Strengthen your student experience today!

Invest in Community to Improve Student Experience and Engagement  

Research has shown that a positive first-year experience is crucial for  student success:

• According to the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), students who are actively involved in campus activities and feel a sense of belonging are more likely to succeed academically and socially.¹,²
• A study by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA found that students who participated in first-year experience programs were more likely to persist into their second year of college and graduate on time.³
• Data from the American Institutes for Research indicates that first-year students who engage in learning communities have higher retention rates and GPA scores than their peers.⁴

Creating an inclusive, accessible community space is crucial for fostering a sense of belonging. This enriches the student experience and encourages students to become enthusiastic advocates for your institution.

Download our guide to discover effective strategies for building a supportive and engaging student community that will make your first-year students feel right at home from day one.

¹Conceptual framework. Evidence-Based Improvement in Higher Education. (n.d.). https://nsse.indiana.edu/nsse/about-nsse/conceptual-framework/index.html
²2023 National Survey of Student engagement. University of North Dakota. (n.d.). https://und.edu/analytics-and-planning/surveys/2023-nsse.html
³Posted by      Higher Education Research Institute Team, & Team, H. E. R. I. (n.d.). Home. HERI. https://heri.ucla.edu/why-your-institution-should-administer-the-cirp-freshman-survey/
⁴Case studies of schools receiving school improvement grants: First year findings. American Institutes for Research. (n.d.). https://www.air.org/resource/report/case-studies-schools-receiving-school-improvement-grants-first-year-findings