Journal of College & University Student Housing Volume 50, No. 1 - 95

Residential Affinity Efforts and Sense of Belonging
These results reveal a divergence between self-reported utilization of RAEs by
students and the results of the statistical correlation tests on the quantitative measures.
Respondents selected the residential community introduction program least
frequently (only 2% of the time) as contributing to sense of belonging. Residential
community webpages, weekly newsletters, and residential social media resulted in
solely negative correlations with SOBSs; these were identified by respondents as contributing
to their sense of belonging to their residential community 12% or less of
the time. Regardless of the respondents' reporting frequency, understanding student
perceptions of RAEs is important to guiding the positional responsibilities of residence
life staff. Therefore, this study is novel in reporting both student perceptions
of RAEs that contribute to sense of belonging and quantitative statistical correlations.
Much of the research on belonging has discussed climate, culture, or belonging to a
program (Duran et al., 2020), but it is important to understand institutional agents'
actions and efforts, in particular, to cultivate belonging. This research begins to highlight
more and less meaningful efforts that institutional agents, specifically collegiate
housing professionals, can make in cultivating residential sense of belonging.
Next, related to the second research question where we hypothesized a moderate
positive relationship between RAEs and student sense of belonging, we must reject
the alternative hypothesis in favor of the null, as the results varied by RAE and SOBS.
Furthermore, correlations indicated both positive and negative directions, with most
demonstrating weak strength levels. To illustrate, each SOBS had a positive correlation
with at least one RAE. The subscale with the most positive correlations was solidarity,
with four positive correlations to RAEs. Centrality, satisfaction, perceived peer
support, and perceived faculty support each correlated with three RAEs. These results
show that residence life and housing professionals have the greatest ability to positively
influence residential sense of belonging via interactions of residents with the RA,
community director, and FIR, which reiterates the importance of faculty, staff, and
peer-leader interactions in the residential experience.
Perceived isolation was negatively correlated with three RAEs. It is important to
note that while reviewing the correlation scores within results, the higher end of the
Likert scale for perceived isolation indicates a greater level of perceived isolation by respondents.
It is likely that the perceived isolation scores were higher than what would
be assumed, given the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic (Mucci-Ferris
et al., 2021) on the research site at the time of this study when quarantining and
social-distancing practices were still in effect. Our expectation is that as COVID-19
protocols are discontinued, perceived isolation scores will go down and sense of belonging
will improve. Future research should monitor changes in perceived isolation
as we emerge into a new normal after the height of the pandemic.
Our research supports Strayhorn's (2019) conclusions that embedded staff and
faculty positively contribute to students' sense of belonging and also extends them to
include a residence hall community rather than a more specific program. The weak but
positive correlations between interactions with student staff and professional staff and
multiple SOBSs highlight the importance of live-in faculty, professional staff, and stu92
The Journal of College and University Student Housing

Journal of College & University Student Housing Volume 50, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of College & University Student Housing Volume 50, No. 1