fostering student engagement
Research on higher education has demonstrated that prior academic success and residential status are among the strongest predictors of student retention and performance. As noted in the introduction to this self-study, both factors present challenges for IUPUI and our undergraduate students. First, a large proportion of new freshmen at IUPUI continue to enter with deficits in preparation and readiness for college-level work. Second, our students" circumstances-commuter status, accompanied by heavy off-campus work and family commitments -constrain their involvement in learning and in campus life. For them, simply finding the time and energy to devote attention to college study is difficult; at the same time, their attachment to the campus may be weak in comparison to that of students at residential campuses.
To address these challenges to effective learning and persistence, IUPUI has invested substantial energy and resources in encouraging student engagement with learning and with the campus. Through a number of initiatives, we have worked to develop students" sense of community on campus, make academic support programs readily accessible to them, and ensure that they experience a range of active learning pedagogies.
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