Abstract:

In the wake of the first wave of the global covid pandemic, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have moved rapidly to online provision and for many, consideration is now being given to a more hybrid model of provision, in the long-term .i.e. A mix of face to face (f2f), online and blended learning is emerging. With uncertainties remaining about how the next academic year in tertiary education will be structured, risk assessments are indicating that the ability to move between f2f teaching and online - rapidly, will be a key strategic requirement across the Higher Education (HE) sector. The impact of the rapid change in provision has, perhaps, impacted students, not just academics, most of all with many students now entering their second year of university having never been on campus, let alone having met their peers and lecturers in person. The knock-on effect has, this paper suggests, created considerable challenges in fostering a sense of belonging and academic community among student bodies; a sense of belonging that was so much a traditional staple of the university experience in the past. The emerging new model of university education provision appears to highlight that no one solution will solve this student community ethos challenge given the complexities of the problem. Coupled with the ongoing uncertainty in the next phase of the pandemic, this paper also highlights the parallel matter of the related research being in its infancy. As such, this paper seeks to: a) expand the dearth of research in this field and b) propose a multi-faceted framework to aid HEI institutions in cultivating a stronger and more flexible approach toward student belonging. Given the aforementioned complexities of the problem at hand, this paper draws upon a literature review through a business and management employment lens. Findings suggest that creating feelings of student belonging requires the development of psychological capital (PsyCap). Further synthesis of literature, pertaining to organisational socialisation and student engagement, in particular the work of Pickford, (2016) and Saks and Gruman, (2014) provides clues to how the development of student PsyCap could be achieved. Such as, identification of potential resources and outcomes which HEIs may wish to work towards in their efforts to develop not only student PsyCap but student PsyCap resilience.

Such resources may include:
1) academic engagement (.i.e. curriculum design, teaching activities, appropriate assessments and timely feedback),
2) transactional engagement (.i.e. formal induction activities, responsive support services, academic support, wellbeing and personal planning) and
3) emotional engagement (.i.e. enhanced student / academic staff relationships through teaching activities, and personal tutoring, and formal / informal social networking).

All while, this paper suggests, leading to outcomes such as: Self-efficacy, resilience, hope / optimism, respectively. In addition, this paper works towards a further recommendation that social bonds help to create a sense of belonging and are recommended to support the ability of a HEI to flex between f2f and online delivery.

Keywords:

Student engagement, organisation socialisation, student belonging, Psychological capital, psychological capital resilience, student academic relationships.