers. Rates of belonging are also lower among students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds, who are more likely to feel excluded because core systems are not built to meet their needs. In recent years, enrollment gaps have begun to narrow but college attainment gaps have persisted.
Research shows that student belonging interventions can help to close attainment gaps between learners of different races. Using universal design principles to build systems that meet the needs of all learners, including those with disabilities, can increase feelings of belonging and in doing so, increase student success.
Colleges play a vital role in identifying and implementing the practices that foster a sense of belonging among learners, faculty, and staff. With university leaders guiding the way, we can transform educational experiences for all learners, and ensure that everyone feels seen, supported, and empowered to succeed.
Read CHEPP’s paper for more insights on student belonging and practical recommendations for institutions and policymakers seeking to enhance belonging and support learner persistence.