Fostering Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Online: A Partnership Between Rio Salado College and American Public University System - JCAPS Vol. 5 Issue 2

This scholarship-to-practice paper examines the importance of engagement among college students and highlights a partnership between two online institutions - a two-year community college and a university - dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Guiding this work is the premise that higher education should be accessible to all who wish to pursue it, and that two institutions of higher education on opposite sides of the country can work together to share the stories and experiences of their students. The authors applied literature relating to belonging, engaging in campus activities, and the importance of sharing one’s story to a partnership involving two different institutions and webinar discussions featuring underrepresented students.