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Belonging: Belonging for First Year/Generation Students

The purpose of this Subject Guide is to provide GRCC’s campus community with a centralized, curated list of resources and tools, and to empower students, faculty and staff to explore, learn and implement strategies for fostering belonging on campus.

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Belonging Quotes

“You are imperfect, you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging                  — Brené Brown
“Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.”
     ― Brené Brown

Belonging for First Year/Generation Students -- Articles

  1. Bowman, Nicholas A., et al. "The Unfolding of Student Adjustment during the First Semester of College." Research in Higher Education, vol. 60, no. 3, 2019, pp. 273-292. ProQuest, http://grcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/unfolding-student-adjustment-during-first/docview/2137639437/se-2

  2. Brooman, Simon, and Sue Darwent. “Measuring the Beginning: A Quantitative Study of the Transition to Higher Education.” Studies in Higher Education, vol. 39, no. 9, Nov. 2014, pp. 1523–41. EBSCOhost, http://grcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=99001215&site=ehost-live

  3. Cari Gillen-O’Neel. "Sense of Belonging and Student Engagement: A Daily Study of First- and Continuing-Generation College Students." Research in Higher Education, 2019, pp. 1-27. ProQuest, http://grcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/sense-belonging-student-engagement-daily-study/docview/2281577792/se-2 

  4. Dias, Diana. "The Higher Education Commitment Challenge: Impacts of Physical and Cultural Dimensions in the First-Year Students’ Sense of Belonging." Education Sciences, vol. 12, no. 4, 2022, pp. 231. ProQuest, http://grcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/higher-education-commitment-challenge-impacts/docview/2652964562/se-2?accountid=11183 

  5. Gillen-O’Neel Cari. "Sense of Belonging and Student Engagement: A Daily Study of First- and Continuing-Generation College Students." Research in Higher Education, vol. 62, no. 1, 2021, pp. 45-71. ProQuest, http://grcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/sense-belonging-student-engagement-daily-study/docview/2479579202/se-2?accountid=11183 

  6. Means, Darris R., and Kimberly B. Pyne. "Finding My Way: Perceptions of Institutional Support and Belonging in Low-Income, First-Generation, First-Year College Students." Journal of College Student Development, vol. 58, no. 6, 2017, pp. 907-924. ProQuest, http://grcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/finding-my-way-perceptions-institutional-support/docview/2008056979/se-2 

  7. Natalie, Lecy. "The Role of Relationships and Sense of Belonging among First-Generation, Low-Income Youth on Future College Entrance." Social Psychology of Education : An International Journal, vol. 24, no. 3, 2021, pp. 679-689. ProQuest, http://grcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/role-relationships-sense-belonging-among-first/docview/2548900648/se-2 

  8. Potts, Charlie. "SEEN AND UNSEEN: FIRST-YEAR COLLEGE STUDENTS' SENSE OF BELONGING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC." College Student Affairs Journal, vol. 39, no. 2, 2021, pp. 214-224. ProQuest, http://grcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/seen-unseen-first-year-college-students-sense/docview/2614660095/se-2 

  9. Stebleton, Michael J., et al. “First-Generation Students’ Sense of Belonging, Mental Health, and Use of Counseling Services at Public Research Universities.” Journal of College Counseling, vol. 17, no. 1, Apr. 2014, pp. 6–20. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1882.2014.00044.x. http://grcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tfh&AN=95322458&site=ehost-live

  10. Tachine, Amanda R., et al. “Home Away From Home: Native American Students’ Sense of Belonging During Their First Year in College.” Journal of Higher Education, vol. 88, no. 5, Sept. 2017, pp. 785–807. EBSCOhost, http://grcc.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=124523527&site=ehost-live