Resources for Cultivating a Sense of Belonging on Campus

The APLU and Coalition of Urban Serving Universities’ co-led Student Experience Project recently released a vast data set measuring the impact of efforts to boost student belonging and convey a growth mindset about students’ abilities. The data showed a significant link between such efforts and students’ subsequent academic performance.

Informed by this and other work, the Student Experience Project has created a variety of resources to help institutions advance equity, belonging, and a growth mindset culture on their own campuses. The resource guides cover key drivers of student success such as: equitable academic and social supports; supportive instructor and course interactions; inclusive department and campus culture; and student-centered institutional structures and policies. The guides provide practical examples of change, and template language to help improve student belonging on university campuses.