Who’s Showing Up—and Who Isn’t? Using Data to Close the Campus Involvement Gap
Explore why student involvement matters, why too few are getting involved & how institutions can inspire more engagement.
The student success literature is clear: Involvement and belonging outside the classroom is a key factor in overall student achievement. Yet too many students are not getting involved at all: 36 percent of all respondents to the 2025 Inside Higher Ed/Generation Lab Student Voice survey said they hadn’t participated in a single extra- or co-curricular event or activity. Among community college students in the sample, the rate was 64 percent. And while institutions strive for data-informed cultures around student success, many struggle to translate data into meaningful student gains.
Anchored by data and an expert panel, this webcast will explore why involvement matters, why too few students are getting involved, and how institutions can use data to close this critical gap.
Discussion points include:
- Belonging as a retention strategy amid national concern about loneliness and student disconnection
- Operationalizing data, not just collecting it
- Early-alert ecosystems that extend beyond academic performance signals
- Student life as infrastructure, not an add-on
Can't attend the webcast? You should still register -- all registrants, including attendees and absentees, will receive a recording of the webcast and a copy of the presentation slides.
Additional resources:
- “The Other Engagement Problem” (Inside Higher Ed)
- “Survey: Inequities in Student Involvement” (Inside Higher Ed)
- “Student Success Leaders Worry About Affordability, AI and Diversity” (Inside Higher Ed)
- “Belonging in College Isn’t Just Nice—It Can Boost Graduation Rates” (Inside Higher Ed)
- “Engagement is not Enough: Examining Campus Engagement and Success Among Lower-Income First-Year Students” (Innovative Higher Education)
- “Ep. 186: What Does a Student-Centered Data Strategy Look Like?” (The Key Podcast)
- “Six College Experiences Linked to Student Confidence on Jobs” (Gallup)
Panelist-specific resources:
- Jillian Kinzie:
- “Data-Based Decisions Tip: Convene Regular Data Meetings" (Inside Higher Ed)
- The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) chronicle stories about how campuses use data to inform, gain insights and test programs on engagement. If you need inspiration, check out NSSE’s Lessons from the Field
- Anthony R. Altieri:
- “Upping the Financial Stakes on Student Involvement” (Inside Higher Ed)
- Blueprint Rewards (Lynn University)
- Linda Adler-Kassner:
- “Supporting Transfer Student Success Through Data” (Inside Higher Ed)
- Margot Saltonstall:
- “Survey: What Online College Students Need” (Inside Higher Ed)
