Building Strong Connections To Strengthen Student Success

What does Student Success Mean to Each Person on your Campus?

Personal connections count for meaningful student success outcomes

Each fall, schools involved in Credo’s Moving the Needle (MTN) participate in a survey of undergraduates that asks them about the culture of the institutions and quality of specific support services. Earlier research shows that having strong connections to others increases the likelihood of retaining. Comparing students’ scores on a Connections Scale by their plans to return next fall shows that 97% of those who have strong connections plan to return, whereas only 90% of those with weaker connections intend to come back. This gap is true for both incoming and returning students.

Download the full research brief

Implications of The ResearcH

Developing strong interpersonal connections is important for helping students feel belonging which ultimately increases the likelihood of planning to return. Students who have weaker connections are three times more likely to indicate they do not intend to return next fall than those who report stronger ones. 

Download the full report to see the data, implications, and find out more about how Moving The Needle can build connections across your entire campus, resulting in increased student success outcomes.

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