Read the Belonging Framework and Learn Insights From Study on Student Belonging

The U of A Belonging Initiative campus study on student belonging is now available. The findings from the study give us a deeper understanding of the student experience to enhance our processes, programming and teaching so that all students can feel that they belong within our campus community. 

The concept of belonging creates a culture where every member of our campus community looks out for one another and actively works to cultivate the sense of connection across our university. We each have a part to play. Spend some time reading the framework and reimagine how you can enrich belonging based on your campus role and responsibilities as student, faculty, staff, dean or administrator.

Below are thoughts from some of our campus leaders on the belonging framework:

“Ensuring that every member of the campus community feels a sense of belonging is crucial to fulfilling our land-grant mission and achieving our 150 Forward strategic goals of advancing student success and enhancing our status as an employer of choice. Everyone who has contributed to the Belonging Initiative has done a tremendous service to the university, and I am very grateful to them. I encourage all of our students, faculty and staff to visit the Belonging website, read the framework and think about ways you can help foster a culture of belonging at the U of A.”
— Chancellor Charles Robinson

“Helping students find a sense of belonging on our campus should permeate every conversation we have about student success. This framework should give every unit and every staff member topics for conversation. Imagine if we all engaged in regular discussion about ways we can help students find belonging. We could create an enhanced Razorback experience, hopefully for all students.”
— Jeremy Battjes, vice chancellor for Student Affairs

“The Belonging Framework is only the beginning and provides us the foundation of how to move forward. We each have a responsibility to ourselves and each other to cultivate a campus community where everyone can find a social connection, be authentic, valued for their contributions and feel like an ‘insider’ who understands how the campus works. Let’s do this together.”
— Lori Lander, associate dean of students and assistant vice chancellor for Campus Life

“Belonging is at the center of achieving student success and promoting positive campus experiences. The framework produced from the Belonging Initiative is the perfect starting point for each of us to find our role in contributing to a stronger Razorback community.”
— Cael Losenegger, president of Associated Student Government

“Belonging is bringing your authentic self into a learning space and/or workspace and knowing that you can be you, that you have equal opportunities and that you have access to resources to meet your needs that enable you to be successful. The dynamics of belonging create an environment where differences are valued, respected and celebrated. The Belonging Initiative provides a framework to help all students feel like they belong and can thrive at the University of Arkansas.”
— Romona West, assistant dean of inclusive excellence for Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences  

“The Belonging Framework and concept is only as good what we do with it. We know some people feel like they belong more or less in our classes and on our campus; many of us also know how great it feels to belong at the University of Arkansas. So, this is our secret sauce as faculty members; we know more now about how our students are experiencing our campus, our classes and our simple interactions on the sidewalk than arguably ever before. I want everyone to feel like the UA is for them; we all deserve that.”
— Christian Goering, professor of curriculum and instruction and vice chair of Faculty Senate 2022-2023

Find out more on the Belonging website.

This story also appeared in the University of Arkansas News publication.