Community Resilience

Students’ sense of campus community: What it means, and what to do about it

The study, Students’ sense of campus community: What it means, and what to do about it by David X. Cheng examines different aspects of students’ academic life to articulate their perceptions of campus community.

The findings indicate that students’ sense of community is closely associated with their feelings of being cared about, treated in a caring way, valued as an individual and accepted as a part of a community and the quality social life on campus.

The most negative influence on sense of community comes from students’ feelings of loneliness on campus.

The authors propose five ways for schools to instill a sense of campus community:

1. Have an open environment where free expressions are encouraged, and individuality is accepted and respected

2. Engage faculty and students in teaching and learning

3. Provide an active social and learning environment in residence halls

4. Foster positive relationships among ethnic and cultural groups through programs and student activities

5. Celebrate traditions and heritage of the institution

6. Provide assistance to students when they feel lonely or depressed

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• Works citedWorks cited / Toolkit Post