Belonging in Higher Education

Belonging in Higher Education: Perspectives and Lessons from Diverse Faculty illuminates autoethnographic stories of belonging in higher education in the United States. Chapter counter/stories are contributed by African American, Asian American, Latinx American, Indigenous American, and BIPOC individuals who work in diversity-related positions in the academy. Chapters are written by faculty who work in different institutional contexts such as Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs); minority-serving institutions (MSIs) like Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); and institutional types such as community colleges, teaching-focused, and research-focused institutions. Chapter authors represent a range of diversities, coming from a variety of inter- and transdisciplinary backgrounds in terms of their fields of study and research foci, including Education, Psychology, Sociology, and Gender Studies. The counter/narratives in the book celebrate diverse experiences and offer unique and useful insights about how to foster what foreword author, Michael Eric Dyson, refers to as “deep belonging,” particularly for those who have been ostracized, marginalized, or expelled while working in higher education. This critical volume is an essential reading for researchers, faculty, administrators, and graduate students in Education, Sociology, Psychology, Student Affairs, African American Studies, and Asian American Studies. Additionally, it offers crucial insights for individuals who are key stakeholders in foregrounding policy that centers belonging for diverse faculty.

Winner of “Society of Professors of Education 2025 Outstanding Book Award Honorable Mention”