Does Involvement Really Matter? Indicators of College Student Success and Satisfaction

Theories of involvement and quality of effort posit that student engagement in academic activities is critical to success. College officials invest substantial resources in activities and facilities to encourage student involvement, yet some reports find that many students study few hours per week and commit little time to academic activities. A critical question we must ask is: Does involvement lead to authentic gains in student success? Results from the 2008 National Survey of Student Engagement at one research university found that higher levels of engagement in a variety of curricular and cocurricular activities significantly contribute to cumulative GPA and students’ perception of the overall academic experience. Females and full-time students who spent more time preparing for class or otherwise engaging in academic tasks earned a higher GPA and reported higher satisfaction with their overall academic experience. Implications for program planning and resource allocation are discussed.