Path Forward

Operationalizing belonging at Colorado Mesa: turning a strategic pillar into daily practice that grows enrollment and retention.

What it takes to build belonging, and what the belonging engine does to get there.

1Know what creates belonging3 of 4 built and running
2Design rituals and interventions0 of 3 built and running
3Act on it, student by student1 of 3 built and running
4Tell CMU's belonging story1 of 3 built and running
5Know it's working1 of 3 built and running

Know what creates belonging
Know what creates belonging at CMU, and for whom.
How the engine gets there
- Starts with the Belonging Baseline.
  Act nowBuilt and running
- Reads behavior data from Slate and the student information system (Slate data for current students, case management, advising notes, +CampusIQ).
  Act nowBuilt and running
- Collects students' own belonging stories at scale via texting (Juno).
  HorizonIn production
- Maps both to themes and CMU's values, by population, and shows which moments show up among students who enroll and stay.
  Act nowBuilt and running
Question answered
Sample
Sample action title: one sentence with the takeaway and its number
Sample subtitle: the measure, its unit, who is counted and over what period
Group A
Group B
Sample year 2 · Window A
+13.1 points
Group A 38.2% of 1,476Group B 25.1% of 3,790
Sample label: the gap between Group A and Group B in the highlighted year
Sample period
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read the numbers
Sample year 135.6% of 1,40224.8% of 3,655
Sample year 238.2% of 1,47625.1% of 3,790
Sample year 336.9% of 1,43326.3% of 3,821
Share of each group's students (%)
Read more
Sample: the longer reading folds away here, so the page stays light. It opens on request.
How to read: the figure is the gap in the highlighted year; the chart shows every year in the chosen window.Source: sample numbers, not CMU data.
This waits for the storyline.
Design rituals and interventions
Identify and design rituals and interventions every team runs on purpose: the elements of human connection that matter to the community.
How the engine gets there
- Designs rituals that build belonging, and interventions for what blocks it.
  Act nowIn production
- Writes each ritual as a clear who, when, and what, so any team can carry it.
  Act nowIn production
- Shares stories, themes, and rituals with every team, from admissions to advising and marketing.
  Act nowIn production
Question answered
Sample
Sample action title: one sentence with the takeaway and its number
Sample subtitle: the measure, its unit, who is counted and over what period
Group A
Group B
Sample year 2 · Window A
+13.1 points
Group A 38.2% of 1,476Group B 25.1% of 3,790
Sample label: the gap between Group A and Group B in the highlighted year
Sample period
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read the numbers
Sample year 135.6% of 1,40224.8% of 3,655
Sample year 238.2% of 1,47625.1% of 3,790
Sample year 336.9% of 1,43326.3% of 3,821
Share of each group's students (%)
Read more
Sample: the longer reading folds away here, so the page stays light. It opens on request.
How to read: the figure is the gap in the highlighted year; the chart shows every year in the chosen window.Source: sample numbers, not CMU data.
This waits for the storyline.
Act on it, student by student
Act on it, student by student, at the right moment.
How the engine gets there
- Tells recruiters and advisors which student needs a conversation, why now, and which ritual to invite them into, in the systems they already use (the Slate command center for enrollment).
  Act nowBuilt and running
- Gives staff an organized knowledge base to query when engaging students.
  Act nowIn production
- Texts students to check in, direct them to resources, and connect them to CMU's teams through nudges when needed.
  Act nowIn production
Question answered
Sample
Sample action title: one sentence with the takeaway and its number
Sample subtitle: the measure, its unit, who is counted and over what period
Group A
Group B
Sample year 2 · Window A
+13.1 points
Group A 38.2% of 1,476Group B 25.1% of 3,790
Sample label: the gap between Group A and Group B in the highlighted year
Sample period
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read the numbers
Sample year 135.6% of 1,40224.8% of 3,655
Sample year 238.2% of 1,47625.1% of 3,790
Sample year 336.9% of 1,43326.3% of 3,821
Share of each group's students (%)
Read more
Sample: the longer reading folds away here, so the page stays light. It opens on request.
How to read: the figure is the gap in the highlighted year; the chart shows every year in the chosen window.Source: sample numbers, not CMU data.
This waits for the storyline.
Tell CMU's belonging story
Tell CMU's belonging story, inside and out.
How the engine gets there
- Keeps a growing inventory of student belonging stories, tagged by theme, value, and population.
  Act nowBuilt and running
- Gives recruitment real stories to celebrate wins and incorporate into training.
  HorizonIn production
- Gives marketing real stories to incorporate into content and materials, so students can be immersed in the belonging story of CMU.
  HorizonIn production
Question answered
Sample
Sample action title: one sentence with the takeaway and its number
Sample subtitle: the measure, its unit, who is counted and over what period
Group A
Group B
Sample year 2 · Window A
+13.1 points
Group A 38.2% of 1,476Group B 25.1% of 3,790
Sample label: the gap between Group A and Group B in the highlighted year
Sample period
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read the numbers
Sample year 135.6% of 1,40224.8% of 3,655
Sample year 238.2% of 1,47625.1% of 3,790
Sample year 336.9% of 1,43326.3% of 3,821
Share of each group's students (%)
Read more
Sample: the longer reading folds away here, so the page stays light. It opens on request.
How to read: the figure is the gap in the highlighted year; the chart shows every year in the chosen window.Source: sample numbers, not CMU data.
This waits for the storyline.
Know it's working
Know it's working and continuously learn.
How the engine gets there
- Measures each student's belonging from their behavior, calibrated by what students tell us.
  Act nowBuilt and running
- Tracks which rituals and outreach moved belonging, yield, and retention, and feeds that back so each cycle gets sharper.
  HorizonIn production
- Gives leadership a view they can ask questions of.
  HorizonIn production
Question answered
Sample
Sample action title: one sentence with the takeaway and its number
Sample subtitle: the measure, its unit, who is counted and over what period
Group A
Group B
Sample year 2 · Window A
+13.1 points
Group A 38.2% of 1,476Group B 25.1% of 3,790
Sample label: the gap between Group A and Group B in the highlighted year
Sample period
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read the numbers
Sample year 135.6% of 1,40224.8% of 3,655
Sample year 238.2% of 1,47625.1% of 3,790
Sample year 336.9% of 1,43326.3% of 3,821
Share of each group's students (%)
Read more
Sample: the longer reading folds away here, so the page stays light. It opens on request.
How to read: the figure is the gap in the highlighted year; the chart shows every year in the chosen window.Source: sample numbers, not CMU data.
This waits for the storyline.

Operationalizing belonging at Colorado Mesa: turning a strategic pillar into daily practice that grows enrollment and retention.

The five outcomes

Know what creates belonging at CMU, and for whom.

Sample action title: one sentence with the takeaway and its number

Identify and design rituals and interventions every team runs on purpose: the elements of human connection that matter to the community.

Sample action title: one sentence with the takeaway and its number

Act on it, student by student, at the right moment.

Sample action title: one sentence with the takeaway and its number

Tell CMU's belonging story, inside and out.

Sample action title: one sentence with the takeaway and its number

Know it's working and continuously learn.

Sample action title: one sentence with the takeaway and its number

The student journey