Creating a sense of belonging

As we continue to face new changes and challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, there are important ways we can support each other and contribute to belonging at Waterloo. The Wellness Collaborative worked with Dr. Christine Logel to leverage her research on creating inclusive and caring campus communities by addressing barriers to belonging that many equity-deserving groups face on university campuses. Dr. Logel identified four ways that we can foster equity and sense of belonging at Waterloo.

These strategies are seemingly simple and intuitive. When used authentically, they have the potential for positive impact. These strategies and example provided are just one way to show your support. Whatever approach you take, it is important to tailor it to your personal style and the relationships you hold with others.

CHECK IN WITH OTHERS

Something as simple as a check-in email can be especially impactful for both yourself and individuals you are reaching out to. Showing your support and care for others creates a stronger sense of belonging that has the potential to initiate a snowball effect. Looking for some ways to get you started? Here’s an example:

Dear Aris,

With all the changes that come with our return to campus and in-person learning, I am wanted to reach out to students to check-in on how they are doing. How are things going for you?

SHOW OTHERS THAT YOU SEE THEM AS A WHOLE PERSON

While this can be challenging in a large classroom or workplace environment, there are always things you can do to show others that you value and care for them. Words are powerful, and sharing a few words that recognizes them beyond their face on a screen, or an individual in a classroom, can go along way for belonging.

Starting your class or team meeting with something like this may be all it takes:

Many of us are trying to balance work, family obligations or even unexpected personal difficulties. If you’re experiencing challenges in your life that impact your ability to be successful in this course/your work, please reach out to me so we can work together on a plan for your academic/work success.

NORMALIZE STRUGGLES

Normalizing struggles is important! It prevents individuals from concluding that their struggles mean that they don’t belong. There are many ways you can do this, including normalizing shared experiences that deal with feelings of not belonging, talking openly about mental health, and even sharing your own experiences of a time when you felt that you didn’t belong. This will help decrease feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Here's an example of how you can normalize challenges during this time:

“Over the past two years, we have experienced disruption to our lives in ways we could not have imagined. We continue to face changes and challenges that cause, fear, stress, and pain for many of us. It will continue to impact each of us in different ways.

Given this, it is completely normal to feel overwhelmed or anxious, and to have difficulty concentrating. I am committed to creating a positive and supportive learning/work environment. If you feel that your health, wellbeing, work or learning are being negatively impacted, I encourage you to make use of the resources below that are available to our university community.”

CONNECT OTHERS TO RESOURCES

Connecting individuals to resources is one of the most impactful things you can do to support someone. For academic advisors, this could mean teaching a student how to approach their professor with a question in a way that can help guarantee a meaningful response. For students, this could mean being able to support a friend in the decision to reach out to receive additional help. A minute of your support could mean the difference between accessing or avoiding resources.

Here's an example of how a quick change in how you support a student can make a difference:

“I think you would benefit from accessing services through Campus Wellness”
“If you agree, lets call Campus Wellness intake together so you are connected with their services”

Here are resources for supporting students and employees in their wellness:

The Wellness Collaborative is committed to identifying meaningful actions for creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all students, faculty, and staff.

If you're interested in learning more about Dr. Logel’s research, you can watch her talk with the Wellness Collaborative on YouTube