For all of the tangible ways that faculty work to help students succeed at CSU, it might be the intangible sense of belonging that most underscores a student’s pathway to success.  Helping students feel like they are connected and welcomed on campus might seem beyond the purview or control of individual faculty members, but we often have great influence on how much our students feel actively included in our campus community. 

Belonging can be especially precarious for historically underserved and minoritized students at this predominantly white institution, first-generation students whose family may have had less access to teaching them the “hidden syllabus” of campus life, or lower income students whose time and attention are divided between campus life and off-campus jobs.

Below are a handful of easy things to say and do as we reach the middle third of the semester, to extend the welcome into a deeper and richer sense that each of our students has a place in our classroom, and accordingly, in our campus community.  Consider the following tactics, adapted from our colleagues in the Collaborative for Student Achievement:

• Literally say directly to students: “You belong at CSU and bring important knowledge that will help you be successful.” While we must take care not to single out or tokenize students as we communicate this message, letting them know – out loud and often – that they have a place here can be simple and transformative.
• Help students, especially first-year students, get to know each other in your classes.  How can you help them learn each others’ names and identities, and share common interests within the context of your class?
• Reinforce the value of developing a relationship with you as the instructor – build incentives for students to stop by your office hours, or reflective assignments that let them communicate with you directly, and not just as an expert reviewer of their work.
• Help them cultivate Study Allies.  Highlighting the value of studying together will encourage students to stay on track with class material, learn from each others’ perspectives and insights, and work together effectively.
• Underscore the value of Advisors/Academic Success Coordinators (ASC).  CLA ASCs are an incredible resource to our students, and can help them navigate virtually every corner of the university landscape.
• When possible, work in mentions of student clubs or organizations, especially if there are clubs connected to your discipline.  These orgs can help students connect with others, but also shore up their identities within the major itself.
• When possible, tout the value of staying connected to loved ones and perhaps occasionally identify ways for students to engage their own support networks.  Identify ideas from class to share broadly, or note moments of student achievement for them to brag about just a little.

These may seem small or even awkward, but these kinds of gestures can reinforce how students might situate themselves as full participants in the CSU community, and see campus as a place to sustain them throughout their degree.