College Students' Sense of Belonging

Name of Principal Investigator and Contact: Winnie Yu, ARIDO, WELL AP (416-771-5281)

 

 

 

My name is Winnie Yu, I’m a space planning project manager at Seneca college. As a Registered Interior Designer and Wellness Design Expert, I am conducting this large-scale research as part of my master’s thesis project.    

 

 

The purpose of this study is to explore how we can increase a sense of belonging for both domestic and international students at Seneca college through the design of interior spaces.

 

 

If you agree to participate, you will be asked to complete the online survey which will take approximately 10 minutes. 

 

 

Participation is completely voluntary.

 

 

You may withdraw your consent while you are completing the survey. If you wish to withdraw during the study, simply exit the window that contains our online survey at any time and the data you provide will be deleted by the research team after it is downloaded. You also may decline to answer any specific questions without withdrawing from the study by leaving the questions blank. At the end of the survey, you will be asked to confirm your consent. Please note that since the survey is anonymous, it is not possible to withdraw consent once the survey is submitted.

 

 

Research on the sense of belonging can potentially carry some psychological risks for students, as it may involve exploring sensitive topics related to personal identity, self-esteem, and social relationships.  In some cases, students may feel uncomfortable or distressed when discussing these topics, which could have negative psychological consequences.  The strategies that can be used to mitigate psychological risks include informed consent and keeping personal information secure.

 

Your sense of belonging and well-being matters to the college and community.  Your views will be helpful for the college, as well as other post-secondary institutions, in future renovations and capital planning. The study will contribute to building a better and healthier college environment, as well as benefiting society at large.

 

 

The information you provide will be anonymous. You will be asked not to include your name in your answers. The consent shall be electronically obtained, so you will not need to sign your name on anything. Survey responses will be collected anonymously through the online survey software called SurveyMonkey. Please note that SurveyMonkey is based in the United States, and as such, your data may be subject to digital surveillance access by US authorities or regulators. While SurveyMonkey takes measures to protect your data, we cannot guarantee that it will be completely secure from such scrutiny. By continuing with this survey, you acknowledge and accept this potential risk. The data downloaded by the researcher will be kept in a secure computer file and will be deleted after five years from the start date of the student survey.

 

 

Study findings will be based on the entire group of participants, not individual participants. The report of the findings will not include any identifiable information about you.