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Randomized Evaluation of an Intervention to Enhance a Sense of Belongingness among Entering College Students
- College Student Affairs Journal
- Southern Association for College Student Affairs
- Volume 40, Number 1, Spring 2022
- pp. 63-76
- 10.1353/csj.2022.0002
- Article
- Additional Information
Abstract:
This study examined an intervention designed to improve sense of belongingness for new students at a medium-sized, four-year, public university in the Eastern United States. A randomized controlled trial was used to assess the impact of The Connection Project, a novel, 9-session intervention in a sample of 128 first-year students (77 treatment, 48 waitlist control). Given the onset of COVID-19, students received a hybrid in-person/online intervention. At post-intervention, the intervention group reported a significantly higher sense of school belongingness, after accounting for baseline levels, than control group students. Post-hoc analyses of moderation by demographic variables indicate that the intervention functioned similarly for students from a variety of backgrounds in this sample. These results are interpreted as suggesting the potential value of this intervention to promote a sense of community and connection among new students in college, whether delivered in-person or online.