Roses in the concrete: The impacts of culturally engaging campus environments on design and the arts student's sense of belonging

For decades, racial campus environments, campus climate, and sense of belonging research have discovered that Black, Indigenous, and people of color students experience inequitable and racist college experiences. These experiences impact college student outcomes such as retention, persistence to graduation, and post-college career opportunities. Researchers have recently explored these theoretical concepts based on students’ experiences in their academic disciplines. However, there is a lack of research within design and the arts (including, but not limited to, dance, design, digital culture, film, fine arts, music, and theatre). This research examined whether race-based differences in the sense of belonging between White and BIPOC students exist and how BIPOC students uniquely experience a sense of belonging. The culturally engaging campus environments model and its indicators of cultural relevance and cultural responsiveness, and sense of belonging provide the theoretical framework. Mixed methods of inquiry using surveys, focus groups, and photo-voice, a participatory action research method, shed light on this budding area of research. After examining the differences between BIPOC and White students and how BIPOC students uniquely experience culturally engaging campus environments, and a sense of belonging, this research determines that most BIPOC students experience lower cultural relevance, cultural responsiveness, and sense of belonging compared to their White peers. This study also found unique ways a design and the arts education can positively or negatively impact the campus environment and sense of belonging for BIPOC students. Adverse impacts on BIPOC students' cultural relevance, cultural responsiveness, and sense of belonging include a lack of people-based diversity in design and the arts, racial diversity within the curriculum, visible equity reforms, and faculty and staff hindering their experience. Conversely, student community and supportive faculty and staff increased these components.