Homecoming: Creating a Sense of Place

Cynthia Smith knows firsthand the importance of creating a sense of place. When Smith was an elementary school teacher and had just completed a cross-country move, she and her family signed up to host a Malaysian international student at the University of Arkansas. Five years later, she joined the university's international office, where she now serves as the assistant director of outreach for international students and scholars.

"A lot of people come here looking for that sense of belonging—finding a place where there are not necessarily people like them, but people who will welcome them, accept them, learn from them, and explore daily life with them," Smith says.

From orientation and buddy programs to host families and festivals, international offices have long offered ways to help students feel comfortable on campus and in their communities. The challenge, international educators say, is to move beyond onboarding to cultivate year-round activities and connections that will serve students after their time at the institution—or, as Smith puts it, "from welcoming to belonging to launching."

Creating Connections

A sense of place can mean many things: connection with peers, a feeling of security, or confidence in academic settings. "Belonging can expand to a lot of different things—comfort with academics, as well as safety and comfort on campus and in the larger community," says Bronwen Watts, assistant director of programming for international programs at Colorado State University.

The need for connection is obvious. "The less involved students are, the more lonely they become," says Jared Scism