Cultivating a Sense of Belonging for Black or African American First-Year Students

Given contemporary concern for racial justice, we examined the engagement of Black or African American first-year students with their perceptions of belonging.

We divided respondents into three equally sized groups—lowest, middle, and highest—according to their sense of belonging scores (Table 1). Within any demographic, there is variability in sense of belonging, and by examining what relates to these differences we can identify ways to improve experiences for all.

Black students with more positive connections with their institution engage in more integrative learning with diverse perspectives and have more positive relationships with their faculty (p < .05, AR = 11.5 and AR = 31.0, respectively). These students also feel that their institution more strongly emphasizes contact among students from different backgrounds (p < .05, AR = 28.1) and attending events that address important social issues (p < .05, AR = 23.7).

Note: Values in the table represent the proportion of all Black or African American students in the group who responded favorably (frequent, excellent, or substantial) to the item.

Reflective activities in courses, positive relationships with faculty, and institutional support for diversity are some ways that colleges and universities can foster belonging. Departmental efforts are also important. We additionally find that Black or African American first-year students in the highest sense of belonging group were more likely to major in Business (p < .05, AR = 3.7) or Education (p < .05, AR = 3.9).

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