Date of Degree
2024
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Kortegast, Carrie
Committee Members
Jaekel, Katy; Nyunt, Gudrun
Keywords
Undocumented students; Out-of-class engagement; Sense of belonging; Undocumented critical theory; Higher education; Public four-year university; Safe spaces; Institutional messaging
Abstract
ABSTRACT
EXPLORING HOW OUT-OF-CLASS STUDENT ENGAGEMENT SHAPES UNDOCUMENTED STUDENTS’ SENSE OF BELONGING
Taylor D. Hartman, EdD
Department of Counseling and Higher Education
Northern Illinois University, 2023
Carrie A. Kortegast, Director
This dissertation explores how out-of-class student engagement shapes undocumented students’ sense of belonging at a public four-year university in the Midwest. The goal of this study is to understand the out-of-class student engagement experiences of the participants in relation to their sense of belonging. This study is significant as further research is needed to understand undocumented students’ experiences with out-of-class engagement, or lack thereof, may shape their sense of belonging.
This qualitative case study identified themes encompassed undocumented students’ perceptions of anxiety and concern of disclosing status, institutional messaging and support, the Office of Undocumented Student Support (OUSS) and undocumented student organization (USO) helped facilitate involvement, development of support systems and connections, and Safe Space and campus activism. This research was guided by Aguilar’s Undocumented Critical Theory and Strayhorn’s dimension in relation to sense of belonging, providing a framework to explore the dynamics of undocumented students’ experiences in higher education. Participants in this study illustrated that campus involvement has offered them remarkable opportunity for growth, significantly impacting their lives and emphasizing the positive influence of out-of-class engagement on their sense of belonging.
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses and dissertations are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors, unless otherwise indicated.
Recommended Citation
Hartman, Taylor D., "Exploring How Out-of-Class Student Engagement Shapes Undocumented Students' Sense of Belonging" (2024). Dissertations of Practice. 12.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/12
