How Penn State is Amplifying Their Student Engagement with Navengage

Our latest survey of 700 students reveals how Navengage’s mobile app was utilized in its pilot year at Penn State.

Penn State officially launched Navengage’s mobile app this past August. Branded as the Penn State Engagement App,* Navengage's app has been used by more than 15,000 students, faculty, and staff who have logged on to uncover a university-wide network of events and out-of-class opportunities populated by Penn State's ecosystem of individuals, organizations, departments, and data sources. 

“Navengage's mobile app has enabled us to fulfill our mission to guide students from across our entire commonwealth along their engagement journey. We've been able to scale our efforts thanks to the reach of this mobile app,” shared Devon Whalen, Assistant Director of Student Engagement at Penn State. “Students are now able to log in to the app from their chosen device and discover countless events and experiences on a platform that invites exploration, connection, and achievement.” 

To wrap up the app's pilot year, we heard from over 700 Penn State students who responded to just one push notification and email asking for feedback. Keep reading to learn what students said about their experiences using Navengage’s mobile app this year.

*Institutions can customize the branding of our app, making it a personalized experience for their campus community. 

When it comes to finding resources on campus, nearly three quarters of students prefer a mobile experience over desktop.

This metric came as no surprise since 95% of U.S. teens have access to a smartphone.* With our app, Penn State faculty and staff can meet students where they’re at – on their mobile devices. 

*Pew Research Center 2022

The one-stop-shop approach of our app has made it easier for students to find out-of-class opportunities at Penn State. 

Our app makes out-of-class experiences more accessible to all students. As one student put it, “I like having one hub to find information instead of having to use multiple websites.”

Our app served a diverse group of students and their needs. 

Multiple types of Penn State students were supported through our app: 

• "As a World Campus student, the Engagement App has made me feel a lot more opened up to the broader community of university life within Penn State."
• “Being a first year student, I'm looking to find my place here, and the Engagement App has allowed me to find my place through wellness events and other events.”
• "As a Resident Assistant last semester, I used the app to plan events."
• "Being a student from a commonwealth campus, the app helped me explore the University Park campus while I was there."
• "As the chair of student engagement at the graduate and professional student association, GPSA, I found it much easier to connect with other students and promote events, as well as attend them through the Engagement App."
• "As an incoming student, there are so many opportunities for me and it can be hard to know about them. By using the Engagement App, I was able to find activities that interested me."
• "Being a change of campus student, it made me look forward to next semester even more when I was able to see what was going on at University Park."
• “I started using this app to get more involved because as an international student it is hard for me to communicate with other people without feeling overwhelmed.”

Students attended a variety of events through our app. 

Nearly 70% of students opened the app to check a wide-range of upcoming events. Here are some events they found: 

• Multicultural Fest
• Free Haircut
• Lecture on the History of Eugenics
• Mental Health Fair 
• Super Bowl Watch Party
• Resident Hall Events
• Financial Literacy Training
• Fellowship Information Session
• Alumni Meet and Greet
• Education Abroad Fair
• Creative Writing Workshop

Students discovered unique opportunities and made connections. 

Beyond event discovery, students used our app to get connected and involved outside of the classroom: 

Organization Involvement 

• “I became a member of multiple student organizations and now I use the app to promote events across my campus.” 
• “I found MAEP [Multicultural Academic Excellence Program], and now I go every week. The app is a great way to meet people.”
• “I joined a psychology club through the app and I went to a few special meals they were having with a friend.”

Social Connectivity 

• “The Engagement App has made me connect with more students and people from different interests and backgrounds.”
• “The Engagement App has created many friendships! It has also presented me with plenty of opportunities for finding career paths and joining organizations.”

Beyond the Classroom Engagement 

• “I applied for a grant for study abroad through the Engagement App.” 
• “I got involved in a trial of new campus authenticator tech and was able to provide feedback on the process.” 

Students integrated our app into their daily social media browsing.  

Students, faculty, and staff can utilize our app’s campus-wide newsfeed and group chat functionality to promote opportunities and connect with each other, making it a tool that students want to check regularly. 

Students found community and belonging.

Our app acts as a centralized hub for campus members to share experiences, collaborate, and support each other. In addition to helping students find opportunities, it allows students to connect with others who share their interests. 

Interested in learning how Navengage’s mobile app can transform your institution?

Click here to learn more. 

About Navengage 

Navengage Inc. delivers leading-edge, mobile-first student engagement software that helps higher ed institutions increase student engagement and boost retention. We aim to advance student engagement technology so that colleges and universities have comprehensive, accurate, and readily available data for decision making. We are committed to engaging today's students with tomorrow's cutting-edge education technology and envision a world where every student has the opportunity to safely and successfully pursue their education.