The Science Behind University Belonging

A groundbreaking 1995 paper by psychologists Baumeister and Leary was one of the first to identify belonging as, not just a desire, but a need. A need that, for humans, is almost as strong as the need for food. 

And, according to their theory, belonging isn’t about where you are, or what you are doing – it is about the people you interact with. Baumeister and Leary’s theory was clear that interpersonal relationships are key to belonging. 

Psychologists have identified the sense of belonging as a key human drive (Baumeister & Leary, 1995), acting as a central point that promotes various positive outcomes (Walton & Brady, 2017). In the context of higher education, students who feel a sense of belonging tend to be more engaged in their academic pursuits, which contributes to their perseverance and achievement. Studies, both experimental (Yeager et al., 2016) and observational (Strayhorn, 2012), have demonstrated that students with a strong sense of belonging are more likely to utilize available campus resources, aiding in their academic success.

Feeling a sense of belonging can act as a shield against stress, leading to better mental health for students (Baumeister & Leary, 1995).

When you achieve a sense of belonging, through prolonged, positive social contact, it’s associated with a reduction in anxiety and positive, sometimes celebratory, feeling. 

And when it comes to colleges, a sense of belonging is crucial. What does that mean in education? Here’s how the American scholar Terrell Strayhorn defines it: 

“In terms of college, sense of belonging refers to … a feeling or sensation of connectedness, and the experience of mattering or feeling cared about, accepted, respected, valued by, and important to the campus community or others on campus such as faculty, staff, and peers.”

That sense of belonging influences everything. If a student feels a sense of belonging, they are more likely to enroll, to stay enrolled, and to succeed. And it’s not just us saying that.

Sense of Belonging as a Factor in University Choice

Going to university is a huge life-changing event. It’s also likely to be the first such event in a young person’s life where they have control over that decision. There are certain moments like this dotted throughout a person’s life, such as having a baby, relocating, going on holiday.

During these times it’s quite difficult to get your head around information from ‘official’ sources. OK, so you take it in, you might put a plan together, make a list. But you still have no idea what it will feel like – you still struggle to picture yourself in that situation, and part of you feels unprepared.

So where do you go to get the kind of information that will put your mind at ease? Well, who better than other people who’ve been through it?

Of course, this is not a new concept in any way, shape or form! After all, Money saving expert have been using the power of peer-to-peer to share budgeting know-how for years.

Mumsnet took parental experience online.

All industries share best practice.

And let’s not forget how universities have long recognised the power of their current students. Ambassador schemes can receive a great deal of investment, and amounts spent on getting current students to work on open days can be considerable.

Why all this expense though? Is it really that important? Can it really change a prospect’s mind?

The answer is yes, or rather, it’s probably more important than you thought.

Put yourselves in this generation’s shoes. They have access to so much information – but how do they know what/who to trust? There’s that ongoing joke in HE that only the best looking students on the sunniest days are photographed and appear in the prospectus and brochures. To make matters harder, all these prospectuses look the same. How are these universities different?

So what do we need to do and nurture in order to connect with them? How do we differentiate ourselves?

Luckily, there’s plenty of evidence to guide us.

1. The importance of ‘a sense of belonging’ (Winter & Chapleo, 2017) 

Research published in the Journal of Further and Higher Education last year found that the ability of a university to provide a ‘sense of belonging’ was seen as essential – this was when prospective students were specifically asked for the key reason for choosing one university above another (Winter & Chapleo, 2017). The importance of personal interactions was overwhelmingly discussed as important by the sample in this research – above university rankings. Why? Well, the research found that interactions were key in facilitating a feeling of belonging and a sense of ‘university fit’.

As professionals in higher education marketing, recruitment and outreach, we understand how this is achieved through Open Days and face-to-face engagement. But the problem is we only reach a small proportion of prospects in this manner. What about the students who can’t afford to travel to an Open Day? What about those who physically can’t get here? What if they’re just too scared?

We need to facilitate meaningful personal interactions in a sustained, accessible way. And if we’re thinking about strengthening university recruitment initiatives through online engagement and digital content, we must acknowledge that today’s prospective students are very aware of online marketing and crave authenticity.

