From Words to Action: A Comparative Study Examining the Impact of Presidential Leadership on Fostering Belonging in Private Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities

While extensive research explores student belonging in higher education, the experiences of faculty, staff, and administrators remain relatively unexamined. Employing case studies at three private, liberal arts colleges in the United States and semi-structured interviews with presidents as well as selected faculty, staff, administrators, this qualitative study investigated the president's role in fostering a sense of belonging on campus. It examined how university presidents perceived their role in creating a culture of belonging, the strategies they employed to promote belonging, and the challenges they encountered in this process. The study revealed several key findings. Presidents overwhelmingly acknowledged their responsibility to foster a sense of belonging for all members of the institution. In terms of the strategies they employed, the findings highlighted the importance of communication, transparency, and engagement, and of emphasizing these values from the outset and cascading them throughout leadership structures. Presidents who successfully fostered belonging elevated it to a top institutional priority, dedicating resources, setting measurable goals, and actively seeking feedback. Additionally, accountability and data-driven decision-making played a crucial role, with presidents utilizing surveys, focus groups, and climate assessments to understand and measure progress. Finally, fostering a sense of shared purpose and investment, grounded in the principles of Shared Equity Leadership (Kezar et al., 2021), emerged as critical. This study also revealed significant challenges. Presidents grappled with stark ideological differences, major partisan divides, limited resources, competing priorities, and the inherent complexities of fostering belonging within diverse communities. Overcoming these challenges often necessitated collaboration with leadership teams and campus stakeholders, active listening, and a willingness to adapt feedback-based strategies. Presidents who cultivated leadership teams committed to shared equity empowered managers to create inclusive environments. They ensured everyone felt accountable for belonging initiatives to achieve the most significant impact, creating a stronger foundation for engagement and leading to improved retention, morale, and institutional success. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]