University of Michigan-Flint

Hope Hairston

Meaningful student engagement can look different depending on the campus, the students it serves, and the engagement team planning and hosting the events. In my work, I ensure that every aspect of our events considers a student’s desire and ability to be engaged. In a perfect world, we would have every student attending our programs, meeting new people, and leaving with a big smile on their face. Unfortunately, that is not the reality of today’s student engagement experience. For some students, simply showing up to a traditional campus program can feel so daunting or inaccessible.

Higher education institutions need to reframe what it means to be engaged. Rather than measuring success solely by attendance or exit surveys, we should be creating multiple ways for students to engage and connect with their campus in a way that is meaningful and accessible to them. This could include creating ways for students to engage virtually on their own time, participate in smaller or informal activities, or connect with their peers and campus resources outside of the traditional student affairs event. Meaningful engagement happens when students can identify their sense of belonging and place on campus. Our job as higher education professionals is not just to build a calendar of programs but to create opportunities for students to build those connections and belonging in ways that work for them.

Aside from our standard post-program surveys, I believe some of the most meaningful feedback comes from the conversations and interactions we have with students. Data collection methods that help track attendance and measure post-program satisfaction can help us understand who is engaging with our programs. However, informal conversations can provide valuable insight into the impact that numbers can’t always demonstrate.

I also take note of smaller indicators of belonging over time. Are students becoming more comfortable interacting with staff and other students? Do they seem less nervous when walking into a program space? Are students returning to events or beginning to recognize and connect with other students and staff? On a smaller campus, we may even be able to recognize students who consistently participate at events and perhaps observe how those relationships develop over time. While these metrics may not fit neatly into a qualitative report, they are signals that our engagement efforts are helping students feel more comfortable and connected on campus.

“Meaningful engagement happens when students can identify their sense of belonging and place on campus.”

Students are constantly changing and evolving, and what may have worked to engage one group of students may not work for another. One of the most important strategies institutions can use is to remain open to new ideas and adjust to what students are actually telling us. It can be easy as higher education professionals to fall into the trap of assuming we know what students want based either on our previous experience or what has worked in the past. While sometimes that can work, I have found it much more impactful to be intentional in challenging myself to remain open to new ideas and consider what current students are asking for when developing programs.

Ultimately, I think it is about finding a balance between the institution's goals, mission, and expectations and what current students are asking for. In my current role, we have a strong population of online students who have expressed a desire to be engaged with campus even when they cannot physically be here. In response, I have been exploring different ways to offer virtual and hybrid programs that provide students with meaningful opportunities to participate. As expected, some of the programs have involved trial and error, and not every plan has worked as expected. However, that process has been valuable as we move forward because it has allowed us to collect feedback and adjust future programs. There is also a certain level of openness and trust demonstrated when engagement teams are willing to try new things and adapt to what students are asking for. Students recognize and appreciate when an institution is genuinely making an effort to consider their needs and perspectives.

As higher education professionals continue to plan inclusive and engaging opportunities for students, I encourage us to remain open and allow room for innovation. Be open to the ways students want to engage. Be open to the ways we facilitate and host programs. Be open to how we communicate those opportunities. Most importantly, be open to listening when students tell us what is and is not working. Meaningful student engagement requires us to constantly listen, learn, and adapt to our students' needs. When we are willing to do that, we move beyond just creating activities for students and begin creating an environment where students feel heard, valued, connected, and supported.