Belonging Resources

Creating a culture of belonging on our campus cannot be the work of only one office or one group, it will take the collaboration of everyone to make this a reality. The Office of Student Success and Retention is committed to being one of the places on campus doing this work. 

In spring 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, M.D., declared an epidemic of loneliness in the United States. The document he produced following that declaration cited the importance of social connection in combating loneliness. Hope College is not immune to loneliness.  

Anna Bonnema, instructor of mentoring and director of the FACES at Hope peer mentoring program, is spearheading efforts and disseminating information to make the work of creating a culture of belonging and combating student loneliness easier for all of us.

The Hope community is multifaceted with a variety of student organizations, extracurriculars, mentor and peer support programs, identity and career development resources, traditions and volunteer services. The opportunities for finding yourself and your community are almost endless. (Even if there isn’t a student organization that quite piques your interest, there’s the possibility of creating one that does!)

Belonging Resources

Articles

• Improving student success through social belonging
• Students’ Sense of Belonging Matters

Books

• How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
• Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World

Organizations

• Student Organizations
• Campus Life
• Center for Diversity and Inclusion

Belonging Presentations

Creative God:  Awaken your God-Given Imagination

A four-week devotional study covering the topics of awakening your imagination, imagination in prayer, imagination in discernment, and imagination in action (moral imagination). All four weeks or stand-alone. Includes hands-on creative practice/prayer practice.  

Peace in the Chaos

A hands on creative exploration of the chaos of our daily lives and the need for carving out of space. Based on an experience in Bethlehem fall 2022 that birthed a piece of art, this workshop allows participants to create an artistic expression of their own chaos and what it feels like to make a space for peace. 

Listening Like a King

MLK informed and inspired talk about the power of leaders who listen well. Drawing on the experiences of Jesus and MLK, Jr., we will explore how we can learn from these examples to be better listeners.  

Listening Well

Drawing on the themes of silence and empathy, this presentation will give participants the opportunity to consider the role of listening in their lives. This talk will provide opportunities for journaling and personal reflection as well as space to set goals to improve their ability to listen well. 

Listening with Humility

Drawing on the example of Jesus, we will explore how listening can actually give power away. 

Listening to People in Pain

As we wander through difficult times, listening well to people that are hurting can be one of our greatest challenges. How do we listen to someone if we do not know how to fix what is hurting them? This session explores the challenging experience of listening to people who hurt.

Discernment

This talk walks people through the process of Ignatian discernment. Inviting God into our decision-making process in a way that not only helps with the decision you are facing today, but as a practice for all of life’s decisions, both big and small.

Combating the Loneliness Epidemic

Drawing from the May 2023 report by the US Surgeon General declaring a loneliness epidemic, this conversation allows a group to discuss best practices and brainstorm ways to combat this on our campus. How can your group/team be a part of the solution?