College student activists catalyze reform on campus and beyond--yet, we know little about how these students perceive mattering on campus. Given that mattering is linked to positive student outcomes, educator commitment to caring for student activists is critical. This work, grounded in semistructured interviews and a constructivist lens, explored…

Using data from the 2012 Multi-Institutional Study of Leadership (n = 74,938), this study examines the relationships among gender, ROTC participation, students' sense of belonging, and perceptions of campus climate. Findings reveal that gender describes little variance in sense of belonging when perceptions of climate are taken into consideration;…

This study explores whether campus sense of community predicts critical consciousness among students. Analysis of a sample of 197 students showed a mixed relationship between campus sense of community and critical consciousness. Students who felt a sense of belonging were more likely to engage in sociopolitical action, whereas those who perceived…

The purpose of this article was to examine the effects of having an academic or student affairs professional mentor on working-class first-generation students' sense of belonging and resilience. The authors used propensity score matching techniques to develop matched pairs of working-class first-generation students who did and did not have a…

Research about students' sense of belonging during major adverse events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic is limited. Using data from two public universities, we ask: How do students experience belonging in times of adversity? What factors affect their experience? "Feeling Disconnected" emerged as the major theme describing negative changes…

The integration of non-local students into their host environments and their ability to develop meaningful local relationships are concerns for researchers, educators, and policymakers. Given the increased diversity of higher educational settings, a deeper understanding of these topics can help residential halls better accommodate students from…

Using culturally relevant frameworks, this study explored students' self-reported sense of belonging and noncognitive learning outcomes as a result of cocurricular involvement in recreational activities at a South African University. Survey responses from 1,884 students involved in various cocurricular activities suggest the positive influence…

University students often seek affiliation with student-led, content-based organizations. We explored student expectations and perceived benefits from affiliation in terms of perceived cohesion. We asked members from three student organizations to provide self-reported data about their expectations from affiliation, reasons for staying or leaving,…

Graduate students constitute a sizable proportion of students on university campuses; still, the majority of administrative efforts focus on facilitating belonging for undergraduates exclusively. This study examines sense of belonging for graduate students and how it looks different from belongingness for undergraduate students. Research driven…

This study examined undergraduate survey responses about a Title V center at a research university. Using a counterspaces framework, we analyzed the ways in which this Title V center provided first-generation and minoritized college students with academic and non-academic supports and a sense of community and belonging. Analyses illustrated that…

This paper provides new insights into the process of college adjustment by examining week-by-week trends in college belonging and well-being within a sample of 12,529 responses from 882 students at a private, selective university. These adjustment outcomes generally improve throughout the first semester, but the patterns are certainly not linear,…

Guided by several theoretical approaches to student success, this study tested cognitive and non-cognitive variables including a set of background, financial, and psychosocial factors. Regression analysis revealed five foci predicted Latina/o student's sense of belonging at a Hispanic Serving Institution. These include: (1) finances/financial aid;…

Utilizing data from a phenomenological study, this study revealed what comprised the phenomenon of belonging for queer students of Color at a predominantly White institution. Specifically, queer students of Color defined belonging as: having their multiple identities validated, connecting to individuals who have similar goals/interests, and…

This study examines how a specific form of parental support--parental validation--is related to students' college experiences and institutional commitment. Results based on a survey of first-generation and low-income students indicated that parental validation is related to students' social and academic engagement, sense of belonging, and…

Many higher education policymakers are concerned about factors related to student success. One proposed model is the thriving model, which focuses on students' psychological wellbeing. In China, little is known about university students' psychological wellbeing. This study examined pathways to thriving among students enrolled in an American…