Amir Mohamed, communication and journalism professor at the University of St. Thomas Dougherty Family College, recently joined the “Come to Believe” podcast to discuss the importance of belonging on campus and in the classroom.
Mohamed: “Culture is not just on a piece of paper. Part of what we’re doing and the culture we’re creating, and that sense of belonging is about the people here. That includes our dean, Buffy Smith. She’s a big part of that. She promotes this environment of closeness. She talks about this a lot. She uses this term, ‘ohana,’ this idea of family. So I think that really resonates with the scholars a lot.”
He continues: “I can’t underscore how critical belonging is. We know that creating a greater sense of belonging improves academic achievement and persistence. And scholars are more apt to have a better time in school ... People are excited and want to be a part of what is happening in our classroom on a day-to-day basis.”
Listen to the full conversation here:
