Campus Climate, Student Wellbeing, and Sense of Belonging 

Where have we had a sense of belonging and where have we struggled to belong? Is there a place where you believe you belong and a place where you question your own belonging? By asking these questions, Strayhorn (2019), creates the proper mindset for reading his research on college students’ sense of belonging. Before understanding the connection between college students’ sense of belonging and how it supports feelings of wellbeing, recollecting our own connections to belonging and wellbeing is a place to begin. Strayhorn (2019) asks his readers to read his academic research reflectively. As a doctoral student, I have been transformed by my classes, seminars, retreats, cohorts and readings (Corson & Schwitzman, 2018).  Thus, I begin here. 

As a child of first-generation college graduates, there was never a question that I would be going to college and that it would be at my local state university, the University of Minnesota. Growing up, we went to college football and basketball games and received maroon and gold t-shirts, the school colors, for Christmas, as a way to develop school pride. My two brothers and I accompanied my Mom to her graduate school classes when our school breaks did not coincide with her school breaks. When I was in middle school, I took a weekend photography workshop held on the university campus. All of these activities developed in me a sense of belonging to that campus, years before I started my first semester.

The morning after I found out that my parents were indeed divorcing, after a two-year separation, I went to my university French class. I was not a good French student, but I still went to class. I sat in my seat, under a cloud of sadness. Despite many attempts by my French teacher to ask why I was so upset (in English), I could not tell her. I did not yet have the skills to connect my emotions to my words, yet being there was where I needed to be. Being there gave me comfort. My sense of belonging to my campus, in that classroom, with my teacher and peers, led me there. I felt safe and I mattered. That intermediate French classroom was where I belonged.

Though my life as an undergraduate college student 40 years ago differs significantly to that of the experience of today’s undergraduate students, campus leaders are prioritizing student wellbeing (Travia, 2022).  Much student sense of belonging research focuses on understanding the relationship between students’ sense of belonging and student success. In this context, student success is understood as retention, persistence, and degree completion (Hougaard, 2013). While significant, I am interested in the connection between student sense of belonging as it relates to student wellbeing. A large percentage of college students today experience stress, anxiety, and depression (Bladek, 2021). Because of this reality, colleges and universities, globally, see it as their responsibility to support student wellbeing practices (Travia, 2022). As college campuses continue to become more diverse, student wellbeing is also looked at through an equity lens (Travia, 2022). Thus, I also examine student wellbeing research as it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion.  

College student sense of belonging is critical to mental health and student identity (Russel & Jarvis, 2019). As a college professor, I receive many emails a week from students who miss class because of mental health reasons.  It is my experiences as a student and professor that have led me to be interested in the connection between sense of belonging and student wellbeing and as it relates to the experiences of the 21st century and post-Covid 19 college students.

As seen earlier, understanding the place “belonging” occupies on Maslow’s needs hierarchy helps frame the importance of a sense of belonging for college students’ feelings of wellbeing. For my research project, I use  By analyzing the needs pyramid, we can see where the “Love and Belongingness,” level, inclusive of care, support, mattering and friends, is placed. Importantly, it sits directly above “Safety and Security” which is inclusive of the physical, emotional, financial and food needs. For many students, their needs and circumstances are not stable and the pyramid is not a linear journey to the top for them. They may travel up and down the pyramid, depending upon their individual circumstances (Strayhorn, 2019). 

Strayhorn’s “Love and Belongingness” Level

In the following section, I will examine how scholars have understood college students’ sense of belonging as it relates to Strayhorn’s (2019) third level, “Love and Belongingness” and its inclusion of care, support, mattering and making and having friends. The need to belong is a strong motivator - it can influence which major a student chooses to pursue and where a student chooses to live (Strayhorn, 2019). Perceptions of being cared about, being supported, mattering to others, and making friends can lead to a sense of belonging and boost student wellbeing. Belonging is a fundamental need for everyone and often gets satisfied through having friendships, engaging in social activities, and building close relationships. It has also been known to diminish stress (Baumeister & Leary, 1995), which is why it is important for college students – a population that faces increasing amounts of stress. Being part of a community, feeling supported, being a member of clubs and organizations, going to campus events, building personal connections with others and feeling accepted all add up to having a sense of belonging (Pokorny 2017; Strayhorn, 2019). 

