Student Engagement and Success


Central Washington University is a special place, and we want to ensure it thrives long into the future. Part of the reason it is special because of our emphasis on student success. In order to take our commitment to students to the next level, we will work to create an integrated and seamless pipeline of diverse students from K12 into and through Central and out into the world.

The pipeline would include engaging students at all stages of the cycle.

CWU Student Pipeline

Before College

  • Early recruitment
  • Camps and university activities
  • Recruitment (Juniors and Seniors)
  • Recruitment (Community College Students)

Transition into College (Freshman and Transfers)

  • Onboarding
  • Orientation
  • Welcome

Retention and Persistence

  • First Year Retention
  • Ongoing Persistence
  • Pathways to Graduation

Post Graduation

  • Into Careers
  • Becoming part of the alumni network
  • Supporting the university

Our next level engagement with students will allow us to weave this tapestry together, incorporating a vision of a successful alum and supporter into our interactions with K12 students. It will make this process—for students and their families—seamless and inviting. And it will lead to:

  • Increased completed applications of “Central” students
  • Increased admission and acceptance rates
  • Increased enrollment rates
  • Increased retention and persistence rates for all students
  • Increased diversification of our student body (racial and ethnic, socio-economic, first generation, urban and rural, etc.)
  • Increased engagement post-graduation

Our goal in taking our student engagement and success work to the next level is to build a solid foundation for CWU enrollment long into the future, allowing us to weather any declines in high school graduation rates (the enrollment cliff of 2025, the enrollment cliff 18 years after the pandemic, etc.) and capitalize on the growing diversification of the state of Washington and the nation.

Listening Session Results

Listening sessions occurred on Monday, February 7 and Tuesday, February 8, 2022. About 200 staff, faculty, students, and administrators attended the three sessions, and another 30 individuals provided feedback through a survey. The following is information shared at and gathered from these sessions:

Student Engagement and Success Reorganization

In the 2022-2023 academic year, the division held multiple conversations regarding a new organizational structure for the division. These conversations included two large convenings of the entire division, along with meetings with the president. The new structure will be implemented July 1, 2023

Reorganization Documents

April 3, 2023 Update

February 23, 2023 Meeting

January 10, 2023 Meeting

November 8, 2022 Meeting

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