As college faculty move into the heart of the semester, many may be seeing signs of students struggling to make progress towards their academic goals. Their struggles may be related to academic issues, but they may also have to do with challenges that include financial difficulties, health concerns, family commitments, and/or unreliable transportation.
When students encounter such challenges, they may begin believing they don't belong in the college environment. Research shows that when students can understand that the struggles they face are a normal part of many students' experiences, that helps them realize that their own difficulties aren't a signal that they don't belong, but instead that those struggles are a sign that they do belong to this community, and that they are experiencing what many of their peers experience too. Those struggles are a cue to ask for help.
Although we may not think of ourselves this way, when faculty notice struggling students and invite them to talk about those struggles, we play a vital role in communicating that message of belonging to our students. Those conversations give permission for our students to be "seen" by us. They also reinforce the vital message of belonging by creating a context where we can encourage and equip our students with information they need to connect with resources that can support them. Those connections not only help the student continue making progress towards their academic goals; they also help the student internalize the belief that they do, indeed, belong here.
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