Barriers to Belonging

However, there are barriers to students' sense of belonging. Whether or not a student goes to a four-year or a two-year school makes a difference as does the campus climate itself. How welcoming, inclusive and culturally engaging the campus is influences students’ sense of belonging (Gonzales, 2019). Sense of belonging is both context and student-specific (Strayhorn, 2019). 

Importantly, developing a sense of belonging is important for students who come from traditionally marginalized populations – students who often come to college believing they do not belong in higher education. Depending upon the context, women, African Americans, and Black, Native American or Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino/a, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, low-income, disabled, first generation, Muslims, returning military veterans, LGBTQI+ community, student parents, immigrants/refugees and working adults and commuters all struggle to find a sense of belonging (Fong, 2019; Gopalan, 2022; Gonzales, 2019; Murphy, 2020; Strayhorn, 2019, Travia, 2022; Vetro, 2021). 

Institutions of higher education have been traditionally considered White Spaces (Crenshaw-Mayo, 2020). Demographics have changed over the past 50 years, 52% of undergraduate college students overall are Caucasian or white (Hanson, 2022). Two-year colleges, the focus of my research, report a higher enrollment percentage of Black and Hispanic students. Whether two-year or four-year, college campuses continue to perpetuate a white supremacist culture (Neal, 2020). Students who do not feel as though they fit into this environment struggle to feel as though they belong (Neal, 2020; Strayhorn, 2019). Understanding the effect the educational environment has on all students and specifically on historically marginalized students, is a key to understanding how students develop a sense of belonging as they navigate their education:

In terms of college, sense of belonging refers to students’ perceived social support on campus, a feeling or sensation of connectedness, the experience of mattering or feeling cared about, accepted, respected, valued by and important to the group (e.g., campus community) or others on campus (e.g., faculty, peers). (Strayhorn, 2019, p. 24)

Much of the research on college student sense of belonging has been undertaken at four-year colleges, where experiencing a sense of belonging leads to persistence to graduation and wellbeing (Davidson, 2017). However, students from under-represented, marginalized, minority and first-generation populations find less belonging (Gopalan, 2019; Strayhorn, 2019). Additionally, students who attend two-year colleges experience less belonging – for reasons very specific to the context and conditions experienced at two-year colleges. 

Students attending two-year schools face obstacles that may prevent them from feeling as though they belong. Most community colleges are commuter schools. Students may not have enough time on campus to develop social connections (Neal, 2020). Going to a community college is often not a students’ first choice of schools, being forced to choose it because of academics, economics, close proximity or because of family or outside responsibilities.  Students may see the community college as a stepping stone and do not see belonging as a goal. Many are also in developmental courses and not having a sense of belonging in the class has been a great motivator for their success (Bryk, et al., 2013). When a student believes they do not belong in a developmental course, it often motivates them to test out as soon as possible. Having strong family support, keeping old friends, and having community connections also have an impact on the sense of belonging, keeping students’ focus and attention away from campus (Pokorny, 2017). Placed within Strayhorn’s (2019) revised model of student belonging is the concept of mattering. When a student feels as though they matter to others on campus, positive relationships begin to develop (Strayhorn, 2019). Mattering and belonging are connected.

Relationship Between Mattering and Sense of Belonging

On a recent morning, I left home a little earlier than usual in order to be ready for my 9:00 AM class. It was raining lightly, and I wanted to give myself extra time to get there. New to the college, I was still learning my commute. It usually takes me 30 minutes, depending on which streets, freeways, or highways I choose to take. This particular morning, I opted for my usual route – all on a main avenue through three cities. As I drove, there was a gentle mist, my mind was lulled by the windshield wipers as they glided from side to side. I had the local jazz station on the car radio, setting my relaxed mood for the morning. I set my thoughts on the class I was about to teach, thinking through the various learning activities. Eventually, I looked around and realized that I did not recognize my surroundings. Instead of veering to the left to stay on my street, I kept going straight. I was going west and I needed to be going south. A freeway entrance I recognized was at the next exit and I knew that it would take me south. Having left early, I was not too worried about my arrival time. I took the exit, went south on the freeway and hoped to recognize a possible exit that would lead me to where I needed to go. Realizing that I overshot my destination, I pulled off at the next exit and punched my college into my phone’s GPS App. 

