Landscape, Well-Being and Connection: A Qualitative Study of Community College Students' Perceptions of Campus Attributes

Abstract: Research increasingly highlights the significant challenges faced by students in higher education, particularly in terms of stress, anxiety, and a diminished sense of belonging. While numerous studies have explored the relationship between students and the landscape at four-year institutions, there is a gap in understanding how campus landscapes influence community college students’ well-being and academic success. This study used a qualitative phenomenological approach to investigate how students perceive campus landscape attributes, which features they regard as most salient to their mental and physical well-being, and how they contribute to or hinder their success. Key findings point to the positive impact of diverse naturalistic settings, underscoring the link between campus landscapes and students’ psycho-physiological well-being. Additionally, participants highlighted the importance of landscape excellence in communicating that they are valued by the institution, thereby enhancing their sense of belonging. Insufficient student involvement in campus landscape planning is thus problematic, as it may result in environments that fail to support student well-being and persistence. The study concludes that intentional, student-centred landscape design is essential for fostering students’ mental health, sense of belonging, and academic resilience at the community college level.Implications: Student engagement with campus landscapes has a wide-ranging impact on policy, practice, and research. Findings underscore the need for student input in campus landscape planning to foster belonging, ownership, and well-being. Designing diverse social and private spaces can accommodate varied student needs. Institutions should integrate these considerations into strategic missions, ensuring holistic mental and physical well-being support. Although drawn from a limited sample, these insights encourage further exploration of intentional, student-centred campus landscapes to enhance academic success. Keywords: Community colleges, landscape, mental/physical well-being, appreciation, recuperation, connection