Exploring the Impact of Math Performance on Sense of Belonging Following a Summer Bridge Program

This full-length research paper describes a retrospective analysis of engineering students' sense of belonging following a summer bridge program (SBP) and as related to their first-semester math performance. The Brown Forman Engineering Academy (BFEA) is a two-week, no-cost SBP designated to enhance college readiness for first-year students at the University of Louisville who are underrepresented and underprepared (e.g., low-income, race, gender) for engineering school. The program aims to support students in calculus, foster community growth, and develop a sense of belonging on campus. This study assessed the success of the BFEA program by evaluating participants' sense of belonging at the beginning of the first semester. In addition, this study examined how students' sense of belonging was influenced by their first-semester math grades. Results indicated that at the beginning of the fall semester, there was no significant difference in the sense of belonging between BFEA participants and the broader student body. Additionally, math performance affected students' sense of belonging, even following the SBP, similarly to the full incoming student cohort. It is possible that students entered this program with very low belonging, and that it raised them to the average cohort level. It is also possible, however, that an improvement in belonging did not occur during the program. It is not possible to fully determine the impact of BFEAfrom this data, because there was no pre-program assessment of belonging. More research is needed to investigate the SBP as a causal force on students' sense of belonging.