Case Studies
How the Framework Works in Practice
The Building Belonging Framework has been used to make a difference across Warwick. From careers services, to international student experience, curriculum design, and Welcome Week planning, students and staff have been finding practical ways to use the framework to improve what they do.
What's exciting is seeing how versatile the framework is. It's been used as an audit tool to review existing services, as a planning resource for designing new activities, and as a guide for improving communications with students. Each person has found their own way to apply it, but the common thread is that it's helped them think more systematically about how to create belonging for students.
We're sharing these stories because we know that practical examples help. Rather than just talking about the theory behind the framework, these case studies show what it looks like when it's put into action. They demonstrate the different ways the framework can be used and the kind of impact it can have, even in its early stages of implementation.
These aren't polished success stories - they're honest accounts of work in progress. But that's exactly why they're valuable. They show how the framework can be a useful tool for anyone looking to enhance student belonging, regardless of their role or context.
Got a Case Study?
Have you used the Building Belonging Framework in your work or context? We'd love to hear about it!
Whether you're a colleague who's tried the framework in your department, a student who's been involved in belonging initiatives, or someone who's found a creative way to apply the principles, your experience could help others.
Get in touch to share your experience and use the link below to help build our understanding of how the framework works in practice.
Auditing Careers Services
Jo Pearson, Senior Careers Consultant
Jo has been using the Building Belonging Framework as an audit tool to review her careers service provision. As a Senior Careers Consultant, Jo wanted to take a systematic look at what her service was already doing well and where there might be opportunities to do more.
Jo used the framework "as an audit tool to identify existing and potential opportunities." This audit approach gave Jo a clear picture of where the service stood and what practical steps could be taken to enhance support for students, highlighting both existing good practice and areas for development.
Rather than guessing what might work, Jo found that using the framework provided a structured way to evaluate current provision and plan improvements. The audit process has helped inform decisions about how to develop careers support that better meets students' needs and helps them feel more confident about their career journeys.
The framework's practical approach has made it easier for Jo to identify specific areas for development whilst building on the strengths that were already there
International Student Experience
Echo Zhou, Deputy Director of Student Experience
Echo has adopted the Building Belonging Framework to guide student engagement initiatives, with a particular focus on international students. As the lead for International Student Support and Experience within the central Student Experience team, Echo works closely with colleagues and students to improve international student experience through active engagement and collaboration.
Echo's team has "adopted the Building Belonging Framework to guide our student engagement initiatives, with a particular focus on international students." Echo describes their goal as working "to elevate international student experience and enhance support through active engagement."
The framework has helped Echo move from individual support measures to a more comprehensive approach to international student engagement. This structured way of working addresses real issues whilst building on existing successes.
A key part of this approach is the biannual International Student Roundtable, which provides a platform to genuinely listen to international students, identify good practice, uncover challenges, and highlight gaps in support. These insights directly inform Echo's team's actions and priorities, ensuring that support services respond to students' actual needs and experiences.
Welcome Week Planning
Leigh Mencarini, Student Progression and Support Coordinator
Leigh has shared the Building Belonging Framework resources with colleagues directly involved in planning Welcome Week and Week 1 events and activities. Leigh has been using the framework and BelongingGPT to design a Welcome session on student support and wellbeing.
For someone new to Welcome Week planning, Leigh found the framework "really useful as a starting point for activity/content design" and also helpful "to prompt reflection on previous years' Welcome activity."
"It's been a really useful tool to support the planning process," Leigh explains. The framework helped Leigh think more systematically about how to create welcoming experiences for new students. Though the full impact won't be known until Welcome Week happens, as Leigh notes: "we won't know until Welcome happens" - but it has proven to be a useful planning tool.
Beyond event planning, Leigh has also found the framework resources useful when reviewing compassionate communications, particularly for templated responses. This shows how the framework can be applied in different ways to improve student support across various touchpoints.
Testing Student-Staff Partnership Principles
Dr Tom Ritchie, Director of Student Experience, We are Chemistry Co-Lead
Tom has been using the Building Belonging Framework to develop and strengthen the We are Chemistry (WaC) programme this year. Having helped develop the framework based on WaC's original principles, Tom found it valuable to apply the framework back to WaC's work as a way of testing and refining their approach in Chemistry.
Since WaC's core principles helped inform the framework's development, applying it back has provided a structured way to evaluate and enhance their collaborative approach.
This year, the WaC team has used the framework to guide several key developments. The Warwick Black Chemistry Society has been a particular focus, with the framework helping ensure that support is embedded throughout their activities. Under this approach, WBCS has doubled in size. The process of applying the framework back to WaC's work has revealed new insights about how their principles work in practice and highlighted areas for further development.
This circular approach - using WaC principles to inform the framework, then applying the framework back to WaC - has proven valuable for testing whether the principles translate effectively into practical guidance for creating belonging across different contexts. The approach has contributed to WaC receiving recognition including the RSC Inclusion and Diversity Award and the Warwick Social Inclusion Award for Innovation Through Diversity.