Developing Sense of Belonging in Isolation: Insights From Two Projects Supporting STEM Undergraduates

• In Event: Perspectives on Sense of Belonging in Higher Education

Abstract

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, two National Science Foundation S-STEM projects were suddenly tasked with building community and sense of belonging among students who were no longer able to gather in the same physical location as faculty members and/or one another. This study investigated the extent to which these programs’ support efforts, aimed at fostering undergraduate STEM students’ sense of belonging, maintained their effectiveness when transitioned to a fully virtual context. Of additional interest were which activities had the most / least influence on students’ sense of belonging in the virtual context. Findings indicate that virtual support activities played an important role in developing students’ sense of belonging, engaging students in a community during a challenging time.

Authors

• Joseph Arthur Brobst, Old Dominion University

• Elizabeth Litzler, University of Washington

• Sura Alqudah, Western Washington University

• Regina G. Barber, National Public Radio

• Jill Davishahl, Western Washington University

• Perry Fizzano, Western Washington University

• David Hartenstine, Western Washington University

• Andrew Klein, Western Washington University