Be Loud Behind Me, Show Me That You Care: Conducting Campus Climate Focus Groups with Undergraduates at a Predominantly White Institution

For students with marginalized social identities, it can be challenging to navigate undergraduate experiences at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). To better understand lived experiences, ten focus groups were completed with students that represented various marginalized social identities and roles on campus. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was used to guide the analysis of ways that individuals navigate interactions within the microsystem that either create a greater sense of belonging for the student or do just the opposite. Findings indicated that student identities shape their entry into this system, the ways that they navigate spaces to survive the system, the complexity of social relationships with faculty and peers in classrooms and through affinity spaces, and the ignorance, neglect, and harm endured during the process. It is critical that higher education institutions, particularly PWIs, hear students’ lived experiences in order to better facilitate inclusive and equitable educational experiences where students feel supported and cared for