Promoting Belonging in Higher Education: Strategies for Student Success
A student’s sense of belonging in the classroom and on campus plays a crucial role in their academic outcomes, graduation rates, and mental health. Despite colleges and universities enrolling more diverse student populations than ever before, there are still inequities in completion and retention. Belonging and student experience are key factors in student retention and completion, especially for students from historically minoritized backgrounds. Investing in interventions that prioritize belonging and student experience can help students from all backgrounds succeed in their postsecondary education journey.
Belonging and Student Experience-Focused Interventions
A recent brief from the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) sheds light on belonging and student experience-focused interventions that have proven outcomes in aiding academic achievement, supporting student mental health, and promoting the completion of postsecondary degrees. These interventions aim to create a sense of connection and community for students, both academically and socially, within their educational institution.
The Importance of Belonging in Student Success
A student’s sense of belonging is their feeling of being connected to their academic community. The quality of the student experience, which encompasses day-to-day interactions with instructors, administrators, staff, and peers, plays a significant role in shaping a student’s overall sense of belonging. Previous research has shown that a strong sense of belonging contributes to higher student retention, engagement, and graduation rates. This is especially true for students from historically minoritized backgrounds who may face additional barriers to forming connections and experiencing a sense of community on campus.
Institutional Support for Belonging Interventions
Belonging interventions are typically implemented at the institutional level, but federal policymakers can play a role in supporting these efforts. By providing resources to institutions to scale and evaluate belonging initiatives through programs like the Post-Secondary Student Success Grant or the Postsecondary Student Success Recognition program, policymakers can help ensure that all students have access to the support they need to succeed in their academic pursuits. Diane Cheng, Vice President of Research and Policy at IHEP, emphasizes the importance of completion as a stepping-stone to postsecondary outcomes, highlighting the impact that belonging interventions can have on student success.
Promoting Belonging in the Classroom
Sushilla Knottenbelt, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of New Mexico, has witnessed firsthand the positive effects of focusing on belonging and student experiences in the classroom. By prioritizing student-centered practices, Knottenbelt has seen increased levels of engagement, motivation, and learning among her students. Creating a culture of growth and emphasizing the importance of belonging has allowed Knottenbelt to cover more material and introduce more complex concepts in her courses, ultimately enhancing the impact of her teaching strategies.
Student Receptivity to Belonging Interventions
Students are generally receptive to belonging interventions, and the habits they develop in one course can carry over to other courses, helping them persist throughout their academic journey. By fostering a sense of connection and community within the classroom, educators can create an environment that supports student success and enhances the overall learning experience for all students.
Strategies for Promoting Student Success
To promote student success, higher education practitioners and administrators can implement the following strategies:
Reframe language around academic probation to focus on recovery and growth rather than failure.
Promote a growth mindset among learners by normalizing challenges and encouraging learning from failure.
Encourage at-risk students by providing support and identifying success strategies.
Demystify the hidden curricula of higher education to improve student retention and success.
Streamline processes to reduce barriers to access, such as financial aid or course registration.
Create a community of practice for faculty and staff to collaborate and share ideas for supporting student success.
These strategies are designed to be resource-efficient and can be applied to a variety of institution types and instructional delivery methods. The Student Experience Project offers additional resources for faculty members interested in promoting student success through a focus on belonging and student experiences.
In Conclusion
Promoting a sense of belonging in higher education is essential for supporting student success and improving outcomes for all students, especially those from historically minoritized backgrounds. By investing in interventions that prioritize belonging and student experiences, colleges and universities can create a more inclusive and supportive environment for all students. Through collaboration between policymakers, educators, and administrators, we can work towards creating a higher education system that values and promotes belonging as a key component of student success.