Campus Climate Perceptions and Sense of Belonging for LGBTQ Students: A Canadian Case Study

Abstract

Campus Climate Perceptions and Sense of Belonging for LGBTQ StudentsA Canadian Case Study Eugene T. Parker III (bio) Heightened awareness and attention to campus diversity and racial climates are evident in higher education by increased student activism and social movements in reaction to perceptions of adverse and unwelcoming campus environments (Biemiller, 2018; Whitford, 2019). There is growing attention to how students perceive belonging and mattering on campus. While belonging is not a new issue in higher education (see Strayhorn, 2012), it is increasingly becoming a critical topic for colleges and universities when considering enrolling, retaining, and graduating minority students. Belonging has been consistently linked to persistence, retention, and other academic outcomes (Hurtado & Carter, 1997; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005; Strayhorn, 2012). Prior studies have largely presented the antecedents and predictors of sense of belonging. There is limited knowledge about the inputs or collegiate experiences that impact this construct. Strayhorn (2008) asserted: "Few empirical studies estimate the influence of various factors on students' sense of belonging in college" (p. 307). While much is known about the saliency of sense of belonging for college students, more research needs to be done to better understand the impact of collegiate experiences on sense of belonging, particularly for minority students. Arguably, much of the prior discussions about campus diversity climate and its effect on students has predominately focused on race and ethnicity. Research has shown that generally campus climate is positively linked to sense of belonging, especially for racial minority students (Hurtado & Carter, 1997; Hurtado et al., 1998). Researchers on sense of belonging, mattering, respect, and the campus diversity climate should also attend to other student populations on college campuses, including students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ; Vaccaro & Newman, 2016). The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between LGBTQ students' perceptions of the campus diversity climate and their sense of belonging. LITERATURE REVIEW Sense of belonging in college students continues to be a crucial topic at institutions of higher education. Goodenow (1993) defined sense of belonging as "students' sense of being accepted, valued, included, and encouraged by others" (p. 25). Strayhorn (2012) contended that sense of belonging is "students' perceived social support on campus, a feeling or sensation of connectedness, the experience of mattering or feeling cared about, accepted, respected, valued by, and important to the group (e.g., campus community) or others on campus (e.g., faculty, peers)" (p. 3). While scholars have slightly varying conceptions of this construct, sense of belonging can generally be described as students' perceptions of connectedness, respect, and inclusivity at their college or university. A robust body of literature focuses on sense of belonging. Generally, this notion of [End Page 248] belonging or mattering has been shown to promote persistence and retention (Mayhew et al., 2016; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2005). Research has shown that students' perceptions of belonging positively impact academic outcomes, such as motivation (Freeman et al., 2007; Hausmann et al., 2007). Sense of belonging is also linked to mental health and wellbeing (Hagerty et al., 1992; Strayhorn, 2012). While the prior scholarship on sense of belonging is extensive, researchers have primarily focused on majority student populations or aggregated samples, such as White, hetereosexual students. Researchers who have examined underrepresented students have overwhelmingly focused on racial minorities and Students of Color (see Blackmon, 2018; Johnson et al., 2007; Strayhorn, 2012). Research on racial minority students has largely demonstrated that these students tend to have more negative perceptions of the campus climate and lower levels of sense of belonging which negatively impact college outcomes (Strayhorn, 2012). Vaccaro and Newman (2016) studied sense of belonging of minority students, including LGBTQ students, and illuminated the influence of relationships, environment, and involvement as key elements. While a growing body of scholarship has been focused on LGBTQ research (see Garvey et al, 2017; Lange et al., 2019; Rankin & Garvey, 2015), few scholars have investigated how sense of belonging varies among minority populations, like LGBTQ students. CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK I used Vaccaro and Newman's (2016) conceptual model of belonging for privileged and minoritized students as a guiding framework. The model illuminates the saliency of involvement, relationships, and the environment and frames the examination of how environmental aspects of...