We’re all in this together: Building staff belonging in higher education

Why staff belonging matters

Universities rightly invest considerable effort in helping students develop a sense of belonging. We know that students who feel connected to their peers, lecturers, and institution are more likely to engage with their studies, persevere through challenges, experience positive wellbeing, and succeed academically. Research consistently demonstrates the strong relationship between belonging, engagement, retention, and wellbeing (Allen et al., 2024; Gilani & Thomas, 2025; Morgan, 2024).

Yet in our efforts to strengthen student belonging, there is a risk that we overlook an equally important truth: belonging matters just as much for the people who work within our universities.

Academic and professional services colleagues create the conditions in which students flourish. When staff feel connected, valued, and supported, they are better able to provide the guidance, encouragement, and care that students need. Conversely, when workloads become overwhelming or colleagues feel isolated, that capacity can be diminished.

The hidden cost of disconnection 

The more I reflect on my own experience, the more convinced I become that staff wellbeing and belonging must sit at the heart of institutional culture. Universities are inspiring places to work, but they are also demanding. Academics balance teaching, assessment, research, scholarship, personal tutoring, and administration, while professional services colleagues support increasingly complex student needs. When people are emotionally exhausted, there is inevitably less time and energy for the conversations, mentoring, and relationship-building that make such a difference to students. Research continues to show strong links between employee wellbeing, engagement, organisational effectiveness, and a sense of belonging (Gallup, 2026; Gragg & Cervantes-Borges, 2025; Jones & Bell, 2025).

As Vaccaro and colleagues (2026) observe: 

“There is a grand divide between theory and practice; knowing that belonging matters and knowing how to foster cultures of belonging are not the same.”

That observation resonates strongly with higher education. Most institutions recognise the value of belonging, but creating a culture where people genuinely feel connected requires intentional, everyday action (Vaccaro et al., 2026).

What belonging really means

For me, belonging is about far more than simply coming to work. It is the feeling of being accepted, respected, listened to, and valued. It is knowing that your contribution matters and that you are part of a community that genuinely cares. Jones and Bell (2025) found that belonging is often built through authentic relationships, caring interactions, and a sense of mattering.

The power of a picnic

One of the simplest ways leaders can nurture belonging is by creating opportunities for people to connect. In large faculties, colleagues can work alongside one another for years without really getting to know each other. Busy diaries, competing priorities, and hybrid working can unintentionally reduce the informal interactions that help relationships grow.

I was reminded of this recently when I organised a faculty summer picnic. Wanting to do something a little different, I wrote and presented a song, ‘In This Together’ (In This Together – Songria), celebrating our shared purpose and the everyday contributions of colleagues across the faculty. Thankfully, it was well received and sparked plenty of smiles, laughter, and conversation.

What stayed with me most, however, was not the song itself (though it is a bit of an earworm), but what colleagues said afterwards. Several people thanked me simply for creating the opportunity to spend time together. They appreciated having a few hours away from meetings, deadlines, and overflowing inboxes to talk, meet colleagues from different teams, and build relationships that rarely have space to develop during the working week.

It was a simple afternoon, but it reinforced something that research repeatedly tells us: belonging is rarely created through grand institutional initiatives. More often, it grows through ordinary moments, shared experiences, and meaningful conversations (Allen et al., 2024; Jones & Bell, 2025).

A vision for community

That experience inspired me to develop a proposal for a community committee within the faculty. The vision is to create a sustainable programme of activities that brings people together throughout the academic year – not as isolated events, but as part of everyday faculty life. Community lunches, wellbeing walks, coffee mornings, seasonal celebrations, networking opportunities, and shared activities all have the potential to strengthen relationships and create a stronger sense of community.

The rationale is straightforward. Belonging cannot be built during a single wellbeing week or through occasional social events. It develops through repeated experiences of inclusion, connection, and participation. If relationships are central to belonging, then opportunities to build those relationships need to become part of an institution’s culture rather than something that sits alongside it (Allen et al., 2024; Jones & Bell, 2025).

Creating the conditions for belonging

Equally important is recognising that wellbeing is not solely an individual responsibility. Universities can sometimes place too much emphasis on personal resilience without paying equal attention to the environments in which people work. A strong sense of community acts as a protective factor against stress, isolation, and disengagement. When colleagues know one another beyond their job titles, they are more likely to notice when someone is struggling, offer support, celebrate successes, and contribute to a culture of kindness (Gallup, 2026; Gragg & Cervantes-Borges, 2025).

The benefits extend well beyond staff. Students consistently tell us that relationships matter. Their sense of belonging is shaped not only by their peers but also by everyday interactions with staff who make them feel welcomed, valued, and included. Staff who themselves feel connected and supported are better placed to create the learning environments in which students can thrive (Gilani & Thomas, 2025; Jones & Bell, 2025; Morgan, 2024).

Leadership must also recognise that belonging does not exist in isolation from the wider realities of higher education. Increasing workloads, financial pressures, growing student expectations, technological change, and evolving regulatory requirements place considerable demands on staff. For many colleagues, the choice can feel less like attending a community picnic and more like finishing a pile of marking or responding to urgent emails. In such an environment, opportunities to connect with others are often the first thing to disappear. If we genuinely value belonging, we must create the conditions that enable it to happen. This means acknowledging systemic pressures, creating space for meaningful connection, and recognising that relationship-building is not a distraction from work but an important contributor to staff wellbeing, collaboration, and student success.

A challenge to us all

Supporting belonging does not always require large budgets or ambitious new initiatives. Often, it begins with smaller acts: listening carefully, recognising contributions, checking in with colleagues, celebrating successes, creating opportunities for shared experiences, and helping people feel seen.

If we want students to experience belonging, we must invest just as intentionally in the belonging of the people who support them every day.

Perhaps, then, the question is no longer whether belonging matters. We already know that it does.

What is one thing we can do this week to help someone feel that they belong?

It might be inviting a colleague for coffee, introducing people from different teams, welcoming someone into a new project, recognising a contribution that often goes unnoticed, or simply asking, “How are you?” – and taking the time to listen to the answer.

These gestures may seem small, but belonging is built one conversation, one relationship, and one shared experience at a time.

After all, universities are more than places of learning. They are communities. And the strongest communities are those where everyone – staff and students alike – knows that they belong.

References

Allen, K. A., Slaten, C., Hong, S., Lan, M., Craig, H., May, F., & Counted, V. (2024). Belonging in Higher Education: A Twenty Year Systematic Review. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice.

Gallup. (2026). State of the Global Workplace 2026. Gallup Workplace Research.

Gilani, D., & Thomas, L. (2025). Understanding the Factors and Consequences of Student Belonging in Higher Education: A Critical Literature Review. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education.

Gragg, J. B., & Cervantes-Borges, A. (2025). Faculty Wellbeing as a Strategic Imperative in Higher Education. The ACAD Leader.

Jones, C. S., & Bell, H. (2025). Unravelling Sense of Belonging in Higher Education: Staff and Student Perspectives at an English University. Trends in Higher Education, 4(3).

Morgan, J. (2024). Fostering Belonging in Higher Education: Implications for Student Retention and Wellbeing. Advance HE.

Vaccaro, A., McCoy, D. L., Newman, C. B., et al. (2026). Belonging in Higher Education: Bridging the Divide Between Theory and Practice. Liberal Education. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00091383.2026.2642573.