Schools that rank high in engagement offer an education that can have more depth and meaning

Five years ago, Michigan State University wanted to ease the path from high school to college for its first-year students. So it divided the dorms that house 8,000 freshmen into five “neighborhoods,” each centered on a common area with offices for nurses, academic advisers and counselors.

The school called the common areas engagement centers and trained every adult employee working in each neighborhood—from the writing tutors to the janitors—to prompt students to think about their purpose: Why are they in college? What do they want to do with their lives? What skills will they need to learn to get there?

The goal “was to make sure every student felt connected to all of the significant adults in their neighborhood,” says Michigan State Provost June Youatt. “This is a big place, and these early deliberate connections are really important.” read more here