Student persistence and success are key concerns on any campus but also national concerns, with 45 percent of students departing two-year institutions during their first year and 25 percent leaving four-year colleges and universities. A multitude of pre-college experiences that are mostly beyond the control of college administrators and faculty members determine the likelihood of a high-school student first attending college and then graduating that include aptitude, college readiness, family and peer support, motivation to learn, and socio-economic variables. But once students are on campus, institutional conditions can foster positive student behaviors that increase the likelihood of a diploma, such as time spent on task, conducive study habits, peer involvement, interaction with faculty members, and positive motivation. Therefore, the level of student engagement in college must be a key interest for students and parents as well as faculty members and administrators, said Jillian Kinzie during an Institute session.

Kinzie, associate director of the National Survey of Student Engagement Institute for Effective Education at Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research, presented the latest findings from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) that further confirm the significance of student engagement and provide additional pieces to the student success puzzle.

How can institutions channel student energy toward devoting time and energy to educationally purposeful activities? What can institutions do to engage their students intensely in their coursework? Elements of a stimulating learning environment, said Kinzie, include opportunities for intense and ongoing student-faculty and peer-to-peer interactions, a broad offering of co-curricular activities, stimulating and interactive classroom experiences that respect diverse learning styles and encourage time and effort on learning, opportunities for experiences with diversity, and a high level of general student satisfaction that influences a sense of belonging. These environmental factors not only correspond positively with grades and persistence for all students, but they have compensatory effects on underrepresented and at-risk students. However, NSSE data also reveal that for such practices to be effective, programs must involve a significant number of students, be of high quality, fit the general campus culture, be unavoidable for students, and be assessed, monitored, reviewed, and improved. This is no small task, as Kinzie readily admitted.

Her advice on “If we could do one thing”: Make it possible for every student to participate in at least two high-impact activities—one in the first year, such as a first-year seminar or service learning opportunity, and one later in the major, such as a student-faculty research project or a study-abroad opportunity.