The influence of ethnic student organizations on students' sense of belonging.

Abstract

Sense of belonging as a measure for a student's connection with his/her institution allows student affairs administrators to better serve their students. Increased sense of belonging is a higher indication of retention and allows students to further succeed. Racial and ethnic minority students make up a population of students who require different services and attention than their majority peers. This is evidenced by the presence of multicultural centers and ethnic student organizations on college campuses that specifically seek to acknowledge and celebrate the cultural differences among students and how to develop students through these measures. This study takes the opportunity to see how racial and ethnic minority students' sense of belonging differs depending upon their involvement in student organizations and more specifically the type of organization with which they participate.