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Fifteen students across visiting, undergraduate, 2+2, and graduate programs shared their experiences and how institutional practices influenced their sense of belonging. Findings show racial identity played a limited role, while time at the institution, limited English proficiency, and home-culture distance from the US negatively shaped adjustment and belonging. The study highlights how CECE can better support underrepresented students.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/degrees-of-belonging-how-cece-indicators-and-identity-shape-sense-of-belonging-at-a-southern-pwi/599507/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/degrees-of-belonging-how-cece-indicators-and-identity-shape-sense-of-belonging-at-a-southern-pwi/599507.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"jayni","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-31","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":44},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What does the CECE model contribute to supporting international students’ belonging?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The CECE model uses institutional support indicators that acknowledge, validate, and support students’ home cultures, offering an asset-based way to improve international student experiences and belonging.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Which factors most affected students’ sense of belonging in this study?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"Students reported that their time at the institution, limited English proficiency, and a home culture that was less culturally similar to the US negatively impacted adjustment and sense of belonging.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"How did the study evaluate belonging and why is it important?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Connection to an institution was assessed through students’ sense of belonging, which the article links to persistence and student success.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},599507,1792144843,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":44,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145},3985747859343,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_276721f389ce27ea32af1340a28f341c","DEGREES OF BELONGING: HOW CECE INDICATORS AND IDENTITY SHAPE SENSE OF BELONGING AT A SOUTHERN PWI  \nAnia Peczalska  \nUniversity of Kentucky  \nAbstract  \nThis qualitative study examines how underrepresented students, specifically international students, can be supported through the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model at predominantly white institution in the SACSA region.Fifteen students from a variety of countries and degree programs (visiting, undergraduate, 2+2 degree, and graduate) shared their experiences atthe institution and how the institution can support their sense of belonging experience through the CECE model.Racial identity played a limited role in sense of belonging; rather, students reported time at the institution, limited English proficiency, and their home culture being less culturally similar to the US as negatively impacting their adjustment to the US and sense of belonging. Overall, the CECE model provides insight into how SACSA and other higher education institutions can better support their underrepresented students.  \nKeywords: sense of belonging, international students, Culturally Engaging Campus Environments model, asset-based model, institutional support  \nPlease direct inquires about this manuscript to: Ania Peczalska., ania.peczalska@gm[ail.com](ail.com).  \nCollege Student Affairs Journal, Volume 43(2), pp. 125-141 ISSN 2381-2338  \nCopyright 2025 Southern Association for College Student Affairs All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.  \n126 College Student Affairs Journal Vol. 43, No.2, 2025  \nN  \nationally, a growing number of students from a variety of racial, educational, ethnic and other backgrounds attend higher education institutions  \n(National Center for Education Statistics, 2023). Higher education institutions across the United States need to find ways to support these students while following current state and federal policies and regulations. This article examines the experiences and sense of belonging among international students from diverse countries and degree programs ata predominantly white institution (PWI) within the SACSA region. The findings offer insights that can help SACSA and other higher education institutions better support students from diverse backgrounds.  \nInternational students are an important population for several reasons. As a growing population at US higher education institutions, they counter declining domestic enrollment by providing additional enrollment and revenue for postsecondary institutions (Cantwell, 2015; Institute of International Education, 2024; Mathews et al., 2023). Their presence also creates opportunities for domestic students to build intercultural competence through everyday interactions on campus (Heng, 2023).  \nYet framing international students primarily  \nin terms of their value to institutions risks a deficit-based narrative,“othering” them and implying that they are a monolithic entity (George Mwangi & Yao, 2021). In reality, international students gain meaningful benefits from studying in the U.S., including cultural exposure, academic development, and transferable work skills they can apply in their home countries or in the U.S. after graduation (Chan, 2021).  \nBecause international students often navigate unfamiliar cultural norms and remain underrepresented on U.S. campuses, this study draws on the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) model to analyze their experiences (Museus, 2014). The CECE model promotes minority student diversity support through institutional  \nsupport indicators that acknowledge, validate, and support students’home cultures. The asset-based CECE model is designed to support all students, and prior research has successfully applied it to international student populations (Bowman et al., 2024; Glass et al., 2022; Peczalska, 2024). While these studies examined how the CECE indicators positively affect the international student experience, none addressed sense of belonging. This ","cbCaikRMCK9LnR2T","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaikRMCK9LnR2T","pdf",409496,17,"English","# Abstract\n# Introduction\n# International Students in Higher Education\n# Deficit vs. Asset-Based Framing\n# CECE Model and Study Rationale\n# Research Focus and Sense of Belonging\n# Literature Review\n## Acculturation\n## English Proficiency\n## Microaggressions and Racism\n## Peer and Faculty Support","[{\"question\":\"What does the CECE model contribute to supporting international students’ belonging?\",\"answer\":\"The CECE model uses institutional support indicators that acknowledge, validate, and support students’ home cultures, offering an asset-based way to improve international student experiences and belonging.\"},{\"question\":\"Which factors most affected students’ sense of belonging in this study?\",\"answer\":\"Students reported that their time at the institution, limited English proficiency, and a home culture that was less culturally similar to the US negatively impacted adjustment and sense of belonging.\"},{\"question\":\"How did the study evaluate belonging and why is it important?\",\"answer\":\"Connection to an institution was assessed through students’ sense of belonging, which the article links to persistence and student success.\"}]","DEGREES OF BELONGING: HOW CECE INDICATORS AND IDENTITY SHAPE SENSE OF BELONGING AT A SOUTHERN PWI | PDF",1792088897,43]