Always looking for something new and “progressive” to do, many college administrators now proclaim their devotion to creating a sense of “belonging” among students. Add that to diversity, inclusion, and equity.
In today’s Martin Center article, Ashlynn Warta takes a skeptical look at this new fad. She does not think that colleges can curate a sense of “belonging,” writing:
Ultimately, considering the fact that student belonging is of benefit to colleges, institutions should not stop trying to present students with opportunities to get involved. However, students should not expect to have their hands held throughout college. Colleges can only encourage belonging (and, as the Martin Center has written in the past, efforts to do so too hamfistedly often backfire). It is students themselves who must act upon the opportunities with which they are presented.