Toolkit: Sense of Belonging

To What Extent Do You:

• Feel like you belong?
• Have a good support network?
• Have mentors or role models?
• Feel like you can openly share your point of view?

Undergraduate Students

• Undergraduates who are Black, gender-questioning, or have 2+ disabilities report lower levels of belonging than other racial, gender, and dis/ability groups

• Non-normative groups across all demographics are less likely to have support networks and mentorship.

• Black and veteran undergrads are less likely to feel that they can openly share their opinions

Graduate Students

• Latinx grad students report lower rates of belonging than other racial groups, and were also less likely to feel comfortable openly sharing their point of view than all other demographics

• While trans grad students report high levels of mentorship, rates were lower among nonbinary/questioning students--who also reported less robust support networks than other identity groups

• Master’s students report lower levels of mentorship than PhD students

Staff

• Executive/administrative/managerial staff show high rates of belonging in contrast with all other work classifications, and also report very high support network levels

• Black, Latinx, and multiracial staff reported lower mentorship levels compared to white and Asian groups

• Latinx, Black, nonbinary, and gender-questioning staff were less likely to report feeling they can openly share their opinions

Faculty

• Faculty with disabilities were more likely to report feeling no sense of belonging than any other group and, along with Black faculty, also report comparatively lower levels of support networks

• Black faculty members reported very low levels of mentorship compared to all other groups

• Nonbinary faculty, Latinx faculty, and faculty with disabilities were less likely to report feeling they can openly share their opinions

What is your initial response to this data? Which emotions do you notice? (Note: you may find this Feelings Inventory list helpful!)

Members of marginalized  or minoritized groups most directly impacted might feel…

• Affirmed to see their experiences reflected

• Frustrated that this experience is not already common knowledge

• Cautious/skeptical about the potential for change

• Vigilant to see how others will respond 

Those not directly impacted, but who strive towards allyship might feel…

• Surprised to learn that many community members do not feel a strong sense of belonging

• Sadness that things are “worse than you realized”

• sense of urgency to act immediately and fix every problem

Those who have not yet had an opportunity (or obligation) to consider these topics might feel…

• Disengaged -- ”what  does this have to do  with me anyway?”

• Confused, impatient, or even irritated by others’ strong reactions

• Embarrassed by a lack of knowledge or awareness

Remember that there is no right or wrong way to feel--all emotional responses are helpful information!

• What feels familiar about these findings and/or the emotions that accompany them? Are you reminded of past experiences you've had at UMass or elsewhere?

• What questions do you still have after considering this data?

• What else would you like to know or understand more deeply?

Questions for Group Reflection and Discussion

• Does this data feel accurate to your experience in your role, unit, or department? Why or why not?

• If the issues identified in this data set were effectively addressed and transformed, how would we know? What would be the evidence?How would your group or team look, feel, and function if everyone experienced a deep sense of belonging?

• How will this knowledge inform both future and ongoing actions and initiatives? How will our individual and collective choices move us closer to the future we are imagining into?

Important Ideas: Belonging

As social creatures, all people have an innate desire to feel a sense of belonging. When it comes to our relationships with other individuals, groups, and the wider community, human brains thrive on connection, acceptance, and support. The 2021 Campus Climate Survey focused on examining institution-wide efforts to create an increasingly inclusive environment for everyone. In a large, diverse community like UMass, belonging is best understood as an outcome that can be achieved through collective work toward a common goal. Simply put, a sense of belonging is what happens when 
the work of inclusion is done thoughtfully and consistently.

Important Ideas: Inclusion

Belonging is NOT the same as “fitting in”! It’s important to distinguish between assimilation and true inclusion.

Assimilation expects those who are outside the norm to adjust themselves to the existing dominant culture. Minoritized individuals and groups may feel pressure to conform, hide parts of their identity and experience, or pretend to be something they are not to gain acceptance and support. On the other hand, inclusion asks…

• Whose voices are often left out? What unique gifts might they offer?
• How must our culture shift or expand so that every community member feels invited and safe to show up as their whole, authentic self?
• Which actions will we take to move our community closer to this goal?

Opportunities for Continued Learning and Engagement

Articles:

• What is the Sense of Belonging?
• 3 Ways to Make Belonging More Than a Buzzword
• Belonging in the Covid Age: Gen Z is Ready to Make a Difference

Videos:

• Belonging Through Connection: A Conversation with bell hooks and john a. powell
• Citizen Brain: Othering and Belonging

Podcast:

• Finding Our Way: Community and Belonging with Mia Birdsong

Take Action: Reporting Options

It can often be challenging to discern between an incident of mistreatment, an expression of outright bias, or a hurtful misunderstanding. What will always be clear, however, is how the situation makes us feel – and its very real impact on whether or not we feel accepted, supported, and valued. One way to take action when you experience or observe this type of occurrence is to submit a climate incident report. Reports not only allow UMass to offer resources and support to those directly involved, but also help to identify community-wide patterns and growth areas.