Now more than ever, students are feeling disconnected from their colleges. Between lack of campus attendance to the cessation of events and sports games, the sense of belonging that supports student engagement and retention is fading. This trend was evident before the pandemic, but is ever-present as colleges recuperate from campus closures. But while student engagement is down, another truth is present: they are looking for community. Colleges have an opportunity to press reset on their community building strategies as schools reopen for the fall, and here are the ten ways how.
- Prioritize Disadvantaged Audiences
Student services departments have thousands of students to cater to, which often leads to broad-brush initiatives. But community building can focus on the groups of students that benefit the most from external resources. Successful community-building starts with underserved and disadvantaged students. While these students may represent a small portion of your entire student body, the need for additional support is crucial. And here’s why. Homeless students, adult learners, BIPOC students, LGBTQIA+ students, and other marginalized groups come to college with a unique set of perspectives, life experiences, and circumstances. In addition to improving diversity of representation in the classroom, these students benefit tremendously from dedicated communities where they can engage with like minded, similarly-situated students.
Student services team members are skilled at approaching community building for underserved students with dignity and respect. That’s what we discussed with Dr. Dilcie Perez, Vice President of Student Services at Cerritos College, on a recent Higher Ed Coffee & Conversations podcast episode. Dr. Perez spearheaded “The Village”, which provides safe and secure housing and support services to Cerritos College students who face housing insecurity. The first of its kind in California, The Village consists of seven townhomes that can house 4-6 students each as they pursue higher education.
Cerritos College recently partnered with Graduate Communications for another important effort to reach the college’s diverse student body. The #OneCampusForAll campaign is currently targeting minority groups who have experienced hardships during the pandemic – including Black, Latinx and APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American) students – with ads, emails and other communications efforts that directed them to DEI resources and cultural events.
- Gather Feedback
Surveys. Town halls. Social media polls. Whatever the method, colleges need an active feedback gathering strategy to engage students and hear their voices. Offer incentives for survey responses so that your data is robust. Then, don’t just file it away! Lead discussion groups and information sessions on campus to explore what you have learned.
- Reinforce Commitment
Students are aware when your diversity, equity, and inclusion statements are not hitting the mark. Communities splinter when accountability is in short supply. To reinforce student engagement and promote trust within the community, it’s important for colleges to stick to their promises.
We’re reminded of the implications when students take to social media and the press to communicate schools’ empty assurances. Student services and other college departments are wise to ensure their community building plans have the time and investment secured to execute it.
- Embrace the Unconventional
One-off, out-of-the-box resources offer incredible opportunities to surprise and delight students. Don’t be afraid to sprinkle in unconventional student support initiatives throughout the school year. Bring in therapy animals for stress relief during finals week. Offer dining hall delivery week when winter rolls through. Mail students a small piece of college swag to don at the next sports game. Building community takes effort, and sometimes that effort needs to show that you have gone the extra mile.
- Promote Athletics
Whether you’re a baseball fan, volleyball nut, or track and field diehard, you can’t deny that sports provide community. Colleges don’t need to have Division I teams to rally students and build excitement around sporting events. When we spoke to Steve Johnson, Associate Athletic Director of Dixie State University, he shared the loss that students felt when sports games were cancelled during the pandemic.
As Johnson puts it, “Having a strong athletic program that shows school spirit and helps students visualize that their life is not going to revolve around sitting at a desk, doing homework, staying in their dorm or apartment. It shows that there is a student life to be enjoyed. Whether it be through the formal athletic teams or intramurals, sports garner support and show students the community of the school.”
It’s not just current students who feel the excitement over sports teams. Johnson underscores how effective sports can be as a recruiting tool. “Students will gravitate to an institution that has not only a high level of academic success and notoriety, but also athletic success. It’s just another element that bolsters their decision on what school they want to go to,” said Johnson.
- Make Resources Accessible
While student resources may be plentiful, they also need to be physically and digitally accessible. Colleges may have the upperhand here, as many resources had to go hybrid during the pandemic. But at Graduate Communications, we have found that many students still consider lack of accessibility and ease of use as a primary complaint for not engaging.
According to brightspot, a Rand Corporation study of four community college systems found a 3% average increase in student retention by moving to an integrated model, with better outcomes for adult learners over the age of 25, and students of color. Reexamine how convenient your student services offerings are and consider how that accessibility plays out for underserved and disadvantaged students as well.
- Invest in Storytelling
Before the pandemic, students were already becoming increasingly isolated and introverted. The separation from peers has become even more present, leaving students unaware of what’s going on around them. In this vein, it’s important for colleges to communicate student success stories that reinforce their community building messaging.
In our work with Orange County’s Community Colleges, our student spotlights always generate the most interest. Take for example the story of Matthew Marvick, an Irvine Valley College student that is training for a high-paying job as an electrician through the college’s Electrical Technology program. By earning his Electrician Trainee and Energy Solar Photovoltaic Systems Technician certificates, Marvick will be able transition out of his low-wage jobs, and provide greater support for his wife and son. He attends classes at night and has received substantial financial aid which ensures he’ll graduate debt-free.
Students in all circumstances find stories like these compelling – whether they represent their own backgrounds or not. Storytelling not only helps colleges learn more about their students’ experiences, but communicates their schools’ commitment to the broader audience.
- Empower Creatives
One of the other ways students connect with their college and campus is through their peers’ art, music, plays, and other avenues of creativity. Colleges have real opportunities to empower their art programs to create campus-wide murals, host monthly music festivals, and other events that fortify a sense of community. Give them the brush…and let them paint!
- Create Dedicated Spaces
The availability of a community for marginalized groups is important, but just as important is ensuring those groups aren’t misused by other students. Akin to the argument of cultural appropriation, students from marginalized communities desire spaces where they can discuss and speak freely, without the threat of outliers. These boundaries protect the safety of students.
Physical boundaries make a difference too. Bringing back our conversation with Dr. Perez, she describes the additional resources provided to students via “The Falcon’s Nest.” The Falcon’s Nest is a centralized support center that provides food, clothes, and basic supplies to resource-poor students. This removes the need for vulnerable students to have to hunt down resources. While some colleges offer food pantries or community refrigerators, there is still a barrier to access resources when these items are in open spaces. During Dr. Perez’s podcast episode, we discuss how just the stigma of utilizing resources is enough to keep a student away. Creating a dedicated, sacred space for these resources promotes community buy-in.
- Increase Collaboration
Bring students into decision-making conversations. Involving students in these efforts – from disciplinary actions to tuition allocation – ensures that students are actually involved in decisions that affect the community as a whole. In brightspot’s student surveys, only 53% of students are satisfied with their institutions creating a sense of belonging and student affairs leaders emphasized the value in small-scale personal connections.
Are you looking to reinvigorate your student community post-pandemic? Contact Graduate Communications for a thorough, tailored student engagement plan.
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