Building a Sense of Belonging in HE: Why Leadership Matters

Leadership at all levels of an institution is important in order to develop and build a community which supports a sense of belonging among students in higher education. Without visible and engaged leaders, initiatives at all levels are unlikely to fulfil their potential. Universities are complex communities, and leaders need appropriate skills to recognise and grow connections between different stakeholders to ensure their community is one in which students can thrive both academically and personally. While students should always be the first priority, balancing their expectations and needs with those of academic and professional service colleagues, as well as the demands of internal governance and external regulatory bodies, can be challenging. Leadership theory is helpful to support reflection on skills and approaches. Distributed leadership and complexity leadership are both useful theories to consider in the context of developing trust with students as a basis for a strategic approach to developing a sense of belonging. Working with students and the Students Union as partners is key in this, with consideration of the challenges and opportunities this approach brings. Several steps should be considered when planning and implementing student engagement and belonging initiatives, including evaluation of impact.