Elevating Student Voices to Catalyze Student Belonging and Early Momentum

Program Abstract: Given that belonging has consistently been shown to be a significant predictor of academic success, higher education practitioners and institutional researchers would be well served to understand how the systemic, structural, and relational aspects of their institution either support or thwart student belonging. In this session, presenters from Motivate Lab (University of Virginia) will share some of the background research on student belonging and the Student Voices Initiative. The Student Voices Initiative arose out of an ongoing five-year partnership between the College System of Tennessee (TBR) and the University of Virginia – Motivate Lab. The Student Voices Initiative uses a Youth Participatory Action Research approach (YPAR), which engages students at every level of the research process. This process includes conducting evidence-based focus groups, coding protocols, and providing actionable recommendations to institutions intended to enable institutions to implement systemic improvements for the benefit of future students.