Campus Engagement and School Belonging
Presented by:
Noreen Dulin, Vanguard University
Explore the relationship between forms of campus engagement and school belonging at a small Christian university, and consider how school belonging may be improved in other campus settings.
Keywords:
School Belonging, Campus Resources, Student Engagement
Abstract:
A sense of school belonging is important to students’ perception of college life and may relate to key variables such as well-being and attrition. This study explored the relationships between sense of school belonging with use of resources and student activities available to undergraduate students attending a small private Christian university. The survey was completed by 531 students. The results revealed significant positive correlations between school belonging and use of campus resources including student clubs, floor events, and participation in intra- and intermural sports. These correlations underscore the importance of fostering school belonging and suggest potential directions for university support services.
Outcomes:
1. Understand the importance of school belonging in the university environment.
2. Explore correlations between school belonging and campus resources.
3. Consider activities that may promote a higher sense of school belonging.
Hear it from the author:
Transcript:
Hello, my name is Noreen Dulin, and my project examined the relationship between campus engagement and school belonging among undergraduate students at a private Christian university in Southern California.
A sense of belonging is a major predictor of student success—it can affect well-being, retention, and overall adjustment to college life. My study explored how students’ sense of belonging relates to the various campus resources they use.
531 undergraduate students were surveyed and we, collected data on demographics sense of school belonging, and how often students used a variety of campus resources, such as the Academic Resource Center, the Health Center, and commuter programs.
When the data were analyzed, significant positive correlations were found between school belonging and many campus resources. The strongest associations were with floor events, intramural sports, campus programs, and student clubs.
These findings suggest that students who are more involved in campus life, especially through social and community-building activities—tend to feel a stronger sense of connection to their university.
Interestingly, we also found a significant difference based on political affiliation: students who identified as Republican reported higher levels of belonging than Democrats. This highlights the role that campus culture and perceived alignment with university values may play in students’ experiences.
Overall, these results reinforce that fostering school belonging is essential for supporting students. Universities may be able to strengthen belonging by increasing campus events, and promoting student activities.
Thank you.
References:
Dunleavy, G., & Burke, J. (2019). Fostering a sense of belonging at an international school in France: An experimental study. Educational and Child Psychology, 36(4), Article 12.
Goodenow, C. (1993). The psychological sense of school membership among adolescents: Scale development and educational correlates. Psychology in the Schools, 30(1), 79–90.
Grover, H. M., Boberiene, L. V., & Limber, S. P. (2021). Are U.S. schools places of community? Does it matter? American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 91(3), 332–347.
Winstone, N., Balloo, K., Gravett, K., Jacobs, D., & Keen, H. (2022). Who stands to benefit? Wellbeing, belonging, and challenges to equity in engagement in extracurricular activities at university. Active Learning in Higher Education, 23(2), 81–96.
Xu, Z., & Fang, C. (2021). The relationship between school bullying and subjective well-being: The mediating effect of school belonging. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, Article 00000.