The Impact of Campus Environments on Sense of Belonging for First-Generation College Students

Abstract

The Impact of Campus Environments on Sense of Belonging for First-Generation College Students Samuel D. Museus (bio) and Ting-Han Chang (bio) First-generation students (FGS) face significant disparities in persistence and degree completion (Ishitani, 2016). One factor that increases the likelihood that students will persist to graduation is finding a sense of belonging in college (Gopalan & Brady, 2020). Unfortunately, evidence indicates that FGS face added barriers to finding a sense of belonging (Terenzini et al., 1996). More systematic empirical inquiries that shed light on the factors that influence sense of belonging among FGS are warranted. We responded to this call by addressing the following question: How do perceptions of campus environments shape sense of belonging among FGS in college? Existing scholarship suggests that campus environments have a noticeable impact on their sense of belonging (Museus, 2014). This research shows that students' sense of belonging is positively shaped by greater access to people with whom they share common backgrounds and experiences, learning that is relevant to their communities, service projects that allow them to give back to their communities, campus values grounded in collective orientations, and validation of their backgrounds and identities. While this scholarship is mostly focused on students in general or specific racial groups, studies that address the impact of these variables on sense of belonging among FGS are difficult to find. Most researchers studying FGS have examine how their individual characteristics, college preparation and access, and outcomes in higher education differ from their non-first-generation peers (Yee, 2016). Research on how campus environments shape experiences and outcomes of FGS is sparse. There is some evidence that individualistic campus orientations can cause barriers for FGS who are more likely to come from collectivist communities (Stephens, Fryberg, et al., 2012). This research also shows that learning opportunities relevant to the lives of FGS positively impact their development (Jehangir et al., 2012), and many of these students want college to prepare them to give back to their [End Page 367] communities (Stephens, Fryberg, et al., 2012). Empirical studies examining how these aspects of campus environments impact FGS sense of belonging specifically are virtually nonexistent. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the aforementioned environmental factors might be important predictors of sense of belonging among FGS. For example, FGS often share anecdotes about how their underrepresentation and absence of relevant learning opportunities on campus can lead to feelings of invalidation, isolation, and decreased sense of belonging (e.g., Mangan, 2015). Systematic empirical analyses of whether and how environmental factors influence sense of belonging among FGS are warranted. METHOD While first-generation status can be defined in multiple ways (Toutkoushian et al., 2018), we define it as those reporting that no parent attended college. This study was conducted with FGS at a moderately selective, large public research university in the Midwest. Data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Survey (2012/2017) suggest that approximately 31% of first-time, full-time, first-year college students across the nation are FGS (data from https://nces.ed.gov/datalab). At public research universities in the Midwest, approximately 30% of first-time, full-time enrollees are FGS; however, these students are less represented (16% of undergraduates) at moderately or highly selective public research universities in the Midwest. At the time of this study, the participating campus enrolled about 43,700 undergraduates, approximately 11% of whom were FGS. To conduct this study, we administered a campus environments survey to all undergraduates in Spring 2017. A total of 1,049 self-identified FGS (about 22% of all enrolled FGS) completed the survey and were included in the final sample. The initial sample included more women (63%) than men (37%). White students were the largest racial group (41%), followed by Latinx (25%), Asian American (14%), Black (9%), multiracial (3%), and Native American and Pacific Islander (less than 1%) students. The sample included first-year (20%), sophomore (20%), junior (27%), and senior (33%) students. To correct for overrepresentation of women and Students of Color, we applied proportional weights based on gender and race to ensure that the representation of each gender and racial subgroup was represented in the sample at rates proportionate to their representation in the total FGS population. The survey...