Belonging by Design (facilitated by Dr. Rhoan Garnett) by Susan Purrington

The Judgment Gap

spurringt — 2026-03-12 20:05:25 UTC

Students often perceive institutional spaces as places where the way they speak, write, or present themselves is evaluated as a measure of whether they belong, not just whether they’re prepared.

Padlet prompt: Where in your institution might students feel that their voice, background, or way of seeing things is being evaluated rather than engaged?

The Shame Gap

spurringt — 2026-03-12 20:05:59 UTC

In many academic environments, asking for help requires revealing uncertainty, and that can carry social cost. Students may choose silence over risk, and reach for tools where nothing they ask is remembered or judged.

Padlet prompt: Where might students experience confusion or uncertainty but feel reluctant to reveal it to a person?

The Map Gap

spurringt — 2026-03-12 20:06:35 UTC

Many institutions assume students arrive already fluent in how systems work: course sequencing, financial aid, advising, bureaucratic timelines. Students who did not grow up around college often have to figure out how it works while they are living inside it.

Padlet prompt: What processes or pathways in your institution require students to figure things out on their own rather than making the route visible?

The Recognition Gap

spurringt — 2026-03-12 20:07:09 UTC

Admission and recruitment can create genuine moments of recognition: students feel seen, welcomed, represented. Those moments are not always sustained once students arrive. Belonging requires more than an open door.

Padlet prompt: Where in your institution do students encounter people, knowledge, or experiences that reflect their realities, and where do they not?

The Legitimacy Gap

spurringt — 2026-03-12 20:07:39 UTC

Institutions have implicit definitions of what counts as legitimate knowledge: which voices, which kinds of knowledge and experience, which experiences are recognized as intellectually valid. Students whose knowledge comes from outside those definitions often find themselves translating rather than contributing.

Padlet prompt:Where do institutional rules, grading, or curricula quietly signal whose knowledge and experience count?

spurringt — 2026-03-12 20:25:15 UTC

If AI sometimes feels lower-risk than office hours, what does that reveal about the environments we’ve built?

spurringt — 2026-03-23 19:26:13 UTC

Please leave your questions for the panelists here.