By David Shein, Red Hook, NY
What I Learned About Belonging
When we talk about college success, we often talk about the things we can measure. We look at grades, retention rates, graduation numbers, and academic progress. These measurements matter. Institutions need data to understand what is working and where students need support.
But after spending more than 30 years working with students at Lehman College and at Bard College, I have come to believe that some of the most important parts of student success are harder to measure. One of those things is belonging.
Belonging is the feeling that you are not just present at an institution, but that you are part of it. It is the feeling that you have a place there, that people know you, and that your presence matters. Without that feeling, even capable and motivated students can struggle.
I have seen talented students question whether they belonged in college. I have watched students hesitate to ask for help because they were unsure whether they were supposed to need help. I have seen students who were academically prepared struggle because they had not yet found a connection to the institution around them.
The question I have kept returning to was this: How do we build colleges where every student can see themselves as a member of the community?
To Foster a Sense of Belonging, Begin With the Student Experience
The Hidden Challenges Students Face
One of the biggest lessons I have learned is that students experience college differently depending on their background. For some students, college feels familiar from the beginning. They may have family members who attended college, understand the language of higher education, and know how to navigate challenges.
For others, college can feel like a foreign country. They may not understand how advising works, what questions they are allowed to ask, or where they should go when they encounter a problem.
This is particularly true for many first-generation college students. Their challenge is not a lack of ability. Often, the challenge is that they are learning the academic material while also learning how the institution itself operates.
I remember my own experience as a first-generation college student. There were moments when I did not know what I did not know. Small uncertainties created larger feelings of discomfort. Those experiences have stayed with me throughout my career because they shaped how I approached student support.
Creating Environments Where Students Feel Seen
Relationships Matter
I have always believed that relationships are at the center of student success. Students need people who know them, who notice when something changes, and who are willing to have conversations that go beyond requirements and schedules.
This does not mean every faculty member or staff member needs to become a student’s personal advisor. Colleges are large communities, and everyone has different roles. However, every interaction contributes to the culture students experience.
A professor learning a student’s name, an advisor asking a thoughtful question, or a staff member taking time to explain a confusing process can have a lasting impact. These moments may seem small, but they send a powerful message: You belong here.
Support Should Not Require Students to Struggle First
One mistake institutions sometimes make is waiting until students are already in trouble before offering support. We create resources, but then we expect students to find them.
That approach assumes students already understand the system. Many do not.
The better approach is to make support visible and normal. Tutoring, advising, mentoring, and other resources should not feel like signs that a student is failing. They should feel like ordinary parts of the college experience.
Balancing Standards and Support
High Expectations Still Matter
Sometimes conversations about belonging and support create a false choice. Some people worry that focusing on student experience means lowering academic expectations. I do not believe that is true.
Students deserve both support and high expectations. In fact, the two work together. When students feel that they belong, they are often more willing to challenge themselves and persist through difficult moments.
The goal is not to make college easier. The goal is to make it possible for students to fully engage with the opportunities available to them: to set the bar high and help students reach it.
The Challenge of Institutional Change
Changing institutional culture is not simple. Colleges are complex organizations with traditions, policies, and competing priorities. Even when people agree that belonging matters, the practical work of creating change can be difficult.
There are always questions about resources, staffing, and time. How do we provide more individual attention while managing limited budgets? How do we create stronger connections while maintaining academic rigor?
These are real challenges, and there are no simple answers. But avoiding the conversation does not make those challenges disappear.
Designing Colleges Around Connection
Moving Beyond Programs
One thing I have learned is that belonging cannot be created through a single program or initiative. While a first-year seminar, orientation session, or student group can help, belonging is built through repeated experiences over time.
It is part of the daily interactions students have with their institution. It is reflected in how policies are written, how classrooms operate, and how easily students can find support.
Listening to Students
The most important thing colleges can do is listen. Students are often the best source of information about what is working and what is not.
We need to ask them questions. What feels welcoming? What feels confusing? Where do they feel supported, and where do they feel disconnected?
Sometimes the answers are surprising. Sometimes they reveal problems we did not know existed. But we cannot improve what we are unwilling to examine.
Conclusion
After many years in higher education leadership, I have learned that student success is about more than academic performance. It is about students feeling connected enough to persist, confident enough to take risks, and supported enough to overcome challenges.
Belonging is not an extra benefit of a good college experience. It is part of the foundation.
When students believe they have a place in an institution, they are more likely to engage, ask questions, seek help, and continue moving forward. Creating that sense of belonging requires effort from everyone on campus, but it is some of the most important work we can do.
The future of higher education depends not only on what we teach students, but also on whether we make them feel that they truly belong while they are learning.