Overview

Belonging is the feeling of being valued and connected to one’s environment. When students feel connected and accepted in academic settings, they are more likely to be engaged, motivated, and successful in their courses. Yet many students may be concerned that they or students like them do not “fit” in higher education, a feeling that is exacerbated when students encounter challenging material or struggle academically. Students can start to see daily challenges as a larger indicator that they don’t belong, particularly students from groups who have been historically excluded from higher education and face continuing marginalization in educational settings.

Welcome statements are messages presented by the instructor to address questions of belonging so that students can respond adaptively to academic challenges. These messages clarify what instructors believe about who is capable of success in the course and how struggle is not indicative of ability in pursuing the topic or field further. Welcome statements can be provided on syllabi, through online resources, or during course lectures.

What does the practice look like?

Below is an example welcome statement crafted by Dr. Kristen Procko, an Associate Professor of Instruction in the Chemistry department at the University of Texas at Austin.

Welcome!

Welcome to Foundations of Biochemistry - this course is all about the chemical stuff that makes us…us! By the end of the course, I hope that you’ll gain an appreciation for the complexity of life and be amazed that you are alive because of the chemical reactions happening in the little sacks that we call our cells.

As you can imagine, life is complex (both in Biology, and as we experience it¹). As biochemists, we have to be comfortable with organic chemistry. Were made of carbon, so those are the chemical reactions that we see over and over. But there are patterns, and living things perform way fewer types of reactions than you'll meet in OChem (yay)! Biochemists also like to explain biology quantitatively, so there will be plenty of math. It's mainly algebra we'll see here, but we will look at the application of math to biological phenomena, so you'll need to learn how to apply these equations in different, real life, situations.

Some of these concepts will come easily to some of you. But this is a challenging class, and there's a lot to learn. Many of you will find these types of applied math and chemistry problems challenging, and there's lots of help available to support you through these challenges. Our fantastic teaching team hold student hours dedicated to helping you. We have a course Slack where you can ask questions at any time, and, in class, we will work lots of problems with the teaching team and in groups.

While the topics in this course are challenging², I sincerely believe you all have the ability to succeed, and I will do my best to support your learning. Please feel welcome to come see me in student hours. For those of you who have not taken as many chemistry or math courses³, success in the course may take a fair amount of studying and practice problems, but don't worry - the teaching team and I are here for you, regardless of where you are starting from.

Once again welcome and I look forward to working with you this term, -KP

¹ This is a nice way to show recognition for students' lives outside of the classroom.

² This is nice subtlety of describing topics as challenging, rather than the course itself. Because you as an instructor could make even easy topics into an unnecessarily challenging course.

³ Clarifying why some students may find the course harder - not because they have less potential or ability, but simply that they have had fewer opportunities to learn related topics.

Welcome statements can be written out (for example, provided in the course syllabus or sent out by email at the start of the term), or stated verbally (for example, in the first lecture of the course).

Crafting your own Welcome Statement.

Step 1: Welcome students to the course

A warm, authentic statement that you look forward to having students in the course can help set us students’ expectations for their ability to fit in the class and set the tone for the term. For example,

"Welcome to Math 212. I’m so glad you’re here."
"Welcome to our course! I am thrilled to have you in this course and look forward to diving into the exciting (and challenging) world of computer science with you."
"Welcome! I look forward to getting to know you and embarking on this journey of learning and discovery together."

Step 2: Provide meaningful goals for the course

Students hope to learn why you are teaching the course and what they may gain from investing in the course. By providing meaningful goals for the course and clarifying how the skill and knowledge gained in the course will allow them to achieve personally meaningful goals, students are less likely to question “Are my efforts in this course worthwhile?” For example,

"I would like to take a few moments to share some insight on the purpose of this course. We hope to foster a supportive and intellectually stimulating environment for growing your mathematical knowledge and competency."
"My hope is that by the end of this course, you will not only have gained a deeper appreciation for the beauty and power of chemistry but also be well-equipped to apply this knowledge in your future endeavors."
"Whether you are pursuing a career in a physics-related field or simply want to deepen your understanding and appreciation of physics, this course is designed to provide you with the tools and skills you need to succeed."

Step 3: Clarify supports available to learn the material

It is not enough to simply get students to see the value of the course material. They must also feel like that they can learn the material and be successful in the course. As an instructor, you are able to clarify how you have set up the class so that they can be successful. For example,

"As a student in this course, you will be expected to master a considerable amount of information about the principles of calculus. Our instruction team has worked hard to ensure that you have ample opportunities to work through these challenges with peers and instructors, while learning from any mistakes or confusions that occur along the way."
"Biochemistry is a complex and dynamic field, and this course will challenge you to think critically, analyze data, and make connections between different concepts. From office hours to tutoring services, I am committed to providing you with the support and guidance necessary to succeed. If you ever feel you are not getting what you need, please let me know."
"I want to be upfront and acknowledge that this course will be challenging and we will be going through complex topics at a rapid pace. You can expect to encounter challenging concepts, and I am committed to providing you with the guidance and resources you need to master the material. There will be lectures, discussions, and hands-on activities, as well as opportunities for one-on-one meetings and academic support services available on campus."

Step 4: Clarify that you believe all students can be successful in the course and topic

Students look to others when forming their personally-held beliefs. As an instructor, students look up to you as a role-model of success. Showing students that you believe in their potential can help student internalize this feeling and have greater belonging in the course and ability to learn the material. Thus, it is important to clearly and explicitly state that, although their backgrounds may change their experiences in the course or require them to put in more work, you believe all students are capable of success.

For example,

"I want you to know that I firmly believe everyone here has the potential to do well and succeed in this class. Some of you will already know much of this material, and for others of you it may be largely new. So you may have to put in more work and time into this class, depending on what your prior experiences have been. But ALL of you can do well and learn this material."
"I recognize that students come into this course with a range of mathematical backgrounds (and anxieties). I want to assure you that every single one of you can master this material, even if you don’t quite believe it yet."
"Whether you have taken an astronomy course before or not, I am confident that you have the potential to be successful. My goal as your instructor is to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment where every student can thrive."

It may also be helpful to acknowledge school-life conflict and encourage help-seeking to resolve such conflicts. For example,

"Many students face obstacles to their education due to work or family obligations or unforeseen personal difficulties. If you are experiencing challenges throughout the term that are impacting your ability to succeed in this course, or in your undergraduate career more broadly, please reach out to me so that we can work together to form a plan for your academic success."

Step 5: Putting it together and self-assessment

Now, combine your writing that you developed in step four, and rewrite to create a clear message that incorporates each step. Add anything else that comes to mind that you’d like to convey to students.

Implementation Recommendations

Tips that can help you be successful with this practice:

Crafting a written message may feel less daunting so that you can precisely choose your words. However, some instructor may feel it would be more impactful to students if stated verbally at the beginning of the course.
Students may not relate
Measure student success. Tell students that their feedback matters and that you are open for their feedback. Every problem has a solution and we are all in this together.

Pitfalls to avoid with this practice:

Do not hold unreasonably high expectations for students’ performance. Some students have acute or continuing circumstances that may interfere with their abilities to perform to high standards within a particular term. Instead, hold high expectations for learning and their potential to succeed in their future, recognizing that some students may struggle or need additional time to mater the material.
Do not minimize the challenges students are facing or suggest “easy” solutions. Rather, acknowledge that it will take time and effort to overcome challenges.
Do not be unrealistically positive or needlessly negative. Rather, share both positive and negative aspects of your experiences.
>Do not assume that students’ experiences will be similar to yours. Your perspective or story is just one example they can learn from; students will forge their own belonging journey.

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