Class was to begin in five minutes and I was 18 minutes away. Reassuring myself that being 15 minutes late to class was not quite the end of the world, all I could do was to carefully follow my GPS’ instructions, so I was  no later than I needed to be. I told myself that not all was lost – I could meet individually with any students who chose to stay. We were also following the syllabus fairly well, so losing one class period would not set us too far behind. These thoughts ran through my head as I arrived on campus, parked my car, walked to my building and walked up the stairs. Surprisingly, every student who came to class was still there, waiting for my arrival.

I do not know why they stayed. Students do not have to wait for a late professor and we had never talked about a late policy for me during class. I do not know what motivated them to stay – fear of missing out if I actually did arrive? Did their sense of belonging to the class keep them there? What I do know is that ten weeks into teaching at my new school, as I came up the stairs from the entryway to the second-floor classroom, I saw all of my students still there, waiting for me. I felt as though I mattered, and class mattered enough for them to stay. 

Feeling as though you matter is particularly important during times of stress, transition and uncertainty (Schlossberg, 1989). It is an essential wellbeing resource during critical times (Flett  & Zangeneh, 2020) and can lead to a sense of belonging (Strayhorn, 2019). Significantly, when you do not feel as though you belong, you feel as though you do not matter (Strayhorn, 2019).  When campus designers create culturally engaging environments, students from diverse backgrounds feel affirmed and recognized (Neal, 2020). Thus, understanding how college spaces influence students’ wellbeing and sense of belonging is analyzed next.

Despite the evidence in favor of creating places and spaces for cultural groups, such as Black student centers or multicultural centers, not all scholars support the idea. Scholars debate whether or not dedicated spaces created for specific cultural groups promote identity awareness and a sense of belonging or if they promote segregation (Samura, 2016). However, Patton (2006), makes clear that dedicated spaces boost student sense of belonging. An academic “home away from home” helps students build a community and relationships outside the classroom (Alcantar, 2022).

As designers create spaces for college students, from STEM centers to libraries to dining halls, it is important to understand how students want to use the space (Mulrooney & Kelly, 2021). Sense of belonging is culturally specific - students from different cultural backgrounds may need culturally responsive practices embedded within the life of the college in order to feel as though they belong. Promoting the value of familismo - prioritizing the importance of the family - is one such cultural  practice (Gonzales, 2019). 

Innovative library design can also  support collaborative work (Mulrooney & Kelly, 2021) and a sense of belonging (Chodock, 2021). Library design has the potential to create supportive learning environments where students can find a community of other serious students and helpful staff members. Libraries, if designed with a sense of belonging in mind, can support student success (Chodock, 2021). Likewise, the importance of dining spaces cannot be overlooked. When students have the opportunity to eat together, wellbeing is positively affected (Dunbar, 2017).

Scholars assert that space design is crucial to college student success, specifically for students of color. They wonder if it is possible to create spaces that promote inclusivity on diverse campuses (Samura, 2016). Scholars such as Mulrooney & Kelly (2021), Chodock (2021), and Dunbar (2017) suggest that not only is it possible, it is necessary and overdue, calling for culturally responsive places to promote student wellbeing and a sense of belonging. Space design must respond to the diverse needs of students at community colleges (Matthews, 2009).  Finally, researchers also state that it is important to understand the space needs of students from the perspective of the students themselves. This is one of the objectives of my dissertation.

Conclusion 

Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic forced the shutdown of college campuses worldwide, college campuses are taking the opportunity to examine how to support their students. My own campus has the goal of closing the equity gap within the next couple of years. What that means is having a 50% completion rate within three years for all students. A multipronged strategic approach must be taken to accomplish this, which supports faculty, staff, and students. One of the strategies is to “evaluate campus spaces (physical and virtual) using an equity lens and current research to decenter whiteness and create an environment that is welcoming and inclusive for historically marginalized students and employees” (Strategic Framework, 2020). In Chapter Three, I will discuss my research design and methods for working with current community college students to understand where they find welcoming and inclusive spaces while on the physical campus.