Webinar: Engaging Students in Campus Life

Discover what truly drives today’s students to get involved. This fast‑paced webinar brings together insights from community colleges, mid‑size universities, and large institutions to explore how different campuses successfully engage today’s college students. We’ll break down what students value, how they choose where to spend their time, and strategies that boost participation.  
  
You’ll learn practical, budget-friendly approaches to engage students through programming, collaboration, traditions, and student employment, in addition to how to market opportunities in ways that feel authentic to modern students. Participants will walk away with fresh, adaptable ideas you can implement to strengthen belonging and build a vibrant campus community.  

About the Presenters

• Kelly Meehan is the director of student centers, where she oversees the operations of the Johnson Center, SUB I, and The Hub, as well as event services and the Corner Pocket Game Room. Working collaboratively with her team and campus partners, Kelly leads efforts to create engaging, inclusive spaces and programs that enhance the student experience and foster campus life.  A proud double alum of George Mason University, Kelly earned her bachelor’s degree in sports management with a minor in tourism and events management, along with a master’s degree in higher education and student development. Her Mason experience fuels her passion for creating meaningful environments where students can build community and make lasting memories.  
•   Victoria Culver Rice is the student engagement manager at Metropolitan Community College–Kansas City’s Blue River campus, where she oversees the Campus Life and Leadership and Career Center Departments. Victoria has cultivated extensive experience in leadership development, campus programming, and student success initiatives through her career including serving as the assistant director of student engagement at Missouri State University. She is an active contributor to ACUI, where she has served on advisory and competency review groups, held multiple volunteer position, and presented multiple times. Victoria holds a Master of Education in higher education and student affairs from Indiana University–Bloomington and bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and psychology from Missouri State University. Victoria is known for her collaborative approach, engaging presentation style, and passion for creating inclusive, connected campus communities.  
•   Kim Nicas earned her master’s degree from the University of Missouri–Columbia in parks, recreation, and tourism. After working in public parks and recreation for nearly 20 years, she transitioned to higher education and began working at the University of Central Missouri in 2013. She has served as the director of the Elliott Student Union since 2018. Kim is passionate about the mission of the ESU and finds her greatest professional joy in mentoring student employees and helping build a vibrant campus community where everyone belongs. Outside of her work at UCM, she enjoys spending time with her husband of almost 30 years and her three adult children.  

ACUI Core Competencies

• Event Management
• Marketing
• Planning 

Learning Outcomes

As a result of attending this program, participants will:

• Articulate traits and characteristics of today’s current students which influence their engagement.  
• Compare engagement trends across institution types.  
• Identify at least two avenues of engagement that can be implemented or enhanced on their campus. 

Registration Details

• Individual at Premium or Full Tier Member Campus: Free
• Individual at Digital Tier Member Campus – $20
• Individual at Nonmember Campus – $50

Each person who wants access to event or resources following event should register individually. Members must be associated with the correct campus account to receive the $0 rate, where applicable; please contact acui@acui.org with questions or issues.