What Helps Students Thrive? An Investigation of Student Engagement and Performance

Abstract

Graduation rates, academic success, and health status are top priorities of universities related to student success. Overall it has been found that students academically and socially integrated to the campus are more likely to remain in college and graduate. This article presents a strategy and results of a study that analyzed the overall relationship Student Affairs programs had with student GPA and health status. The goal of this research was to discover what helps students thrive, not just survive at school. To study thriving, the theoretical model of salutogenesis was adapted to investigate factors related to student success as measured through academic performance and health status. Using electronically collected data from a sample of 691 students, the results of relationships between student engagement in Student Affairs programs, student academic performance, and health status have been reported. Emphasis areas for student affairs programs are suggested.