Community & Belonging

Everyone (e.g., faculty, staff, students, administrators) plays a critical role in creating a welcoming community and offering experiences that promote students’ sense of belonging in the program and in computing. This focus area includes building community, increasing confidence, and instilling identity and a sense of belonging in computing, all of which are important for retaining students in computing.

Continue on to learn more about specific, actionable strategies, by expanding each strategy for additional information.

Creating a positive, welcoming environment helps retain students in your program, and may be particularly important for students who are newer to computing (i.e., less pre-college experience). Learn more about creating a welcoming environment.

Co-curricular opportunities such as research experiences, conference attendance, internships, and mentorship programs promote interaction with other students, faculty, and industry professionals, as well as provide valuable career preparation. Ensure all students have access to these meaningful opportunities.

Ensuring that students from a variety of backgrounds have access to and are well-represented in leadership roles–such as serving as teaching assistants, tutors, peer mentors, and/or student ambassadors–not only provides valuable experiences for the student leaders themselves (e.g. confidence and professional skill-building) and a wide range of role models for other students.

Provide inclusive examples throughout your program (e.g., class materials, case studies, websites, promotional materials, invited speakers) of people who have been successful in the field of computing.

In physical spaces, neutral, widely appealing décor such as plants, art, and images of nature welcome a wider range of people than décor that evokes negative or narrow stereotypes of computing, such as overtly “geeky” images and objects. Spaces can be intentionally arranged to encourage interaction, facilitate collaboration, and accommodate students. A planned remodel or relocation is an excellent opportunity to rethink a program’s physical space. Other options include seeking grant funding or corporate donations, teaming up with other departments to improve common spaces, or focusing on low-cost changes such as adding seating or decorating with student-contributed photographs or artwork.

Students increasingly interact in virtual spaces as well (e.g., on discussion boards; in chat during online class sessions; in Discord channels that may be topic- or class-specific, or department-wide). These platforms provide valuable opportunities for students to connect and may be especially beneficial for students who are seeking similar students or who may be reluctant to speak up in in-person settings.

Share clear guidelines for behavior, and make it easy for students to report infractions following your institution’s rules and policies. Partner with TAs or student monitors to ensure the guidelines are followed and to promote a welcoming community.

Student groups, clubs, and organizations (e.g., Women in Computing, Coders Across Disciplines, student chapters of professional organizations) can help reduce feelings of isolation and increase a sense of community and belonging for participating students. However, groups don’t benefit students who either don’t want to join or are unable to due to time or other constraints. Having faculty or staff advisors, a charter, a student executive board, registering as a student organization with the institution, and affiliating with a national organization such as the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) will enhance a group’s effectiveness and sustainability. Groups should be open to all student members, and more importantly, should be viewed as only one part of a larger, multipronged approach to cultivate community and belonging.

Learn more about evidence-based strategies for other focus areas of the NCWIT Undergraduate System Model or find resources by selecting the appropriate focus area in the Relevant Resources section.