Many of us may have experienced a sense of “belonging” at some point in our education—the feeling that we could succeed and contribute as vital members of a learning community. Research confirms that when students feel a sense of belonging, their academic achievement and persistence toward learning goals improves. This page includes strategies that instructors can use to intentionally cultivate students’ sense of belonging.
Create a welcoming syllabus
You can help foster belonging from the outset of your course by including a statement in your syllabus emphasizing that struggle is a normal part of learning, but that you’re there to support students through that struggle. Invite students to reach out to you, to ask questions, share ideas, and seek your help.
Learn more about fostering belonging through your syllabus
Create space for connection and well-being
Connecting with a supportive, vibrant campus community and developing habits to manage stress can help students learn and thrive. Consider starting your classes by projecting slides that do any or all of the following:
- Acquaint students with campus events or support resources
- Prompt students to connect with each other (e.g., turn to your neighbor and share one highlight from your weekend)
- Introduce practices that reduce stress (e.g., time management tips, mindfulness exercises)
You could also share these in weekly Canvas announcements.
Promote a growth mindset
Using a growth-oriented teaching approach can help students apply a growth mindset to their learning. Students with a growth mindset recognize that their abilities are not predetermined or fixed, but can be developed over time. By offering students opportunities for practice and direct feedback, you are helping them move from an attitude of “This is too hard; I can’t learn this,” to “This is hard, but I can learn it with practice and feedback.” This approach frames mistakes as learning opportunities, rather than deficiencies.
Learn more about growth-oriented teaching
Create community agreements
Community agreements are statements that guide how members of a classroom community (students, instructors, TAs) will work and interact with each other. Co-creating a set of agreements with students allows them to contribute to the expectations for class interactions, and promotes students’ accountability for maintaining a welcoming learning environment.
Learn how to create community agreements
Address implicit biases and microaggressions
Microaggressions—brief verbal or behavioral slights or dismissals that negatively impact a member of a marginalized group—can lead marginalized students to feel unwelcome or excluded. Addressing microaggressions effectively when they happen can signal to marginalized students that they belong in your class and that you value their perspectives and experiences.
Learn more about how to address microaggressions effectively in learning environments
Scaffold learning to promote belonging in your discipline
One of the best ways to help students develop the skills needed to succeed in your course and discipline is scaffolding. Even in introductory courses, foundational concepts and processes are often complex and nuanced. Breaking down that complexity and developing assignments that incrementally build students’ knowledge and skills can help them develop their self-efficacy—that is, their belief that they belong in the course and are capable of learning.
Learn more about scaffolding students’ learning
Consider specific student needs
This page links out to strategies for supporting first-generation college students, Indigenous students, student veterans, neurodivergent students, and more. Intentionally infusing your teaching practice with these strategies often improves the learning environment for all students.