Education Commons^™

Do I Belong? Underrepresented Students Sense Of Belonging, Delaney Deisig

Culminating Experience Projects

Increasing literature suggests that lower levels of sense of belonging among underrepresented college students could be a contributing factor to their comparatively lower rates of persistence and retention than those of their non-underrepresented peers. This project explores the barriers underrepresented students face during their first year of college and the opportunities colleges and universities have to increase diverse efforts to foster positive perspectives of sense of belonging among underrepresented students. An effective program must acknowledge the differing needs of students at various points in their college career and must diversify beyond a traditional framework that caters to the needs of …