In many ways, we can also translate these
findings to how we feel as staff and faculty.
Carr, Reece, Kellerman, and Robichaux
state that up to 40% of people report having a
low sense of belonging at work (2019). If we
as employees of the university are not feeling
that we belong in our departments, that we
are connected, how can we be the resources
that students rely on to provide them with a
sense of belonging as well?
Another important experience that is linked to
belonging is identification (Carr et al, 2019).
In a system that is founded and built on white
supremacy, it is no wonder research suggests
minoritized students do not feel a strong
sense of belonging, primarily at four-year
institutions (Johnson 2020). Many universities
idealize the concept of sense of belonging for
their students, but if we take a look at the
foundational theories many of us utilize in
aiding in creating a sense of belonging, we
can see our minoritized students are often left
out of the narrative.
ne of the ways we are able to assess our
effectiveness in creating a sense of belonging
for marginalized students is utilizing our
knowledge of student development theories
that give student affairs practitioners a greater
understanding of how to build that sense of
belonging for students. Some foundational
theories to highlight include Baxter Magolda's
theory on Self-Authorship, Sanford's theory of
Challenge and Support, and Astin's theory of
Student Involvement. Utilizing these theories
is how we have created environments that
support students in their holistic development
and growth. Creating those environments of
care and support is what’s needed to ensure
students feel that sense of belonging in their
communities.
Unfortunately, as we know, these
foundational theories often ignore identities
that have been historically marginalized in
higher education, as well as the changing
demographics both among our students and
within our departments.
As much as we rely on these theories and
incorporate their findings into our practice, we
must also consistently examine how they
hinder our progress when we do not critically
view their theoretical limitations. To
decentralize whiteness from our practice, we
need to explore theories that decolonize
student affairs work, question our
comfortability, and prioritize the experience and
belonging of our marginalized students.
A Look Ahead for the Contemporary Issues
Committee
As stated in the GLACUHO Presidential
Contemporary Issue statement by Quiana
Stone, our mission and goals for creating
cultural equity within housing and residence
life departments start with our actions. How
are we challenging oppression, prejudice, and
discrimination on our campuses? How are we
responding when student’s call on us to join
them as catalysts of change? In many ways, it
all starts with a strong sense of belonging in
our communities.
The Contemporary Issues Committee looks
forward to engaging GLACUHO members in
multiple dialogues, webinars, and articles
around sense of belonging, inclusive
leadership, and equitable practices. In future
Trends articles, we will examine how we can
cultivate a stronger sense of belonging for all
members of our communities through inclusive
leadership praxis and equitable practices in
programming and campus policy