Organization Change Networks (OCNs) are increasing in use as a lever for fostering systemic change in higher education. OCNs are inter-organizational networks composed of institutional members that seek to advance targeted goals such as improving STEM education. This study presents findings from a six-year study of six STEM education-focused…

The purpose of this study was to examine student veterans' sense of belonging within higher education institutions, the experiences influencing their feelings of belonging, and strategies that higher education institutions can utilize to enhance student veterans' sense of belonging on campus. Individual interviews were conducted with 10…

This article presents an analysis of an increasingly political nature of the rationales behind the memberships of the UK and Germany in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). This analysis is guided by rational-choice neo-institutionalism and is based on expert interviews with key stakeholders in both countries as well as their relevant…

In this article we discuss the lived, embodied experience of home-making in relation to identity and belonging through the example of a service-learning project conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in a higher education setting in London, UK. We also explore the notion of belonging-not-belonging as a cultural, material and embodied construct,…

Peer socialization agents (PSAs; e.g., resident assistants, orientation leaders) are trained to facilitate belonging through formal socialization initiatives. We used secondary qualitative data analysis, in combination with a critical constructivist approach, to explore PSAs' sense of belonging and the contexts in which they experience it through…

This participatory action research project involved 11 members of Art for Social Change, a higher education social activism group in the United States, using art to impact social change. Through cycles of action, reflection, and dialogue, members made changes within their organization and developed a deeper understanding of themselves and each…

Greek Life is a historic part of the social landscape within higher education, with the first fraternity starting in 1776 and the first sorority starting in 1851. Joining a Greek organization can be a hallmark collegiate experience for many students, offering lifelong friendships and a multitude of professional connections. Potential benefits of…

Sense of belonging is an important psychological and social factor for college students. Students who report a strong sense of belonging to an institution are more likely to return the next year (Hausmann et al., 2007), stay in school (Fine, 1991), graduate (Morrow & Ackermann, 2012), learn (Kernahan et al., 2014), thrive (Strayhorn, 2019),…

The National Conference is the National Dance Education Organization's (NDEO) flagship program, bringing together longtime and new members, seasoned professionals and college students, and dance educators from every sector and a wide range of dance genres. NDEO's National Conference is unique among other dance education summits and professional…

The International Association of Universities (IAU) is the only inclusive global university association, its membership barriers are low, yet few universities are members despite considerable benefits. What determines membership in this long-standing international university alliance? Reviewing recent trends toward a more networked, stratified and…

This paper explores women's experiences in academia through collective biography from a feminist, transdisciplinary, intersectional frame. Crosscutting disciplines, classifications, and subject positions, we use dialogue to explore the nuances of what it is to be a woman in academia, and the experiences of building and developing community as…

Higher education (HE) provides a unique opportunity to accomplish social and economic integration and mitigate the impact of displacement for forcibly displaced migrants (FDMs) in the long run. Against this backdrop, the purpose of the study is to explore the HE experiences of Syrian FDMs in Turkey. Utilizing snowball sampling, 24 FDMs in Turkey…

A growing body of research demonstrates the benefits of engaging students as partners to improve tertiary education. Yet, more research is needed to understand how students can support critical transformations outside of the classroom context. In this qualitative study, we explored how a networked improvement community (NIC) engaged students as…

Higher education researchers have defined the need of feeling connected to a place or community as a sense of belonging or a student's ability to connect to campus through support systems, positive interactions, and mattering (Hurtado & Carter, 1997; Strayhorn, 2012). A student belonging to or within an institution has been associated with…

Higher education biology (HEB), a discipline where women undergraduates are numerically overrepresented in most Western universities, has been given little attention in exploring norms of scientific practice from a student perspective. This study brings into focus how biology students negotiate identities in relation to figured worlds of HEB.…