Student Engagement Yields Results: Data Shows Strong Link Between Involvement and Success
DSA News
April 30, 2025
In Fall 2023, the Division of Student Affairs launched a pilot initiative to track student participation in non-confidential programs and services across the university. This effort, led by Dr. Scott Radimer, was designed to assess how engagement with the division correlates with academic success and student retention.
The results are in—and they are compelling. During the 2024 academic year, over 19,500 unique undergraduate students engaged with Student Affairs services at least once. Those who engaged more frequently showed markedly higher retention rates, especially among first-time-in-college (FTIC) and Pell-eligible students. The findings affirm the critical role of Student Affairs in supporting academic performance, retention, and overall student development.
Measuring Student Success Through Meaningful Engagement
To better understand the influence of co-curricular involvement on academic outcomes, the Division of Student Affairs began collecting and analyzing engagement data in Fall 2023. The initiative focused on tracking participation in all non-confidential programs and services and comparing it to student retention and GPA outcomes over the 2024 academic year.
High Engagement, High Retention
The numbers tell a powerful story. Among the 19,524 unique undergraduate students who interacted with Student Affairs programs during Academic Year (AY24) , those with greater levels of engagement consistently outperformed their peers in terms of academic persistence.
Retention rates from Fall 2023 to Fall 2024 (excluding graduates):
- All undergraduate students
0 engagements: 78%
• 1 engagement: 85%
• 2–3 engagements: 88%
• 4+ engagements: 92% - First-Time-in-College (FTIC) students
0 engagements: 80%
• 1 engagement: 83%
• 2–3 engagements: 87%
• 4+ engagements: 93% - FTIC Pell-Eligible students
0 engagements: 79%
• 1 engagement: 79%
• 2–3 engagements: 84%
• 4+ engagements: 93%
These statistics reveal a direct positive correlation between student interaction with Student Affairs and their likelihood to persist into the following academic year.
Student Employment Drives Success
The impact of involvement goes beyond programming. Among the 974 undergraduate students employed by the Division of Student Affairs during Academic Year 24, the academic benefits were even more pronounced. These students averaged a 3.259 GPA and an impressive 95% retention rate, demonstrating the value of meaningful, paid campus involvement.
The Path Ahead
This data reinforces the importance of intentional engagement strategies and supports the Division’s ongoing efforts to align programming with institutional priorities for student success. As the Division of Student Affairs continues to track and analyze student involvement, this pilot project provides a foundational model for assessing long-term impact and guiding future investment in student-centered programs.
Written by Germaine Washington, Director of Marketing and Communications – Student Affairs with appreciation to Dr. Scott Radimer, Director of Assessment and Planning – Student Affairs, for providing the research and data that informed this article.