Student engagement becomes increasingly important as learners question the value of higher education. But engaging students today is much different than it was a decade ago, meaning institutions must adapt. In this interview, Paul Shepherd discusses the evolution of student engagement, the challenges to creating a sense of belonging and how to make opportunities for connectivity more accessible.
The EvoLLLution (Evo): How have you seen student engagement evolve in recent years with the higher ed landscape transforming alongside the modern learner?
Paul Shepherd (PS): Students lead dynamic lives, balancing many different roles and responsibilities on and off campus. Additionally, many students may need to prioritize opportunities to earn money over uncompensated student engagement experiences. These and other phenomena should prompt us to think about how to expand our ideas of student engagement. Collecting data from students about their experiences provides valuable insight to identify barriers that interfere with student engagement and inspires ideas for expanding student engagement opportunities to more students. Eliminating the barriers to participation in student engagement experiences provides a more equitable student experience.
One example I find particularly exciting and relevant is providing resources that prompt reflection about how a variety of experiences students may engage in beyond their role as a student can create meaning and develop skills. Volunteering with a community-based organization, caring for family or working a full- or part-time job, for example, provides students with skills and experiences they can apply during college and after graduation. Finding ways to blend in-class and out-of-class experiences within the curriculum is another way to increase access to student engagement opportunities for those who do not have the time or ability to engage in experiences that take place in the evening or on the weekend. This way, student engagement is built in and not viewed as extra.
It’s exciting to think about ways student engagement can evolve beyond what has been traditionally done by getting student feedback, identifying barriers to engagement and thinking creatively about how to eliminate barriers by offering more equitably accessible opportunities.
Evo: What are some challenges students face when it comes to connectivity and finding a sense of belonging at their institution?
PS: Isolation and lack of community have a significant impact on sense of belonging and mental health. While there may be many opportunities for students to engage in and out of the classroom, it can be difficult for students to access these opportunities unless someone extends a welcoming and personalized invitation to participate. Creating a campus environment with a high level of connectivity and belonging requires staff and faculty to develop relationships with students and invite them into the network of engagement opportunities available. It also requires carefully examining student feedback and assessment data related to student engagement experiences to identify challenges students may be experiencing. The key then is to use that information to improve practices and address barriers. Implementing solutions may require new thinking about processes, practices and engagement experiences in order to enhance connectivity and sense of belonging for all students.
Evo: What are some challenges higher ed leaders face when it comes to the student experience and sense of belonging?
PS: Without ongoing assessment designed to gather student feedback regarding student experiences, it is often hard to identify challenges until it is too late. If students have a poor experience and lack a sense of belonging, they will likely leave before we identify the challenge and implement a strategy to improve our practice. Connecting with students and gathering regular feedback about their experiences is essential, but it can be difficult to do with all the demands consuming higher ed leaders’ time. Potential solutions to a lack of belonging may not always be obvious or easy to identify and implement. Scaling potential solutions to maximize positive impacts is another challenge. Implementing a comprehensive strategy to boost the student experience and sense of belonging can require broad organizational change and everyone’s commitment to play a role in creating a more engaged and student-centered community. At a time when higher education leaders are balancing a multitude of challenges, operationalizing this change process can be challenging.
Evo: What are some best practices to overcome these obstacles?
PS: Many years ago, I went to lunch in the cafeteria with two student leaders in an identity-based student organization, and they intentionally joined a longer line to enter the cafeteria. When I asked why, the students explained that the cafeteria employee who swiped the student IDs at the end of that line always greeted them by name and asked them how they were doing. One of the students told me that some days it was the only time someone did so. Both students told me how meaningful that ten-second interaction was to them and how it made them feel welcomed and seen.
That experience sticks with me because it occurs to me that each one of us who works at a college or university could adopt practices like the cafeteria employee. Imagine what our campus environments would look or feel like if everyone implemented a tangible strategy within their day to demonstrate care for students? We can often underestimate the impact we have by making the most of our opportunities to connect with students and communicate care for them and their experiences. A good practice, especially as we move toward the beginning of a new academic year, is to set a goal to implement a tangible practice that would demonstrate care for students. Sharing your intention to do so with colleagues may inspire others to implement a similar practice, creating a grassroots movement that could lead to an enhanced campus environment.
Evo: How can higher ed leaders build this ecosystem of belonging for students in a more modern environment (i.e., hybrid, online, etc.)?
PS: The adage “Meet students where they are” could be more relevant today than ever before. During the height of the pandemic, technology was used creatively to augment cocurricular engagement experiences to increase access for students. Within our system, we witnessed colleges and universities working together to offer lecture series events with guided Q&A sessions via Zoom, using technology to continue student organization meetings and activities, and implementing creative practices to offer student support appointments virtually.
Some of these practices have continued since that time because of positive student feedback and the beneficial outcomes of this innovation. I continue to reflect on the importance of gathering feedback from students about the barriers they face and using that data to improve our practices. That type of proactive responsiveness demonstrates to students that we hear them and are implementing strategies to improve their experiences.
Evo: What impact does connectivity have on student success and retention?
PS: Positive and affirming campus climates that foster a strong sense of belonging have a significantly positive impact on student success and persistence. The scholarship in our field has revealed the importance of student engagement in promoting higher levels of academic performance, persistence and completion. When we consider ways to increase student engagement, it is important to think of both curricular and cocurricular engagement opportunities and ways to blend them into the student experience. Identifying ways academic affairs colleagues and student affairs colleagues can work together to create or enhance student engagement experiences creates an exciting opportunity to enhance the student learning experience and provide accessible opportunities for students to have the experiences that lead to a heightened sense of belonging and connection.
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