The Student Life Cycle: Views from different campus positions on how to improve the student experience

Abstract

A student’s college experience can be viewed as a series of interactions with an institution. From the application process to eventually earning a diploma, a student has transactions, conversations, and possibly interventions with a variety of administrators from a variety of campus offices. What, ultimately, is the relationship that develops from such moments? Do they help a student succeed in college? Do they build toward a lifelong connection with an alma mater? As today’s students expect more from their education than previous generations, colleges are increasingly asking these questions. They want a better grasp of what is often called the student life cycle — how undergraduates progress through an institution and how they perceive that passage from enrollment to graduation and beyond. To help understand the life cycle, The Chronicle brought together a panel of administrators who represent different campus roles. They came to our office in Washington to share what they know of the student experience and their ideas on how to improve it. T he panelists oversee or support a broad range of activities: admissions, orientation, academic advising, retention services, career counseling, and more. T hey also work at a variety of well-respected institutions: American University; Georgetown University; George Washington University; Howard University; and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. T his Chronicle of Higher Education report includes key insights from the conversation to help college leaders understand what needs to be done to create an institutional culture that puts students at its center. The excerpts have been edited for length and clarity.