Dr. Robert Q. Berry, III will discuss college students' sense of belonging matters because it relates to their academic success and emotional wellbeing.

College students' sense of belonging matters because it relates to their academic success and emotional wellbeing. This session uses the voice of a faculty member to unpack a sense of belonging and wellbeing. The success of college students is related to whether or not they feel welcomed in specific college environments, such as classrooms. Sense of belonging is associated with several things, including college students' engagement and persistence, course grades, and academic motivation. College students who feel that they belong in your classroom are more likely to succeed.

Read:

Johnson, E. (2020, January 2). Students' Sense of Belonging Varies by Identity, Institution. Insider Higher Ed Retrieved January 3, 2021, from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/01/02/minority-students-sense-place-higher-two-year-four-year-institutions .

Smith, A. (2018, June 26). First-Generation College Students More Engaged Than Peers Insider Higher Ed Retrieved January 3, 2021, from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/06/26/re-evaluating-perceptions-about-first-generation-college-students-and-their-academic

Watch : (19 minutes) Inalienable Rights: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Belonging by Terrell Strayhorn TEDx (YouTube)

When students don't feel like belong in your classroom, they will likely be less engaged (i.e., not participating in class discussions, group activities, and not paying attention during lecture). A student who lacks belonging may even skip your class more often than students who feel a sense of belonging there or be prone to show up to class late. Students who lack belonging may choose to sit in the back of the classroom or away from other students. Regarding language, students who don't feel like they belong may use "other" terminology when describing other students in their class. For example, "students in this class seem to like the subject we are studying," versus "students in our class….". If you hear one of your students talking as if they are not a part of your class, that is a pretty strong indicator that they don't feel like they belong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak6T9kw0H28