Manager of Research and Analytics College of DuPage
Session Abstract: Student engagement is not static; students may recover (low→high) or decline (high→low) during the first term. This session introduces a practical framework for analyzing engagement transitions using institutional touchpoints such as advising, tutoring, registration behaviors, and LMS activity where available. Participants will learn how to build composite engagement scores, classify students into trajectory groups, and use clustering to profile student characteristics across these patterns. By connecting engagement transitions to first-term retention outcomes, the session highlights recovery and decline trends that inform proactive, targeted interventions. Attendees will leave with strategies to detect shifting engagement and apply data-driven approaches to strengthen first-term student success initiatives.
