Belonging as Strategy: How Student Affairs and SEM Drive Enrollment and Retention

Belonging as the New Retention Driver

The data are precise: students who feel like they belong are significantly more likely to persist and graduate. Crawford (2024) found that sense of belonging directly predicted students’ motivation, academic engagement, and persistence across multiple institutional types. Similarly, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Teaching and Learning Lab (2023) reports that belonging positively correlates with both academic performance and mental health outcomes.

Traditionally, SEM has focused on managing the enrollment funnel, recruitment, admissions, and yield. But as retention becomes a core component of institutional viability, Student Affairs professionals have emerged as crucial partners in shaping holistic strategies. Holmes (2024) argues that “student affairs leadership is critical to student and institutional success,” noting that belonging initiatives such as peer mentoring, co-curricular learning, and first-year engagement are essential for persistence (p. 2).

In short, cultivating belonging is not ancillary; it is strategic. The same systems that measure conversion rates and financial aid yield must now track engagement indicators and belonging metrics.

Joint Planning Across Divisions

Creating a culture of shared responsibility begins with joint planning between SEM and SA divisions. According to Holliday (2024), institutions that develop cross-divisional leadership councils, often co-chaired by enrollment and student affairs leaders, are more likely to align retention initiatives with recruitment goals. These councils establish shared metrics such as first-to-second-year retention rates, participation in engagement programs, and student satisfaction scores.

In practice, this approach requires breaking down silos. Enrollment managers must understand that yield events and orientation programs are part of the same continuum of belonging. Likewise, student affairs leaders must use data dashboards that integrate engagement statistics with institutional retention and completion data; when these teams share accountability, belonging shifts from being an abstract goal to a measurable outcome.

Embedding Belonging Throughout the Student Lifecycle

A student’s sense of belonging begins before the first day of class. Research on summer-melt prevention shows that early engagement, through virtual orientations, pre-arrival mentoring, or online cohort communities, can improve matriculation rates, particularly for first-generation and low-income students (Ready Education, 2023).

During the first year, structured peer programs, learning communities, and student organizations play a pivotal role in maintaining engagement. Holmes (2024) notes that institutions emphasizing cocurricular belonging report higher persistence among underrepresented students. EAB (2023) reinforces this point, stating that belonging should be embedded across academic and social spaces rather than confined to single events.

The middle years are equally critical. Students transitioning from sophomore to junior status or transferring from community colleges often experience a “belonging dip.” Here, SEM can identify at-promise groups using retention analytics, while Student Affairs can design bridge programs and leadership opportunities to re-engage these learners.

Finally, belonging initiatives extend into the final semesters and beyond graduation. Alumni mentorship programs, senior capstone events, and affinity-based networks help solidify students’ emotional connection to the institution, turning engagement into lifelong advocacy. According to the Changing Higher Ed Podcast (2023), such efforts can raise retention and graduation rates by up to 40 percent.

Shared Accountability and Metrics

The hallmark of effective collaboration between SEM and SA is shared accountability. Rather than relegating student engagement to anecdotal reporting, campuses should track belonging as a quantifiable metric. Recommended indicators include:

●      Sense of belonging scores, disaggregated by demographic group.

●      Engagement participation rates, such as the percentage of students involved in clubs, leadership, or peer programs.

●      Retention differentials between high-engagement and low-engagement students.

●      Summer-melt reduction rates and first-term persistence data.

As EAB (2023) notes, linking these measures to financial metrics, such as cost per retained student or revenue from improved persistence, elevates belonging from a “student experience” goal to a strategic imperative.

Culture and Capacity Building

Ultimately, embedding belonging as an enrollment strategy requires a shift in institutional culture. Training and professional development for faculty, advisors, and staff in inclusive engagement practices are essential. Joint retreats and planning sessions between SEM and SA staff can foster trust and alignment.

Equally important is student voice. Institutions that co-design engagement programs with student input, particularly from first-generation and historically underrepresented groups, create initiatives that resonate more deeply and yield stronger outcomes (Ogle, 2025).

As Holmes (2024) observes, “When student affairs and enrollment leaders plan together, they create ecosystems of success rather than isolated programs” (p. 4). This integration, supported by continuous assessment and transparent communication, strengthens the entire student journey, from recruitment to alumni engagement.

Conclusion

The future of Strategic Enrollment Management depends on collaboration. Belonging and engagement are no longer soft concepts but measurable components of institutional sustainability. By linking Student Affairs and SEM through joint planning, shared accountability, and evidence-based strategies, colleges and universities can transform belonging from a buzzword into a powerful enrollment driver.

As institutions navigate demographic shifts, affordability pressures, and evolving learner expectations, one truth remains: students stay where they feel seen, supported, and connected. Building that sense of belonging is not just good practice; it’s a good strategy.

Here are three reflective questions campus and division leaders could consider to further their understanding:

1. How intentionally are our enrollment and student affairs teams collaborating to measure and strengthen students’ sense of belonging throughout the lifecycle, from recruitment to alumni engagement?

2. What shared metrics, structures, or communication channels could help us move from parallel efforts to true joint accountability for student engagement, retention, and completion?

3. In what ways can we better center student voice, particularly from first-generation, parenting, and underrepresented students, when designing engagement initiatives that inform our SEM strategy?

   
   

References

Crawford, J. (2024). Sense of belonging in higher education students. Higher Education Research & Development. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2238006

EAB. (2023). Why—and how—to build a sense of belonging on campus. https://eab.com/resources/research-report/why-and-how-to-build-a-sense-of-belonging-on-campus/

Holmes, K. (2024). Enhancing belonging and well-being: The role of student affairs in student engagement and retention. The EvoLLLution. https://evolllution.com/enhancing-belonging-and-well-being-the-role-of-student-affairs-in-student-engagement-and-retention/

Holliday, C. (2024). Leveraging student affairs for strategic enrollment through belonging. The EvoLLLution.https://evolllution.com/leveraging-student-affairs-for-strategic-enrollment-through-belonging/

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Teaching and Learning Lab. (2023). Sense of belonging matters.https://tll.mit.edu/sense-of-belonging-matters/

Ogle, K. (2025). Exploring belonging and inclusivity in higher education. Journal of Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1557-3087(25)00284-7

Ready Education. (2023). Opportunities to beat summer melt: Unlock student engagement early.https://www.readyeducation.com/en-us/articles/opportunities-to-beat-summer-melt-unlock-student-engagement-early

Changing Higher Ed Podcast. (2023). Boost higher ed enrollment and graduation rates: The power of student support and belonging. https://changinghighered.com/boost-higher-ed-enrollment-graduation-rates/