Exploring Sense of Belonging and Meaning Making in Higher Education

Many of the United State’s oldest institutions of higher education have their origins in Christianity. Today, even at public institutions, some campus systems (specifically university holidays and the academic calendar) are still very Christian-centric. And yet, with the influx of international students and faculty from more diverse religious backgrounds as well as an influx of secular identities, a system built on Christian supremacy may not be serving the needs of our entire campus populations. In what ways should student affairs educators consider religious, secular, and spiritual diversity as part of campus DEI efforts? What about the concerns of atheist, agnostic, and other secular-identifying students? On this episode of Student Affairs NOW we discuss policies and practices based in research with four scholars and practitioners whose work lies at the convergence of religion, secularism, and spirituality on campus.