Belonging, Student Success, and Persistence: the Simple Power of Names

In a previous post, we learned how the Xavier University Center for Teaching Excellence has deployed NameCoach to help address the most important element in student success: sense of belonging. “According to Terrell Strayhorn (2012), the number one key to student success in college pertains to the concept of belonging. A basic human need, students’ sense of belonging has been associated with positive outcomes in college, including academic [...]

Freezing Summer Melt

As colleges gear up to enroll a whole new class of excited students, we start thinking about how to combat the thorny phenomenon of “summer melt”: college-intending students who take a step towards enrollment - such as accepting admission or putting down a deposit - but don’t show up. According to research by Lindsay Page et al., published by Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research, between 10% and [...]

Xavier University: People’s Names are a Central Part of Their Identity

As told to NameCoach by David Mengel, Dean, College of Arts & Sciences, Xavier University Xavier University works hard to create a community of individual learners. Our mission is to care for students as multifaceted individuals. Our challenge is making all of our students feel welcome, secure in their individual differences and effective in living and learning together as a community. Again and again we’re reminded that people’s [...]

University of Dayton: Using NameCoach to Create an Environment of Inclusivity and Respect for Every Student

As told to NameCoach by Jennifer Creech, Registrar, University of Dayton Like most institutions, University of Dayton has an increasing population of international students. At graduation, we read every single name in alphabetical order. In the past, we would ask each student how to pronounce their name when they came to pick up their cap and gown. Then we’d hand write it on a piece of paper for [...]