Southern Connecticut State University Links Engagement to Retention

Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU) has participated in BCSSE and NSSE since 2004, and is following cohorts of students who completed both BCSSE and NSSE to learn more about their college experiences and persistence toward a degree. They also utilize the National Student Clearinghouse to track students in the cohort who have left SCSU. Their analyses indicate that the non-returning students had a different level of relationships with faculty members, peers, and administrative personnel and offices than did the returning students. At SCSU, one of the two most important predictors of whether students in the cohort persisted to their junior year was the Supportive Campus Environment (SCE) benchmark. The importance of this factor in student persistence is emphasized with faculty and staff who work with students in the first-year experience.