University campuses
reflect increasingly diverse communities and are considered important
environments for preparing students to function in globalised societies. As
such, universities have prioritised the promotion of positive diversity and
inclusion experiences, which are often linked to student engagement in academic
and co-curricular activities. However, the role of diversity-related
perceptions, conceptualised as campus diversity climate, in relation to student
engagement and mental well-being remains insufficiently understood,
particularly within post-colonial contexts such as South Africa. This
quantitative cross-sectional study examined students’ perceptions of campus
diversity climate, student engagement, burnout, and perceived stress. The
findings indicate that student engagement was positively associated with campus
diversity climate and negatively associated with student burnout and perceived stress.
In addition, campus diversity climate was indirectly associated with burnout
and stress through student engagement. The results suggest that while student
engagement is an important factor, it may not be sufficient on its own to
account for variations in student well-being. Students’ perceptions of campus
diversity climate appear to represent an additional contextual factor
associated with psychological outcomes. These findings highlight the importance
of considering both individual and institutional factors when examining student
well-being in diverse higher education environments.
