SERU Multi-Engagement Report
Executive Summary
This new report introduces the Multi-Engagement Model, a new framework that redefines student success by examining five key areas of engagement: academics, research, extracurricular activities, civic participation, and career development.
Drawing on over 1.5 million student survey responses from the SERU Consortium collected between 2012 and 2023, this study highlights how engagement patterns have changed over time, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key takeaways
1. Two thirds of undergraduates are highly engaged in at least one of the defined areas: academic, extracurricular, civic, research, and career.
2. There are notable disparities linked to gender, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic background
3. Engagement patterns vary significantly across disciplines, shaping how students select their majors.
4. A strong association exists between forms of engagement and learning outcomes
5. Different forms of engagement are strongly associated with students’ career preferences and aspirations, guiding them toward diverse postgraduation pathways.
6. the overall landscape of multi-engagement declined across all areas since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the Full Executive Summary
Key Findings
- Infographics & Charts: Highlight trends in student engagement.
- Engagement Categories (Academic, Research, Extracurricular, Civic, Career):
- Each section with a short description, key stats, and a visual (bar graph, pie chart, or interactive element).
- Comparative Trends: Before vs. after COVID-19 (e.g., engagement decline and recovery efforts).
Policy Recommendations
- Callout Boxes: Quick highlights of recommendations.
- Interactive Element: A collapsible or tabbed section for different stakeholders (faculty, administrators, policymakers).
Based at UC Berkeley, the SERU Consortium is a community of research-intensive universities collaborating on generating longitudinal, benchmarking data on the student experience. Member universities administer SERU undergraduate (ugSERU) and graduate student (gradSERU) surveys that are focused on the student experience and
outcomes in research universities; they collaborate in survey design, data sharing, and disseminating best practices. The Consortium is also a vehicle for promoting scholarly and policy-relevant collaboration beyond institutional and national borders. Membership in the SERU Consortium is open to research-intensive universities (having R1 designation and equivalent international campuses) by invitation and for a multi-year term.
For more information, please visit seru.edu.