MSU creates pathways to belonging, support to better ensure student success
Mississippi State University helps students pursue success by fostering a sense of belonging and providing the tools they need to thrive—both inside and outside of the classroom.
Today’s student body includes Bulldogs from all 82 Mississippi counties, all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and 94 different countries—all bringing unique experiences to campus, but all sharing the need to feel supported and connected.
Research from Terrell Strayhorn, an American scholar and researcher on student success in higher education, shows that students who develop a sense of belonging are more likely to engage, persist and succeed. That’s why MSU prioritizes helping students—whether they’re from in-state or out—find their place, starting with fostering early relationships during the admissions process.
“Once a student applies or visits campus, we want to help them make personal connections, even before they enroll,” said John Dickerson, associate vice president for enrollment services. “We provide them with information on everything you can think of in the enrollment process, such as academic programs, financial aid, housing, campus life and involvement, and the Starkville community.”
Campus tours and preview days give students a firsthand look at these resources and the welcoming community waiting to support them.
According to Regina Hyatt, MSU’s vice president for student affairs, campuswide surveys conducted the last few years showed that about 25% of MSU students reported lacking a sense of belonging. This led to the university being more intentional in its approach to helping students build meaningful connections with peers, faculty and staff.
Fraternity and Sorority Life, or FSL, has been a consistent place of belonging that offers a structured community, leadership opportunities and academic support. FSL students return at a 93% rate and graduate at rates 15% higher than the MSU average.
For those who prefer different routes, MSU offers over 300 organizations to help boost student involvement. To broaden access and awareness, MSU launched the “Find Your People” campaign in 2023 with input from student leaders.
Events tagged with the campaign are promoted on Cowbell Connect, MSU’s source for students to find events and organizations, and through social media and campus signage.
“Our student leaders came up with the ‘Find Your People’ campaign, and our staff facilitated it by developing interventions, including programs and one-to-one engagement with students who may not have found their people,” Hyatt said.
MSU’s Division of Access, Opportunity and Success, or AOS, led by Vice President Ra’Sheda Forbes, helps students who are first-generation, limited-income, in foster care or experiencing homelessness build supportive networks with peers who share similar experiences through programs like TRiO, Promise and Thrive.
TRiO provides first-generation and limited-income students with academic, financial and career guidance. Promise helps students from economically challenging backgrounds transition to college life. Thrive offers skill development and resources to students who are or have been in the foster care system or impacted by homelessness or the loss of both parents. Students who take part in these programs demonstrate dramatically higher success rates than their peers.
These programs also help students get connected with the larger MSU community.
“Being involved and connected is important to student success because it’s how you expand your network, build community and understand the world around you,” Forbes said.
Hyatt noted time and cost often limit involvement, so MSU encourages organizations to reduce or remove financial barriers to increase accessibility. MSU has also increased financial support for FSL scholarships, making fraternity and sorority involvement available to a larger number of students.
AOS emergency funds help students who are experiencing unexpected financial challenges that could otherwise pause their education. For students facing these challenges, a strong support system is essential.
The Holmes Center for Student Success, named for Dr. Richard E. Holmes, MSU’s first African American student, provides a study space for students and partners with campus resources like the Career Center and the Center for Academic Excellence, or CAE, to provide academic and career support.
The CAE lays a foundation for student success from the start. The Freshman Success Kick-off Carnival introduces students to essential campus resources and services. All first-year students are assigned a Freshman Year Navigator who offers a personal connection and guidance, and the First-Year Experience course provides a strong foundation in transitioning to college.
When students encounter roadblocks or hardships, the CAE can help get the student back on track through efforts like tutoring, Bulldog Rebound—which supports students on academic suspension—and Supplemental Instruction, or SI.
Through SI, students who previously earned an A in a traditionally challenging course attend lectures and then lead regular study and review sessions. Used over 48,000 times in 2024–25, SI has helped students form study groups and supportive peer networks.
Support for student growth doesn’t stop at the classroom door. The university is equally committed to helping students take what they’ve learned and connect it to real-life skills and experiences.
MSU’s Quality Enhancement Plan, the Bulldog Experience, focuses on helping students translate classroom knowledge into practical problem-solving. One of the most accessible and impactful ways to do that is through on-campus employment.
Thousands of students work across campus, and the Maroon Leadership, Employment and Development for Students, or L.E.A.D.S., initiative ensures those jobs offer more than just a paycheck.
Through LinkedIn Learning modules and guided reflections, students develop career-readiness competencies while supervisors provide feedback and connect their daily tasks to future goals.
The Career Center helps students find on-campus employment and develop career-readiness skills, including resume writing, interviewing and networking.
Whether it’s a student who finds their people through an organization, a mentor in their academic program or a meaningful job on campus, MSU works to ensure every student has the chance to thrive.
“Ultimately, our goal is to help students get their degrees,” Hyatt said. “Evidence points to the importance of students building connections to campus as a way to help them get there. My excitement comes from seeing us move the needle so that more students are graduating and moving on to meaningful lives after college.”
By Brock Turnipseed, Photo by Emily Grace McCall