The present phenomenological study explores the experiences of ethnic minority students at John Brown University. The study includes 25 interviews with undergraduate ethnic minority students. The findings from this study show minority students have an overall positive response to their experience at a private, Christian institution. Additionally, participants experienced a variety of challenges which included feeling less than, lacking connection, and feeling isolated. Lastly, the researchers noted what was necessary for minority students to succeed at this university, which included support from faculty, staff, and organizations. The most important finding from the study was that minority students need a sense of belonging to succeed at John Brown University.

The economic capital, cultural capital especially social capital have significant effect on forming the small-sized Chinese city. This article argues for understandings of the spatial form of capital based on the special context in China and mainly focuses on social network in the scale of neighborhood. Reviews of documentation in the city discussed are exemplified as firsthand data for case study. Furthermore, the qualitative narration concerning five elements of social capital- “social network, trust, security, sense of belonging and participation”-is adopted as useful lens for evaluating the existing situation and better involvement of social capital in space is prompted as an effective solution. An overall assessment of the performance of social capital in the case is concluded and recommendations are presented for future improvement of enhancing social capital onsite.

The aim of this essay is to investigate the physical aspects in and around inner courtyards, as well as the use of them, in the city district of Ålidhem in Umeå. Ålidhem was built as part of “the million programme” in Sweden in the 1960’s and 70’s and present an example of how these large courtyard areas can function in this aspect. The essay will be centred around four themes, namely size, primary and secondary delimitation, belonging and activities. The form of the courtyards, their contents and their immediate surroundings will be investigated through eight example-courtyards in a field study from the district in question, as well as from the residents' point of view. The residents' answers were gathered through a questionnaire, that also examines how the residents view and use their closest courtyard in addition to the physical aspects. On top of this a shorter analysis of social activities in these types of areas will be examined, as a part of the concept of “life between buildings”. The results of this study find several connections to theories about how inner courtyards are framed by, among others, buildings, and how this affects residents view and use of them.

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<p>The discipline of data science has gained substantial attention recently. This is mainly attributed to the technological advancement that led to an exponential increase in computing power and has made the generation and recording of enormous amounts of data possible on an everyday basis. It has become crucial for industries to wrangle, curate, and analyze data using data science techniques to make informed decisions. Making informed decisions is complex. Therefore, a trained data science workforce is required to analyze data on a real-time basis. The increasing demand for data science professionals has caused higher education institutions to develop courses and train students starting from the undergraduate level about the data science concepts and tools.</p> <p>Despite the efforts from the institutions and national agency such as National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, it has been witnessed that there have been significant challenges in retaining and attracting students in the discipline of data science. The novice learners in data science are required to possess the skills of a programmer, a statistician, research skills, and non-technical skills such as communication and critical thinking. The undergraduate students do not possess all the required skills, which, in turn, creates a cognitive load for novice learners (Koby & Orit, 2020). Research suggests that improving the teaching and mentoring methodologies can improve retention for students from all demographic groups (Seymour, 2002). Previous studies (e.g., Hoffmann et al., 2002, Flynn, 2015; Lenning & Ebbers, 1999) have revealed that learning communities are effective in improving student retention, especially at the undergraduate level, as it helps students develop a sense of belonging, socialize, and form their own identities. Learning communities have been identified as <em>high impact practices</em> (Kuh, 2008) that helps to develop identities and sense of belonging, however to the best of our knowledge there are few studies that focus on the development of the psychosocial and cognitive skills of the students enrolled in a data science learning community.</p> <p>To meet the demand for the future workforce and help undergraduate students develop data science skills, The Data Mine (TDM) at Purdue University has undertaken an initiative in the discipline of data science. The Data Mine is an interdisciplinary living-learning community that allows students from various disciplines to enroll and learn data science skills under the guidance of competent faculty and corporate mentors. The residential nature of the learning community allows the undergraduate students to live, learn and socialize with peers of similar interests and develop a sense of belonging. The constant interaction with knowledgeable faculty and mentors in real-world projects allows novice learners to master data science skills and develop an identity. The study aims to characterize the effects of identity formation, socialization, and learning of the undergraduate students enrolled in The Data Mine and answer the following research question:</p> <p><br></p> <p><strong>Quantitative: RQ 1:</strong> What are the perceptions of students regarding their identity formation, socialization opportunities, self-belief, and academic/intellectual development in The Data Mine? </p> <p><strong>Qualitative: Guiding RQ 2:</strong> How do students’ participation in activities and interaction with peers, faculty, staff at The Data Mine contribute to becoming an experienced member of the learning community?</p> <ul> <li><strong>Sub-RQ 2(a):</strong> What are the perceived benefits and challenges of participating in The Data Mine?</li> <li><strong>Sub-RQ 2(b):</strong> How do students describe their levels of socialization and a sense of belonging within The Data Mine?</li> <li><strong>Sub-RQ 2(c):</strong> How do students’ participation and interaction in The Data Mine help them form their identity?</li> </ul> <p>To approach the above research questions, we conducted a sequential explanatory mixed method study to understand the growth journey of students in terms of socialization, sense of belonging and identity formation. The data were collected in two phases: a quantitative survey study followed by qualitative semi-structured interviews. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis, followed by narrative analysis. The results of the quantitative and qualitative analysis demonstrated that learning in The Data Mine happened through interaction and socialization of the students with faculty, staff, and peers at The Data Mine. Students found multiple opportunities to learn and develop data science skills, such as working on real-world projects or working in groups. This continuous interaction with peers, faculty and staff at The Data Mine helped them to learn and develop identities. This study revealed that students did develop a data science identity, but the corporate partner TAs developed a leader identity along with the data science identity. In summary all students grew and served as mentor, guide, and role models for new incoming students.</p>

