Abstract
First-year students experience many challenges as it relates to transitioning from high school to college and establishing a strong sense of belonging. Sense of belonging, identified in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (1943), has been tied to persistence and retention, particularly in first-year students (Hurtado & Carter, 1997) and commuter students (Newbold, Mehta, & Forbus, 2011). First-year seminars and learning communities have been identified as effective methods in fostering sense of belonging (Young & Hopp, 2014). Physical spaces may be able to encourage positive peer, faculty, or staff interactions, which in turn, can foster sense of belonging (Temple, 2008). The sociological theory of the third place (Oldenburg, 1999) postulates that students require a place between home and school, called the third place, to forge bonds with peers. Past research suggests that the academic library can function as the third place on a campus (Montgomery & Miller, 2011). The purpose of this study was to determine whether a shared study space affects first-year students' sense of belonging at a commuter campus. The study also aimed to explore how and why first-year students and commuter students used a first-year study space to make recommendations to educational leaders. The study took place at a four-year public institution in Northern California. First-year students were e-mailed a link to an online questionnaire containing items regarding various student demographics (including commuter status), the first-year experience, use of a shared study space, and sense of belonging. The quantitative and qualitative data were aggregated for analysis and common themes were identified and explored within the data. The study provided various findings regarding sense of belonging and overall use of physical space. No direct correlations were found between use of the first-year study space and sense of belonging. However, the participants in the study used the first-year study space for academic study, which aligned with Tinto’s theory of academic integration. Additionally, the characteristics of the first-year study space aligned with characteristics of the third place outlined by Oldenburg (1999). Students were much more likely to use the first-year study space if they were enrolled or had been enrolled in a first-year seminar. Additionally, the most used service in the first-year study space were peer mentor services. One of the recommendations provided in the study was to offer peer mentor services to those students not enrolled in a first-year seminar to encourage them to use the first-year study space. Additionally, another recommendation was to locate resources in the first-year study space to maximize the utilization of resources by first-year and commuter students alike. The findings guided implications for educational leaders who can benefit from knowing the benefits of creating a study space for students. Leaders should be able to make decisions about space allocation that are not only cost-effective but also effective in engaging students. Recommendations for future study included further exploring connections between study spaces and sense of belonging for other students in transition, such as transfer students.