2. The importance of real experiences

• 80% of Internet surfers read others’ opinions or comments (Association for Research of Media (2015)
• 9 out of 10 students consult a college/university search review site when researching where to study (Digital Marketing Institute)
• 86% of online users say that user-generated content is a good indication of the quality of a brand, business or service (ComScore, leading audience tracking platforms)

It’s clear that students respect and trust the opinions of their peers – hence the power of user-generated content. It’s long been established that the recommendations and opinions shared through word-of-mouth have far greater influence than other forms of paid advertising.

I’m sure you’re no different. I bet you’ve read product reviews on Amazon or, looked at feedback from holiday makers on Tripadvisor. And of course AirBnB have built their whole identity on our need to experience authenticity. It’s a key consideration in the buying process for everyone.

This reality extends to student recruitment, too. When Gen Z are looking to invest in excess of £30k on a university education, they want reassurance from those that have gone before them – your current students.

3. The importance of building trust (THES July 15th 2018)

“Students want to see unfiltered and non-scripted experiences. Online platforms are valued and regarded as trustworthy because they allow individuals to engage peer to peer and share their beliefs and experiences.”

In our work with prospective students we need to connect on a personal level, building trust and providing a level of transparency that’s key in today’s educational environment.

Students need to be able to reach out and connect with those who have gone through this life changing experience before them. Preferably with those they have a connection with, a shared interest, and maybe even a common background. Being able to identify with someone ‘like them’ is inspiring and builds trust.

They’ll be able to explain why your institution was right for them – and let’s face it, your current students are going to be able to articulate this far better than you.

4. Reassurance, reassurance, reassurance

Cast your mind back to when you were choosing your last degree. It was so exciting, to be on the threshold of a new beginning, which would have such a massive impact on your future. It was also really scary though, wasn’t it? Will there be anyone like me? Will I make any friends? Will I cope with the work? Collectively, we need to accept that our challenge is reassurance.

From all of the research above, creating that elusive sense of belonging appears to be critical. Whilst this is of course difficult, we need to both acknowledge and better understand how to create that ‘I could see myself here’ feeling.

So let’s extend that sense of belonging to beyond open days, and to prospects, wherever they are. Because not only is it what this generation of learners is seeking, but it also works.

At Unibuddy, we help students thrive through shared experiences, effortless technology and the smart application of data. Working with over 70 institutions across the world, our partners have seen some impressive results, such as:

• 47% of new prospects go on to apply

Generating applications: Imperial College Business School found that nearly half of those who used Unibuddy as their first point of contact, went on to apply.

• 34.8% more likely to enrol after using Unibuddy

Converting applicants: Queen Mary found that those students who used Unibuddy were 34.8% more likely to go on and register – and this was over 100s of students, making a significant impact on their entry.

And, 89% of students who use Unibuddy felt more confident about going to university.

5. Belonging impacts choice

In 2007, academic advisor Martha O’Connell said: “the most important factor in choosing a college is fit.”

A paper by marketing researcher Emma Winter explored this idea further, and gathered empirical evidence to support that claim. “A feeling of belonging is crucial,” she wrote. “The ability of a university to provide a ‘sense of belonging’ was seen as being essential and when specifically asked for the key reasons for choosing one university above another, the feeling of belonging was cited in some form by all participants.”

Research published in the Journal of Further and Higher Education last year found that the ability of a university to provide a ‘sense of belonging’ was seen as essential – this was when prospective students were specifically asked for the key reason for choosing one university above another (Winter & Chapleo, 2017). The importance of personal interactions was overwhelmingly discussed as important by the sample in this research – above university rankings. Why? Well, the research found that interactions were key in facilitating a feeling of belonging and a sense of ‘university fit’.

As professionals in higher education marketing, recruitment and outreach, we understand how this is achieved through Open Days and face-to-face engagement. But the problem is we only reach a small proportion of prospects in this manner. What about the students who can’t afford to travel to an Open Day? What about those who physically can’t get here? What if they’re just too scared?

We need to facilitate meaningful personal interactions in a sustained, accessible way. And if we’re thinking about strengthening university recruitment initiatives through online engagement and digital content, we must acknowledge that today’s prospective students are very aware of online marketing and crave authenticity.

