Marshall, TX – Dr. Morris Thomas, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Wiley University, has authored a chapter in the newly released volume Students’ Sense of Belonging and Involvement in College: Key Insights from Research for Practice by Bloomsbury. The anthology is edited by Dr. Terrell L. Strayhorn, one of the foremost scholars on student belonging in higher education. A tenured professor in the Evelyn Reid Syphax School of Education and Director of the Center for the Study of HBCUs at Virginia Union University, Dr. Strayhorn brings extensive expertise in psychology, higher education, HBCU research, and student success. His leadership of the anthology further positions Dr. Thomas’s chapter within a national scholarly conversation on belonging, access, and the practices that help students persist and thrive.
Dr. Thomas’s chapter, “The Trifecta: The WHOLE Student Experience, Sense of Belonging, and Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs),” co-authored with Cindy Philpot, examines the distinctive experiences, environments, and leadership practices at HBCUs that cultivate belonging among the students they serve. The chapter applies the WHOLE Experience Framework, which stands for Welcoming, Holistic, Open, Liberating, and Empowering. This original model was developed by Dr. Thomas and is now adopted at multiple institutions across the country.
For Dr. Thomas, the chapter is more than an academic contribution. It is part of a broader effort to ensure HBCUs are not only studied by others, but also positioned as leading voices in shaping the scholarly record about their own impact.
“HBCUs are too often described by others and too rarely permitted to narrate themselves through a scholarly, inquiry-based lens,” said Dr. Thomas. “This chapter was not written as a testimonial. It employed a deliberate research methodology so that what HBCU communities have long lived could be examined with rigor and entered into the scholarly record as evidence, not solely anecdotal. The aim was to let inquiry, rather than sentiment, carry the narrative.”
The chapter explores belonging not as a campus initiative or temporary program, but as a deeply embedded practice within HBCU culture. At HBCUs, belonging is often found in mentorship, high expectations, affirmation, accountability, and care, elements that shape whether students persist, thrive, and see themselves as capable of more than they once imagined.
“Belonging is not an abstraction for me,” said Dr. Thomas. “It is the difference between a student who persists and one who quietly disappears. I have seen how belonging shapes that outcome, and my career has been a sustained dedication to providing exceptional environments and experiences that empower students.”
At Wiley University, this work connects directly to the institution’s commitment to student success and transformational learning. Through the WHOLE Experience Framework, Dr. Thomas’s scholarship provides a shared language for how faculty, staff, and leaders can move belonging from concept to practice.
“At Wiley University, the WHOLE Experience Framework gives us a shared language and a measurable commitment,” said Dr. Thomas. “The aim is for every stakeholder, faculty, staff, and leadership alike, to embody belonging rather than merely endorse it, so the research becomes daily practice and our lived reality.”
Dr. Thomas’s scholarship centers on advancing inclusive and technology-enhanced learning environments and the leadership practices that sustain them, with a particular emphasis on HBCUs. Through the development of original frameworks, including the WHOLE Experience Framework and the ENHANCE Learning Model, his work bridges theoretical understanding with the practical realities of leading teaching, learning, and institutional transformation. His scholarly contributions extend to digital transformation, the integration of artificial intelligence in academic settings, quality assurance in online education, and adaptive strategies for HBCU sustainability and growth.
A national and international voice in higher education, Dr. Thomas has presented and engaged scholars and leaders across the continental United States, Canada, Cuba, Germany, India, Ireland, Malawi, Puerto Rico, and South Africa. His ongoing contributions to scholarship, editorials, and conference platforms reinforce Wiley University’s leadership in HBCU research, student success, and the broader higher education conversation.
Ultimately, Dr. Thomas hopes this work affirms what HBCUs have long known and practiced: that belonging can transform the trajectory of a student’s life.
“I hope students are assured that they are seen, valued, and capable of more than they imagined,” said Dr. Thomas. “That they leave Wiley University not only credentialed but affirmed, carrying a sense of belonging that is transformative and becomes the path for them to Go Forth Inspired.”
For more information about Students’ Sense of Belonging and Involvement in College: Key Insights from Research for Practice by Bloomsbury, please visit Bloomsbury’s website. For more information about Wiley University, please contact Catherine G. Sellers, Executive Director of Marketing, Communications, and Brand Management, at comunications@wileyc.edu or visit www.wileyc.edu.
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About Wiley University:
Wiley University, formerly known as Wiley College, is a premier liberal arts institution related to the United Methodist Church. The University is dedicated to fostering social good and developing leaders who make a meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.
