Building critical communities with graduate students at a satellite campus

Abstract

The purpose of this Action Research study was to examine factors that influence student engagement outside of the classroom and improve sense of place, belonging, and connectedness for graduate students studying at a satellite campus. The central phenomena that were being studied are student engagement, which is defined as student participation outside of the classroom that leads to a sense of place, belonging, and connectedness to fellow classmates and the campus as a whole. The study was guided by the following research question: What factors influence engagement outside of the classroom that improves or impedes a sense of place, belonging, and connectedness for graduate students studying at a satellite campus? Qualitative tools such as surveys, focus groups, and interviews were used to understand student's perceptions of engagement on cognitive, social, and emotional levels. Action steps were developed with students and internal stakeholders to achieve three key action step outcomes: (1) Culture of Mentoring and Engagement; (2) A human stories repository; and (3) A student leadership charter that would offer students a "voice" regarding campus services and operations. The study concluded that student engagement was important to graduate students and offered findings in the following areas: Student Engagement and Connectivity; Ownership; and Voice. Experiences in these three areas help move the students toward effective engagement and critical community development and are critical to cultivating engagement and sense of place, belonging, and connectiveness. Implications for the organization included increased student engagement, improved campus climate, improving student perceptions of sense of place and belonging, and sharing effective activities and practices to student services practitioners at the site and throughout the university system.--Author's abstract