Friday, September 25, 2026
11:00 am – 12:15 pm ET

Move Beyond Campus Programming to Create Meaningful Connections That Improve Student Success

Student loneliness has become one of the most pressing and overlooked barriers to student success. While colleges and universities continue to expand programming and student engagement opportunities, many students still struggle to develop the meaningful relationships that foster a true sense of belonging. Research consistently shows that students who feel connected to their campus community are more likely to engage, persist, thrive academically, and achieve positive well-being outcomes.

Join us on September 25, 2026 when we will examine student loneliness through the lens of student development theory, helping participants understand why students connect, disengage, or struggle to find community throughout their college experience. Rather than focusing solely on individual interventions, you will explore how you can intentionally design environments, programs, and everyday interactions that strengthen belonging and create authentic connections.

Grounded in research and foundational theories, this session will bridge theory and practice with actionable strategies that can be implemented across campus. You will leave with practical approaches for evaluating existing initiatives, fostering meaningful relationships, and creating a campus culture where students feel seen, valued, supported, and connected from orientation through graduation.

Topics Covered

Leave the webinar prepared with strategies to confidently:

• Recognize student loneliness as an institutional challenge rather than solely an individual student concern, allowing you to shift from reactive support to proactive strategies that foster connection and belonging.
• Strengthen students' sense of belonging by applying student development theory to campus programs, services, and everyday interactions.
• Evaluate existing campus programs, traditions, and student experiences through the lens of belonging, identifying opportunities to strengthen meaningful relationships, rather than simply increase attendance or engagement metrics.
• Design intentional evidence-informed experiences that support students during critical transition periods and reduce feelings of isolation and disconnection.
• Identify practical, scalable strategies that can be implemented regardless of institutional size or resources to create campus environments where students feel seen, valued, and connected.
• Develop an action plan for assessing and strengthening your institution's approach to student belonging, using research and best practices to create sustainable, long term change.
  

Presenter

Dr. Sara Lockwood serves as the Dean of Student Engagement at Longwood University, where she provides strategic leadership for student engagement initiatives that foster connection, belonging, leadership development, and student success.
Click here for full bio.

Invite your entire team for one low price!

• Live 75-minute online session with carefully selected expert(s)
  
• Unlimited access for your entire team to view webinar recording for two years (available after live event)
• Materials for your team (handouts, discussion questions, etc.)
• Certificate of completion for each participant
  

Instructions for live webinar access for your group are provided to you immediately upon checkout. Instructions for accessing the on-demand recording will be emailed to you approximately 24 hours following the live webinar. Feel free to contact us at info@paper-clip.com or 1-866-295-0505 with any questions. For information about licensing this webinar for unlimited distribution on your institution’s internal network/server, email info@paper-clip.com.

PaperClip Communications welcomes persons with disabilities to join our webinars. If you anticipate needing an accommodation or have questions about the online access provided, please email info@paper-clip.com at least two weeks in advance of your participation.