Campus involvement is key to student retention

At the beginning of each fall and spring semester, Student Affairs coordinates dozens of events to welcome the campus community. While IU Indianapolis's iconic WOW programming always brings the fun to campus, it does so much more. 

Prepare to be WOWed by data

Last fall, Student Affairs took a deeper dive into the impact WOW has on the student experience. Based on the 1,409 first-year students surveyed, those who attended WOW events had a fall-to-fall retention rate 11 percentage points higher (75%) than those who did not (64%). 

So what does this mean? WOW programming continues to offer our students opportunities to find their identity on campus through these curated events and experiences. Their sense of belonging will only strengthen as they meet friends, explore resources and make memories.

While this tradition has proven to positively impact students' persistence toward their degrees, it's not the only factor contributing to a positive retention rate.

Jaguars find their spot through student involvement 

The benefits students gain from joining student organizations and our Fraternity and Sorority Life community are endless. They thrive in leadership positions, create meaningful relationships with Indianapolis organizations and bring value to our vibrant campus community. 

Our numbers only speak further to how students who are members or leaders of an organization see positive gains in retention, specifically for our first-year students.