One of the most common questions I hear from those considering or advocating for a curricular approach is: What kind of results can we expect? While each approach is uniquely tailored to its campus, with its own aspirations and methods, comparing different schools’ approaches can feel less like apples to apples and more like apples to hedgehogs.
Yet, after 18 years of the Institute on the Curricular Approach and working with nearly 100 different campuses, we’ve noticed some consistent patterns in outcomes. Not every institution experiences all of these results, but they appear often enough to suggest that they might be possible for your campus too. Below, I’ve organized these outcomes by their impact on students, staff, and the overall organization—though many of these results cross these boundaries, as the visual below illustrates.
For Students
Learning and Transformation:
The assessment data, along with personal stories shared by both staff and students, consistently point to the vast potential for learning beyond the classroom. Whether through formal assessments or anecdotes, we see evidence of students experiencing transformation across a variety of institutions.
For Students & Staff
Decrease in Student Conduct Issues:
When I saw a 25% reduction in student conduct incidents and hearings in the first months after implementing the curricular approach at Macalester College, I was amazed. Soon after, I began hearing similar stories from other institutions. Schools reported reductions of 25-33%, with North Dakota State University (NDSU) seeing a staggering 72% decrease in student conduct issues in their residence halls—numbers that never returned to prior levels. By teaching students how to be in community and hold each other accountable, we address behavior earlier and more effectively, which benefits everyone.
Proactive Approach to Student Crises:
While a curricular approach doesn’t eliminate student issues, it allows us to identify patterns earlier and be more proactive. Before implementing a curricular approach, my Dean often heard about student crises from families and faculty first. After the approach, it was staff who brought these issues to light. When we identify student concerns sooner, we can engage students when their problems are still manageable, turning them into learning opportunities rather than escalating them into crises that lead to severe consequences or student departures.
For Staff
Increased Engagement and Satisfaction:
Professional staff often tell us that the curricular approach gives new purpose, meaning, and fulfillment to their work. “I finally get to use my master’s degree!” is something I’ve heard many times. Others say, “I don’t have a master’s degree, but it feels like I’m getting one with how intentional my work has become.” With staff attrition being a significant issue in student affairs, anything that keeps staff engaged and committed to their roles for the right reasons is a win for all.
Shifting the Role of Student Affairs:
The curricular approach positions student affairs professionals as complementary educators alongside faculty. We frequently see faculty and staff collaborating on shared approaches to lead or assess workshops, classes, and campus-wide events. By learning from one another, both faculty and staff improve their work, leading to more meaningful collaborations and better outcomes for students.
For Staff & Organization
Increased Collaboration and Reduced Silos:
Student affairs professionals love to collaborate, yet many times we don’t, simply because we’re too busy or assume others are. When we do collaborate, we often lack clarity about our shared purpose, leading to frustration or failed efforts. A curricular approach aligns everyone’s work around shared goals and reduces the sense of competition for students’ attention, encouraging more meaningful, purposeful collaboration.
For the Organization/Institution
Better Use of Resources:
One common misconception is that a curricular approach requires significantly more work or resources. While launching the approach does require effort, many schools find that it leads to more efficient use of resources over time. Take the University of Central Florida, for example. After launching their curricular approach in housing and residence life, they weren’t facing budget constraints, yet still saved $80,000 in their programming budget—about 80% of their original budget. By focusing on high-quality student engagements rather than low-value events with “bad pizza,” they were able to reallocate resources to more impactful initiatives, like student leadership development. While it wasn’t great news for Orlando’s pizza industry, it was a huge win for students.
For the Organization & Students
Increases in Student Success:
Many institutions that have adopted a curricular approach report increased persistence and retention from the first year to the second year, increased participation in on-campus housing, and higher degree completion rates. For example, after adopting a curricular approach in housing, the University of Oklahoma saw a 3% increase in first-to-second-year persistence within the first three years. This success led the university to expand from a residential approach to a divisional curricular approach across the entire campus.
Across Students, Staff, & the Organization
Easier for Staff, More Effective for Students:
Perhaps the most compelling outcome is that a curricular approach, when done well, makes things easier for staff while being more effective for students. By clearly defining aspirations, aligning actions, and centering the student experience, a curricular approach allows us to achieve what seems like magic: better outcomes with less effort. Even those who are skeptical about curricular approaches can’t deny the positive impact they’ve seen in their colleagues and often remark, “I’m not sure about a curricular approach, but I definitely want more of that!”
Your Results
These are just some of the results we’ve seen year after year from campuses implementing a curricular approach. If you’re interested in learning more about how they achieved these outcomes—or if you have your own success stories to share—I’d love to connect and continue the conversation.
