A university campus is an encouraging place to flourish, to learn, to obtain new ideas, to spread awareness, and where creativity and resourcefulness bloom. Community in its essence means a group of people living in the same place or having a particular attribute in common. It means the condition of sharing certain attitudes and interests in common. Mutuality means the relationship between two or more parties, while fraternity is brotherhood formed around common goals and aspirations. When people form a fraternity, they share their efforts, friendship and knowledge with one another. Together they learn, grow, and make the fraternity stronger. Their common experiences build ties that last a lifetime.

Students put in large amounts of time and effort students towards their studies and extracurricular activities. Institutions of higher education allocate their human and other resources, and organize learning opportunities and services to encourage students to participate in and benefit from such activities. The campus acts as a laboratory for the purpose of student success. However, if a campus is devoid of care, mutuality and fraternity, it will ultimately will fail to achieve a sense of community within which students can success and from which students can learn.

Campuses provide the environment required for knowledge production in the form of various programs like workshops, conferences, seminars, and research group discussions. These activities are proven ways to bring a higher education community closer. Academic success within the university campus is the combined effort of its faculty members and students who work together to create a comfortable learning environment.

Participative learning and student engagement will make the campus a more favorable environment for knowledge sharing. Experiences of fun inside the campus is a key requirement for students. By making learning an enjoyable process, both the campus and its students are at an advantage.

In a campus, different experiences are shared amongst students and teachers. This helps everyone learn to respect each other’s point of views. They develop certain values and start listening with care to create a non-judgmental space. In such a space they may not agree with someone’s opinions, but they would respect their feelings and expressions. Moreover, in a campus everyone occupies the space together and has a responsibility to make it safe and inclusive for all.

Above all, it is within a campus that students also learn various life skills which later help them live a balanced life. A liberal education is meant to incorporate elements of critical thinking, diverse experiences; and it allows students to be challenged and enriched through interactions with peers and educators. Studies have shown that that an atmosphere of mutual support has had positive effects on student well-being. Students who embrace the practices of care and mutuality enrich their college life both inside and outside the campus. Faculty advisors play an important role in shaping students’ self confidence in ways that do not promote individualized thinking, but collaborative ways of learning and living.

Aafiya Bhat has completed her Masters in English Literature from the University of Kashmir and her M. Ed from Institute of Advanced Studies in Education M.A. Road Srinagar. She has recently submitted a project titled “Harassment of Female Students in Secondary Schools: A Comparative Study of District Srinagar and Shopian” to the Women’s Studies Centre, Government College of Education (IASE) Srinagar.