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Despite the critical contributions that student affairs professionals make to college students' learning and development and campus operations, mid-level professionals are at risk of leaving the field altogether. The current study investigated the role of sense of belonging in mid-level student affairs professionals' experiences and their turnover intentions through a qualitative, phenomenological analysis. Ten mid-level student affairs professionals from various institutions were interviewed about how they experience belongingness within their work, and how their evaluation of belonging influences their intention to stay at their institution or in the field of student affairs. The results demonstrate that sense of belonging is experienced by mid-level student affairs professionals, but in varied ways, and it is shaped through relationships, being trusted for professional expertise and competence, and feeling supported by others. Salient identities, especially marginalized identities, can shape the experience of belonging as can professional networks outside of institutional experiences. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that sense of belonging, whether it was experienced or lacking, influenced the intentions of many participants to stay at their institution and in the field of student affairs more broadly. Should colleges and universities be committed to addressing the attrition of mid-level student affairs professionals, they should commit to supporting and cultivating sense of belonging as it does indeed matter. / Policy, Organizational and Leadership Studies

Many institutions of higher education offer first-year seminars; academic courses designed to help new college students successfully transition to the rigors and demands of life inside and outside the classroom. There is a substantial body of research that validates first-year seminars as successful in accomplishing this goal. There are also numerous studies that have investigated what in the literature is termed a “sense of belonging.” This research demonstrates that college students who experience a sense of belonging feel welcomed, included, connected, and part of the community. These students are more likely to succeed and be retained at their institution. While there is extensive literature examining both of these areas separately, there is limited literature that connects them. This dissertation aimed to fill that gap in the literature by investigating synergies between first-year seminars and sense of belonging at a 4-year, private, liberal arts university. Results of the study showed that first-year students experienced sense of belonging through developing relationships with peers and faculty, through being informed about institutional resources and policies, and by feeling part of a supportive community. The first-year seminar program did have a positive effect on first-year students’ desire to graduate from the institution. An implication for practice includes faculty development centered on fostering a sense of belonging, facilitating opportunities for students to form relationships with their peers and faculty, ensuring that classrooms and institutional environments are inclusive and welcoming, and by informing first-year students about the resources and supports available to aid in their transition and retention. / Educational Administration

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