Nearly 200 staff, faculty, and administrators from across the country gathered in San Diego on Nov. 12-14 for three days of connection, collaboration, and fresh thinking at the inaugural Caring Campus Conference: Building a National Culture of Care. The interactive event left attendees inspired and energized, equipped with new ideas, strategies, and tools to strengthen student success efforts on their own campuses. The conference highlighted the impact of Caring Campus, which empowers staff and faculty to cultivate cultures of care that boost student persistence, retention, and success.
Examples of instructors checking on students in distress, custodians offering encouragement during test preparation, classified professionals guiding students toward academic goals, and faculty members learning their students’ names early illustrate how Caring Campus fosters meaningful connections that enhance the student experience. The impact of this work is highlighted in a recent report by The Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE), “Essential Conditions for Community College Student Success: Maximizing Student Engagement by Fostering a Culture of Caring." Caring Campus was founded on research that shows students who feel connected and supported on campus are more likely to persist, stay enrolled, and succeed. The CCCSE report, which drew on survey data from more than 64,000 students across 167 community colleges, reinforces this point, showing that an investment in a culture of care measurably benefits students.
At MiraCosta College in California, staff have made a concerted effort to support student success – an effort that will be further strengthened by the college embarking on a Caring Campus Refresh, re-engaging staff in the principles necessary to create a supportive and caring educational environment for students. From walking a student across campus to ensure they find the right building, to staying with a student until a problem is fully resolved, classified professionals are already creating meaningful interactions that leave lasting impressions. Caring Campus is based on research that shows relationships such as these lead to measurable increases in student persistence, retention, and success.
Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK) is embracing Caring Campus to strengthen student success – trailblazing as the first Caring Campus university, earning bronze Caring Campus Certification, and preparing to present at the Caring Campus Conference: Building a National Culture of Care, happening Nov. 12-14 in San Diego. TAMUK’s commitment reflects the core tenet of Caring Campus: establishing a welcoming environment where students feel connected leads to greater student retention, persistence, and success.
Dr. Vincent Tinto, one of the nation’s most influential scholars on student success and belonging in higher education, will keynote the inaugural Caring Campus Conference: Building a National Culture of Care this November in San Diego. As Distinguished University Professor Emeritus at Syracuse University and former Chair of the Higher Education Program, Tinto has dedicated his career to advancing research on student persistence and the power of connection to transform college experiences and improve student outcomes. In distilling the research on college retention, Tinto found student success could be captured by two simple thoughts: students must want to persist – that is, be motivated to persist – and they must have or acquire the ability to persist.
Four more community colleges nationwide have achieved Caring Campus Certification, a distinction honoring institutions that exemplify what it means to lead with care while advancing student persistence, retention, and success. Patrick & Henry Community College in Virginia has made Caring Campus history as the first institution to earn gold certification, while Northeast Lakeview College in Texas, along with West Los Angeles College (WLAC) and Yuba College in California, have each earned silver certification – demonstrating their deep commitment to fostering connection, belonging, and opportunity for all students.
Bossier Parish Community College in Louisiana has made caring an institutional priority – embedding the word directly into its mission statement to reflect a commitment that runs through every corner of campus. That focus is felt daily by students, employees, and the community, who all experience Bossier Parish’s dedication to creating a welcoming, connected environment. This fall, the college is taking that commitment to the next level. More than 70 faculty, staff, and administrators will participate in the Caring Campus Academy (CCA) – enough to bring a Caring Campus coach directly to their campus. The CCA will unite every participant around a shared set of behavioral commitments designed to foster belonging and student success, and institutions nationwide can sign up for the fall cohort, launching at the end of September, to bring these commitments to their own campuses. Data shows that when students feel cared about, they persist and succeed at higher rates.
Before a new employee even sets foot on campus, they have already been introduced to the caring culture that defines Hinds Community College in Mississippi. With the help of Caring Campus, Hinds College’s Human Resources department is helping shape a welcoming environment that supports both students and employees from day one. Caring Campus expectations are outlined in every Hinds College job description, addressed during new employee orientations, and included in annual performance evaluations. The college also requires yearly professional development sessions focused on Caring Campus to reinforce its commitment to creating a student-centered culture.
Oakton College in Des Plaines, Ill., has seen a profound and measurable impact from implementing Caring Campus, reflected in increased student persistence rates from semester to semester. Known as “The Persistence Project,” at Oakton, the college exemplifies how a culture of care can transform student experiences and outcomes. The Persistence Project encourages faculty to adopt simple, relationship-building behaviors such as learning students’ names in the first two weeks, scheduling individual check-ins with students, and providing early feedback. In fall 2024, the college analyzed outcomes for students enrolled in courses taught by faculty participating in the project. Results showed that first-time Oakton students who took at least one course with a Persistence Project faculty member persisted from fall to spring at a rate 17.8 percentage points higher than their peers — 77.4 percent compared to 59.6 percent. These fall 2024 results align with a consistent trend of increased student persistence seen since the college first implemented the Persistence Project in 2016.
When Irvine Valley College (IVC) set out to build Inspire 2035, its 10-year strategic plan, campus leaders asked students and employees to share one word they felt best described IVC. The most frequent responses – “caring,” “supportive,” and “inclusive” – captured the heart of a college deeply committed to cultivating a culture of connection and success. As a Caring Campus, IVC strives to create a welcoming environment for both students and employees every day. This commitment to care is now embedded into the college’s framework for the future. One of the six priorities in Inspire 2035 is workplace culture and growth, with an aligned goal to further strengthen a culture of care.
