Student Life Research
The Division of Student Life is home to a growing portfolio of research that advances student success and belonging at CU Boulder. From peer‑reviewed publications to active studies currently underway, these projects reflect our commitment to data‑informed practice, collaboration and continuous improvement.
In partnership with many campus units, we study the student experience to better understand what supports student well‑being, engagement and learning, to turn insights into action.
Published research
These completed studies have been published in academic journals, shared at national conferences and through institutional reports that contribute to the broader field of higher education and student life.
- Belonging and Mattering in the First-Year Welcome Experience: A Comparison Study Before and During COVID-19.
- A Proposed Typology of Regional Public Universities.
- An Overview of Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) as Critical Sites for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Students.
- Providing for a Community: How a Basic Needs Center uses Assessment to House Students.
- Reconstructing Civic Education: Addressing Power, Place, and Politics in Higher Education.
- Leadership Theories, Frameworks, and Approaches in Practice. (Book chapter)
Research in Progress
These active projects are currently collecting or analyzing data. They reflect emerging questions, evolving student needs and pilot initiatives across Student Life.
- Meeting Students' Basic Housing Needs.
- Cases on Gender and Leadership: Paradigms, Perspectives, and Practice.
Conference Presentations and Other Published Work
In addition to peer‑reviewed publications, Student Life staff regularly share their work through conference presentations, posters, practitioner articles and invited talks. These contributions help translate research into practice, share lessons learned with the higher education community and advance innovation in student affairs.
- A Reflection on Dr. Bheda’s “Taking Equity Work to the Next Level”.
- Statistical Standards vs. Student Support: The 'Good Data' Dilemma.
- Unpacking History to Understand the Future of Student Affairs Assessment.
- Rural Votes Count: Analyzing the Voting Habits of Residents Near Rural Regional Public Universities.
- Home Bound: Analyzing Housing Costs in Regional Public University Districts.
- Collaboration for Continuous Improvement: The Power of a Centralized Assessment Liaison Model (NASPA Conference on Student Success in Higher Education 2025).
- Student Basic Needs Insecurity at the University of Colorado Boulder (Colorado Regional Assessment Council 2025).
- Safe & Secure: Addressing student housing insecurities in our communities (International Town Gown Association 2026).
- One Friend, One Club: Promoting Student Success at CU Boulder (CU Student Success Conference 2026).
Collaborate with Us
Interested in partnering on a research project or learning more about our work? We welcome collaboration across campus.
- Propose a research or assessment partnership
- Request findings or consultations
- Explore opportunities for conference presentations
- Learn how to submit a research article