BAME students’ extracurricular belonging at university: building networks, representation, and capital

It has taken time for universities to fully recognise belongingness when considering the factors that shape student success. There are understandable reasons for this, but if we are to take a holistic view of its roots and causes then one should recognise that a good deal of one’s higher education experience occurs outside of the lecture theatre. This chapter draws on survey and interview data to assess BAME students’ extracurricular engagement. Findings indicate fewer are involved in clubs, societies, and the student union than their white peers, with interview accounts pointing to the reproduction of certain power relations, including whiteness. However, the chapter’s chronicling of Kent’s African Caribbean Society demonstrates that BAME students are capable of developing their own agency, capital, and influence on campus, though they require institutional support to ensure their voice and perspective can help shape university policy and practice in ways that ultimately enhance collective belongingness.