Connecting Culturally Engaging Campus Environments and Belonging for Black Women in College

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Belonging, Mattering, and a Sense of Community

Abstract

Research has demonstrated that students’ sense of belonging in college is positively associated with desirable academic outcomes, including retention and persistence. However, research on how culturally engaging campus environments support or detract from belonging for Black women collegians is scant. Using data from a national administration of the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) survey, multivariate analyses were conducted to examine the connection between culturally engaging campus environments and a sense of belonging for Black women collegians. The variables in the final regression model explained 58.9% of the variance in Black women collegians’ sense of belonging in college. Interestingly, results suggest that indicators of cultural responsiveness were more important than indicators of cultural relevance for the students in the sample.

Authors

• Michael Steven Williams, University of Missouri

• Ekaete Udoh, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Amand L. Hardiman, Utah State University

• G. Preston Wilson, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Marjorie L. Dorime-Williams, MDRC