So… how do you achieve belonging?

Now we see that belonging matters – for choice, retention and success – how can colleges achieve it? 

An article in the Chronicle of Higher Education looks at two studies into student belonging and identifies three strategies: “more frequent interactions with diverse peers”, “peer mentoring and staff care and support.” 

And the groundbreaking 2012 report, What Works?, had a clear conclusion: “At the heart of successful retention and success is a strong sense of belonging in HE for all students.” The report suggested four measures for achieving belonging. The top two were:

• Supportive peer relations
• Meaningful interaction between staff and students

There’s a clear theme emerging: the key to developing that sense of belonging is the interpersonal relations that are formed between students and staff. 

At Unibuddy, we believe that work on creating those relationships should start from the very beginning. When a student first considers a university, if they can connect with a current student or member of staff they will develop that sense of belonging. 

And armed with that feeling, they’ll go on to enroll and succeed. 

It’s more than a hunch – it’s backed by research of academics across the Higher Education sector, and the experience of thousands of students. At Queen Mary University, students that used Unibuddy were 34.8% more likely to enrol than those that did not. 

How Chapman University uses community marketing to create belonging

Answers to questions of belonging are difficult to reduce to a webpage:

“I don’t do well in big groups—will I fit in on campus?”

“I’m going to commute to campus, are there others like me?”

“How can I meet new people?”

You can’t answer whether you will belong with a Google search, so Chapman closes the gap using student-to-student marketing.

Meagan says, “It’s more of the experienced-based questions and what it’s really like to be a student here. We use the student-to-student chatting function, with occasional Live Chat events that are topic-driven during our admitted student season. We back this up with email campaigns, inviting prospective/admitted students to chat with current students on Unibuddy.”

There’re two streams here. 1) Having an always-on student live chat function to capture niche questions and 2) designing live community sessions around topics.

“Chapman is a mid-sized University, which allows for students to find a close-knit community where they feel known and are pushed to grow,” says Meagan, “Many students share that their ‘why Chapman’ is because the type of students who chose CU are generally seeking to be highly involved and build an inclusive community.” By organizing live events around popular topics, Chapman is able to maximize the reach of its students’ advocacy to answer tough questions, but also attract prospective students to their cause: To attract the kind of people who can accomplish anything imaginable.

Addressing loneliness

There is a pandemic of loneliness in higher education. According to research by Net Natives, 1 in 10 students feel they have no one to turn to for help and 50% “just want someone to talk to.” It’s alarming, given that the popular view of college is dorm parties and a busy social life.

But can marketers and admissions departments have an impact in this area? Can student ambassadors be harbingers of hope in the student mental health landscape? The answer is yes—probably.

Meagan says, “Because of Chapman’s size, one thing our ambassadors share is that you will see a familiar face when walking to class, and as always have the chance to meet someone new. Our faculty are very accessible too—they often develop mentor relationships with students.” In addition to having an entire week dedicated to Orientation (joining clubs and meeting other students in the same boat) a compact campus and accessible faculty are the long-stay hallmarks of community.

“During orientation, it’s about meeting someone new,” says Meagan, “Students are grouped by college (and likely the people they will be living with) giving them ample opportunities to bond with their group and the larger incoming class. Their days are jam-packed.” Additionally, Chapman deploys a mix of “fun as well as sentimental opportunities” to help students connect with the college experience. Genuinely, there is something for everyone, which is key. Not everyone connects through large and super sociable events.

The future of marketing

Meagan says, “In general, marketing is moving more towards authentic 1:1 interactions, which will continue to be more student-centric. In preparation, teams need to focus on building comprehensive and representative ambassador teams. Last year we recruited several first-generation students to be Unibuddy ambassadors and used email campaigns to assign them as ‘buddies’ for incoming first-gen students. It was great to see those relationships develop as our current students helped incoming students begin the college transition process.”

The “moment of belonging” is hard to pin down. It’s not a hard metric like the number of applications or the conversion rate. What belonging is for a commuting student is completely different for one based on campus. However, the path to belonging does share one similarity: having conversations with others like yourself.