This paper offers a focus group approach to the understanding of student perceptions of campus community. Using the Strange and Banning (2001) framework of community, the author argues that students' sense of campus community should be studied as it exists within the institutional environment. The results of the study include: 1) There is a strong connection between the quality of services and students' sense of belonging to the institution; 2) Students' full participation in campus life happens only when careful consideration is given to such factors as students' financial ability, their residential environment, and integration among different student groups; and 3) Committed to shared educational purposes, institutions should also be open to divergent definitions of community, leaving space for individual learning, growth, and creativity, thus cultivating an open and tolerant campus community. (Contains 1 figure.)