Extracurricular Involvement and Identification: An Analysis of the Student Experience

Every year universities and colleges provide millions of students with not only educational experiences but also social experiences. Students’ involvement on campus influences their identification with other students, student groups, and even the university. Understanding the relationship between extracurricular involvement and a student’s sense of belonging is essential for higher education professionals. This research looked at the college student experience through the lens of student involvement theory, relationship motivation theory, and social identity theory. The study examined the level of extracurricular involvement a student has and the relationship to both social identity and organizational identity. Social identity theory and organizational identity theory are defined similarly to belonging in much of the literature. Essentially, they are defined as a multidirectional feeling that members are valued, cared for, and known on the campus through experiences. Extracurricular involvement was defined as actively participating in an on-campus club, organization, or specialty group. Results from the analysis show that this is a correlation and significant relationship between involvement and social identity as well as organizational identity. Through survey method, Pearson correlation tests, and two-way ANOVA, relationships between extracurricular involvement, social identity, and organizational identity were found. This study added to the understanding of student extracurricular involvement, social and organizational identity, and the role of relationships