Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students’ sense of belonging (SOB) at higher education institutions has decreased over the last 30 years despite numerous initiatives aimed at increasing a sense of belonging for this group of students and addressing the challenges they face from various intersectionalities including cultural biases, gender marginalization, and racial subjectivities. Sense of belonging is often subjective in nature because it refers to an individual's lived experience. It is important for higher education institutions to tailor their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive (DEI) initiatives to meet the needs of the students on their campus. This initiative should include focusing on the current components of institutional supports for SOB and aligning those proposals with the needs and experiences of BIPOC students in a way that will increase their ability to feel like valued members of the college community and contribute to their personal and academic success. The goal of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate BIPOC student experiences with institutional supports for SOB and to conceptualize what they believe would be ideal supports for increasing SOB at a diverse community with a commitment to “break the fourth wall”, a reference to Diderot’s theatrical metaphor describing invisible borders and perceived barriers that exist between BIPOC students and their institutions of higher education. Results revealed that a co-constructed environment allowed student participants to collaboratively share their individual experiences while also proposing ideal supports that educators and administrators can utilize to build resources creating a more inclusive and welcoming BIPOC environment.

Authors:
Valarie Lindsey, National Louis University, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Valarie Lindsey skillfully merges her professional responsibilities as Director of Technology for the Women's Council of Realtors with her academic role as Associate Professor of Business fostering a sense of belonging for BIPOC individuals.

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