Jeff Doyle and Elliot Felix on Measuring and Building Belonging

How can higher education leaders measure student belonging, and what specific strategies directly boost retention? How can colleges and universities use their facilities, programming, communications, traditions, and more to shape a student's sense of belonging? In this bonus episode originally presented at NASPA’s Student Success in Higher Education Conference, Jeff Doyle and Elliot Felix tackle these questions. This episode examines national retention data, early pulse survey metrics, actionable frameworks, and practical strategies to help leaders break down campus silos, design inclusive student spaces, and leverage peer connections to drive long-term degree completion. Episode Highlights include:  [04:06] Defining Belonging - National survey metrics show that belonging directly correlates with higher first-year retention and overall graduation rates. [06:55] Revamping Campus Spaces - Modernizing affinity/identity centers and combining study spaces with support services eliminates barriers to student help-seeking. [08:32] Lowering Barrier to Entry - Re-allocating student organization funding helps non-Greek affinity groups flourish without administrative hurdles. [12:59] Predictive Retention Data - Weeks three-to-six pulse surveys reveal belonging questions are five times more predictive of stop-out risks than other metrics. [21:59] Peer Involvement Hubs - Creating dedicated student involvement centers staffed by peer advisors increases engagement and overall degree completion. Doyle Sense of Belonging Inventory: https://deepthoughtshed.com/2025/05/1...