The Multi-Engagement Model - Understanding Diverse Pathways to Student Success at Research Universities

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by James

American higher education faces rising demands to demonstrate effectiveness in improving student success and employability. Conventional outcome metrics often miss how diverse student pathways unfold during and after college. The report proposes a Multi-Engagement Model to analyze undergraduate experiences at large research-intensive universities in the United States, treating academic, research, extracurricular, civic, and career engagement as interconnected forces shaping distinct pathways, plans, and learning outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages151

Reading Time6 h 21 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

About the Authors

Acknowledgements

The Scope of This Study. Exploring Multiple Dimensions of Student Engagement

1. The Multiversity and the Student Experience

1.1. The Multiversity as Inspiration

1.2. Undergraduate Education Reforms and Challenges

2. The Multi-Engagement Model

2.1. Student Engagement Theory and Research

2.2. Forms of Engagement

2.3. Expanding the Perspective: Student Multi-Engagement

3. Exploring Multi-Engagement With SERU Survey Data

3.1. SERU Survey Data

3.2. Methods and Multi-Engagement Variables

3.3. Exploring Multi-Engagement

3.4. Longitudinal Trends in Student Engagement at Research Universities, 2012-2023

4. Summary of Findings

4.1. Selected Findings

4.2. Limitations, Caveats and Comments

5. Policy Implications and Future Research

References

Appendix A. Regression Tables

UC Berkeley SERU Consortium Reports Title The Multi-Engagement Model: Understanding Diverse Pathways to Student Success at Research Universities Permalink [https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3c27q1kd](https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3c27q1kd) Authors Chirikov, Igor Douglass, John Thomson, Gregg Publication Date 2025-03-18 Peer reviewed [eScholarship.org](eScholarship.org) Powered by the California Digital Library University of California The Multi-Engagement Model Understanding Diverse Pathways to Student Success at Research Universities Igor Chirikov John Aubrey Douglass Gregg Thomson A Report of the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Project Center for Studies in Higher Education UC Berkeley A Report of the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Project Igor Chirikov, John Aubrey Douglass, and Gregg Thomson Center for Studies in Higher Education Goldman School of Public Policy UC Berkeley Publication Date: March 2025 ©2025 by Igor Chirikov, John Aubrey Douglass and Gregg Thomson. This work is published under the Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivatives CC BY-SA 4.0 International License Publisher: The Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Consortium based at the Center for Studies in Higher Education, University of California-Berkeley Copy Editor: Emily Bartlett Design: Kadi Creative Design Solutions Suggested Citation: Chirikov, I. , Douglass, J.A. & Thomson, G. (2025) . The Multi-Engagement Model: Understanding Diverse Pathways to Student Success at Research Universities. SERU Consortium Reports. Center for Studies in Higher Education. University of California Berkeley. About the SERU Consortium: Based at UC Berkeley, the SERU Consortium is a community of research-intensive universities collaborating on generating longitudinal, benchmarking data on the student experience. Member universities administer SERU undergraduate (ugSERU) and graduate student (gradSERU) surveys that are focused on the student experience and outcomes in research universities; they collaborate in survey design, data sharing, and disseminating best practices. The Consortium is also a vehicle for promoting scholarly and policy-relevant collaboration beyond institutional and national borders. Membership in the SERU Consortium is open to research-intensive universities (having R1 designation and equivalent international campuses) by invitation and for a multi-year term. Contents Executive Summary 1 About the Authors 11 Acknowledgements 12 The Scope of This Study. Exploring Multiple Dimensions of Student Engagement 13 1. The Multiversity and the Student Experience 19 1.1. The Multiversity as Inspiration 20 1.2. Undergraduate Education Reforms and Challenges 22 2. The Multi-Engagement Model 27 2.1. Student Engagement Theory and Research 28 2.2. Forms of Engagement 30 2.3. Expanding the Perspective: Student Multi-Engagement 34 3. Exploring Multi-Engagement With SERU Survey Data 39 3.1. SERU Survey Data 40 3.2. Methods and Multi-Engagement Variables 42 3.3. Exploring Multi-Engagement 46 3.3.1. Scope of Engagement 46 3.3.2. Differences Across Student Characteristics and Disciplines 56 3.3.3. Multi-Engagement and Student Plans and Outcomes 64 3.4. Longitudinal Trends in Student Engagement at Research Universities, 2012-2023 77 3.4.1. Academic Engagement 77 3.4.2. Research Engagement 91 3.4.3. Extracurricular Engagement 95 3.4.4. Civic Engagement 100 3.4.5. Career Engagement 105 4. Summary of Findings 117 4.1. Selected Findings 118 4.2. Limitations, Caveats and Comments 126 5. Policy Implications and Future Research 131 References 136 Appendix A. Regression Tables 138 Executive Summary American higher education is under increasing pressure to demonstrate its effectiveness in enhancing student success and employability. Traditional metrics used by researchers and policy

FAQs

What problem does the report address in measuring student success?

It addresses how traditional metrics (e.g., time to degree completion, employment, and income) often overlook the diversity of student pathways during and after college.

What is the Multi-Engagement Model in this study?

It is an analytical framework that views academic, research, extracurricular, civic, and career experiences as interconnected forms of engagement that jointly shape distinct pathways to student success.

How does the report use SERU survey data?

It explores multi-engagement using SERU survey data, defining methods and variables and analyzing differences across student characteristics, disciplines, and longitudinal trends from 2012–2023.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by James