The Belonging Survey

Belonging Together

Have you ever wondered if you truly belong to a group or a community? There’s something you should know. Belonging uncertainty is normal, especially in college. To belong is to feel a deep connection to the people and groups around us. It’s hard to achieve when we live busy lives, feel like others don’t accept us, or when we find things to be unfair or biased. At Montclair State University, we want to learn about all barriers you might face to a fuller sense of belonging. Research shows that belonging leads to greater confidence, persistence and success in education, and that’s exactly what we want for all students.

So If you are asked to complete our Belonging Survey, we hope you will say YES!

Who gets surveyed?

About 3,000 students will be surveyed randomly based on the classes they are attending. You might be asked to do the survey in class or by email If you get chosen, we will ask questions about support from your peers and faculty, your work and activities, academic goals and other factors in student success. Read the agreement form carefully. If you don’t want to do the survey, you can just say, no thanks. Professors are not permitted to offer grade incentives for participation or penalties for non-participation.

What difference does it make?

Belonging makes a big difference. A strong sense of belonging is connected to many positive outcomes in college like academic performance, persistence, and timely graduation. But we know you can’t do it all by yourself. It’s our role to provide an equitable and inclusive experience that enables all students to accomplish their goals.

The Raffle

All students that complete the survey have an equal chance to win a gift card. Winners will be announced near the end of the Spring 2024 semester. Further details are explained on the agreement form.

Contact Us

This project has been approved by Montclair State University’s Institutional Review Board (IRB study #22-23-2896). For any questions or to report a problem, email Dr. Christopher Donoghue, Professor of Sociology.