iBelong Campus Climate

The University and the Division of Student Affairs strive to promote a climate at UNCG where everyone feels supported and welcomed. To better understand student experiences, the iBelong Project was launched in the Spring 2019 semester. The project utilized the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) survey to gauge students’ sense of belonging.  

The CECE survey measures college students’ perceptions of their campus environment through questions about meaningful engagement, the ways in which faculty and staff support students, holistic support, and experiences around a sense of belonging. The iBelong Committee administers the CECE (branded as iBelong) survey every few years, explores programs and practices to enhance student belonging on campus, and awards grants to fund student, faculty and staff projects that foster student belonging.  

Please explore this website for updates, survey results, grant proposal information, and changes we have made since the initial survey to promote community and sense of belonging at UNCG. We care about the experience of our students, and we want to understand how we can best help all students succeed here. The conversations that we have with our students and other groups on our campus will help us plan for the future. We invite you to leave your feedback via email at ibelong@uncg.edu. Our iBelong committee members are ready to assist with your needs and ideas for supporting belonging at the G. 

Cathy Akens, Ed.D.
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

UNCG iBELONG PROJECT GRANTS

The Division of Student Affairs launched the iBelong Project in the Spring of 2019 with the administration of a campus climate survey, intended to inform us of how we can better promote a supportive and welcoming environment for all Spartans. The iBelong Committee received over 40 grant proposals for the 24–25 academic year that aim to increase students’ sense of belonging. We know that a sense of belonging is connected to students’ success and retention at the university. We are looking for innovative projects that build deeper community and connections between students across campus. UNCG student groups and organizations, faculty and staff can submit a proposal that expands on a prior project or proposes a new project. We are especially interested in proposals that include students in the project idea’s development and implementation. Teams may submit requests for up to $500 in funding to support projects.

A few examples of previously funded projects include a program that helped onboard new international students, a digital fashion show to highlight student design work, and a program that focused on helping first-generation students get adjusted to life at UNCG. 

Timeline

The iBelong Project Grant application for the 2025–26 academic year:

• Application Submission Timeline: September 1–30, 2025
• Grant Recipient Notification: after fall break 
• Project Implementation Deadline: April 17, 2026
• Final Report Due: April 30, 2026

Submissions

Please complete the following form with your proposal.

The iBelong Committee is now accepting proposals to fund up to $500 for projects aiming to increase UNCG students’ sense of belonging. iBelong Projects must be completed by Friday, April 24, 2026.

Deadline to submit a grant application: Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

iBelong Project Grant applications are evaluated on the following criteria:

• Proposed project outcomes, including how the project will cultivate a sense of belonging among UNCG students
• Impact that describes the group/s of students the project will serve and how the project will make a difference among that population
• A detailed estimate of project costs
• Assessment plan to collect feedback, measure and evaluate project outcomes
• Project is student-initiated and/or includes students in the development or implementation of the project
• Most iBelong projects are eligible for two years of grant funding if a Project Report was submitted for a first-year project.
• Due to the volume of submissions, incomplete applications will not be considered.

Questions

Send an email to: ibelong@uncg.edu

iBELONG NEWS

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IBELONG PROJECT Grant WINNERS

COMMITTEE MEMBERS