Advancing Student Belonging Through Broader Definition and Methods
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At SSN, policy memos are documents presenting information specifically requested by policy actors. This policy memo was requested by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) on June 20, 2025. Below is an excerpt:
Student belonging matters when we’re discussing the student experience. This is critical for student success in higher education, particularly as federal policies shape funding priorities and institutional accountability. However, we have two recommendations to continue to expand on this work at the federal policy level: (1) expand the definition of belonging as a concept that’s multi-dimensional, contextual, and dynamic (2) incorporate and uplift mixed-methods and qualitative approaches in the discussion of student belonging.