“We see increases not only in isolation but in depression and anxiety,” said Christopher C. Catching, vice chancellor for student affairs at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. “Students may question whether they belong or whether they can succeed.”

At a recent Chronicle virtual forum, “Building Student Community,” Catching joined us along with other student-affairs leaders and experts to discuss how colleges can respond to growing student disconnection fueled by political, social, and technological upheaval.

Read the key takeaways from the forum and learn what panelists had to say, including:

• What the key drivers of disconnection are on campus.
• Which programs reliably foster belonging among students — from residence life to tradition-rich events.
• How to create intentional, targeted communications to engage students.
• When to provide outreach for first-year and online students.
• What to consider when creating supportive programming for international, graduate, first-generation, and student-parent populations.