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Published
2023-11-20
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Section
Feature Articles
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Copyright (c) 2023 Leslie Shelton, Aubree Hughart-Thomas
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright of all articles published in JCOTR belong to the author(s) and are published under a CC BY-NC license.
How to Cite
Undocumented College Students: Sense of Belonging from Orientation, Transition, and Retention Experiences
Leslie Shelton
Faculty
Aubree Hughart-Thomas
University of Arkansas
Keywords: undocumented, college students, sense of belonging
Abstract
The research questions that guided this study were: What are undocumented college students’ experiences with orientation, transition, and retention (OTR) efforts on campus? How do undocumented students perceive their OTR experiences relate to their sense of belonging on campus? Using a sense of belonging framework, I analyzed data from semi-structured interviews with five undocumented college students nation-wide. Findings reflected the importance of OTR in facilitating sense of belonging through pre-orientation, orientation, and ongoing transition and retention efforts. Participant-based implications include incorporating family in OTR efforts, connecting students to identity-based resources, and facilitating social support with peers and educators.
