Exploring Belonging Through the Student Union: The Power of Familiar Faces and Comfortable Spaces

ABSTRACT Since their origin, college unions have played a significant role in fostering a sense of belonging and advancing the academic mission of colleges. However, published empirical studies remain scarce due to the focus of college union professionals’ work on both student development and facility operations. The role of the physical space of this unique facility along with the work of college union professionals supervising and developing student employees deserves more attention in the academic sphere. Through their respective dissertation studies, both authors offer an emic understanding of the college union as professionals working in this space to build community and cultivate student belonging and success. The first study was a qualitative study that employed a photo‐elicitation method using a conceptual framework that included campus ecology and sense of belonging theories to explore undergraduate student experiences of belongingness in the college union. The findings indicated both spatial and nonspatial elements of the college union influence students’ sense of belonging. The second study was a qualitative case study that employed a single bounded case study method undergirded by Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory to examine the sense of belonging of eight student employees who worked in a student union at a South Texas institution. Three main themes emerged: cultivating relationships to create a sense of belonging, cultivating development through student employment, and thriving in a supportive UC environment. Looking across the findings of these two studies illustrates the influence of the college union on enhancing students’ sense of belonging. Summary The college union is a powerful living learning community that fosters a sense of belonging among the campus community. Physical elements of the college union such as light, art, signage, and layout can enhance or diminish a students’ sense of belonging. College union student employees experience many benefits that contribute to their sense of belonging, including impactful relationships, professional development, and an environment that both challenges and supports their success. Through investing in the college union, colleges and universities can harness the college union's capacity for enhancing belonging, which improves student outcomes.