Tuesday, October 28, 2025
2:00 – 3:30 pm ET

Create Meaningful Connection, Reflection, and Purpose to Transform Your Work With Students

One of the most pressing problems institutions face is misaligned engagement strategies, where well-intentioned efforts fail to connect because they commit common mistakes such as treating all students the same, providing too much information at once, or concentrating only on large signature events. The result is a cycle of disengagement where programs appear strong on the surface but students do not find them meaningful, accessible, or connected to their personal and academic goals. This creates a widening gap between the resources invested in student engagement and the actual outcomes related to learning, retention, and belonging.

The emotions connected to these challenges are powerful on both sides. Faculty and staff often feel frustration, discouragement, or burnout when their carefully planned efforts are met with low attendance or minimal involvement. Students may feel overlooked, stressed, or disconnected when opportunities do not reflect their needs, when barriers prevent access, or when they are treated as passive participants rather than active partners. Together these emotions create a sense of disillusionment where professionals question the impact of their work and students question whether their voices matter, which deepens the overall engagement problem.

Join us on October 28, 2025 and learn about 10 mistakes to avoid in engaging students on your campus. Reframe engagement as student centered and purpose driven. Develop flexible engagement opportunities that meet students where they are at academically, socially and personally – connect clearly to their academic, career and personal goals while considering diverse needs and barriers.  

Topics Covered

Gain crucial, actionable takeaways that will help you: 

• Adopt a student centered lens by designing programs and outreach strategies that reflect the diverse needs, goals and circumstances of students rather than assuming one approach fits all.
• Simplify and target communication so that messages are clear, intentional, and not overwhelming, making it easier for students to see value and act on opportunities.
• Incorporate smaller and more frequent touchpoints in addition to large events, ensuring consistent opportunities for connection and engagement throughout the semester.
• Prioritize relationship building by fostering mentoring connections, encouraging faculty and staff interaction with students outside the classroom, and supporting peer to peer networks.
• Actively listen to student voices through advisory groups, surveys, and collaborative planning, then demonstrate responsiveness by adapting programming to reflect their feedback.
• Integrate assessment and reflection into engagement efforts, focusing not only on attendance but also on outcomes such as belonging, learning, and personal growth.

Presenter

Dr. Sara Weinstein currently serves as Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Residence Life at Randolph-Macon College located in Ashland Virginia.
Click here for full bio.