Purdue Global Student Life manager paving the way for student engagement, success

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — In the realm of online education, creating a vibrant student life experience can be challenging, yet profoundly rewarding. Jessi Eaton, manager of Student Life at Purdue Global — Purdue’s online university for working adults — embodies this mission with a passion honed over decades in higher education and a personal journey marked by determination and growth.

“Our aim is to foster a sense of belonging and facilitate holistic student development,” she said. “When students engage with peers, mentors and faculty outside their coursework, they thrive academically and personally.”

A journey of resilience and commitment

Eaton’s own educational path reflects both traditional and contemporary approaches. She attended a regional public college for her undergraduate studies and later pursued her master’s online, while married with one child, juggling family responsibilities and a full-time job. Now, more than a dozen years later, with another child in the fold, she has plans to earn a doctorate at Purdue Global to further enhance her professional career.

“My life revolves around my family circus,” Eaton said. “Along with my husband, two kids, as well as two dogs and a cat, sports and volunteering are my passions. I’m like the students we help — navigating the complexities of higher education while raising a family.”

A career shift leads to new opportunity

While working in student engagement at another institution, Eaton’s career trajectory took a pivotal turn during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eaton discovered Purdue Global while looking casually for other job opportunities. She knew right away that it was the perfect fit.

“I didn’t really know that there were universities — either online or in person — actually doing meaningful remote student engagement at the time,” Eaton said. “I remember reading the job description and thinking it was absolutely too good to be true, that it was exactly what I was looking for — the chance to be at the forefront of an emerging area of my field and take better care of my family and myself at the same time. Remote work also brought a real balance to my career and home life that hadn’t been there before.”

Empowering student success in an online environment

At Purdue Global, Eaton spearheads Student Life, an area that nurtures student connections beyond academics. Eaton said managing student life online requires creativity and intentionality, something that she feels Purdue Global is leading the way in.

“I love being on the cutting edge of something new,” Eaton said. “Online adult learner extracurricular activities is such a new field, and it’s exciting to be able to truly innovate — to help invent the mousetrap rather than try to make a better one.”

Purdue Global currently has 45 student organizations, 14 of which are invitation-only honor societies and five of which are identity-based. About 13% of Purdue Global’s student population belongs to a student organization. Purdue Global has the only recognized fully online college chapter of the American Red Cross and also features a very active chapter of Student Veterans of America.

Eaton said her department actively promotes student organizations, honor societies and community service opportunities. Each initiative aims to enhance skills and build networks crucial for future success, all while maintaining Purdue Global’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity. “We celebrate diversity through identity-based student organizations and honor societies,” Eaton said. “Our efforts aim not only to connect students but also to ensure they feel valued and empowered within our community.”

Student involvement

Eaton said students are encouraged to get involved in many different ways. They can participate in a student organization, which can focus on a common interest like philosophy or esports, a common identity such as ethnicity or sexuality, or a common degree program like public safety or psychology. They can also join an honor society, if they meet the criteria and are invited to do so.

Purdue Global has a community service recognition program, Achievement of Community Engagement and Service, which grants digital badges to students for volunteerism that they may already be doing or that they’re required to do for classes. They can also apply to be a member of the Student Advisory Board, the student branch of Purdue Global governance, where they’ll identify challenges and solutions for student issues and present them to administration.

“Student engagement is about expanding access and creating opportunities for all,” she said. “This resonates deeply with me, aligning with my family’s legacy of using education to improve lives and communities.”

Purdue Global’s overall mission of accessibility and flexibility for all fits right into Eaton’s efforts for student engagement — providing more people with more opportunities and aiding those students along the way so that they thrive not only while taking classes, but after they graduate as well.

“I don’t want to just have a job; I want to have a job that means something,” she said. “I believe the people I work with here feel the same way, that we’re helping people build a better future for themselves and their world. For me, it’s a legacy that I’m really proud to be able to uphold.”

Keeping student engagement moving forward into the future

Looking ahead, Eaton is focused on enhancing Purdue Global’s recruitment and retention efforts.

“Our goal is to embed a sense of belonging into every student interaction, from orientation to graduation,” she said. “By fostering meaningful connections, we ensure every student thrives in their academic journey.”

Eaton’s journey at Purdue Global exemplifies resilience, innovation and a steadfast commitment to enhancing student life in an adult online learning environment. Her vision for inclusive and engaging student experiences continues to shape the university’s community and pave the way for future success.

About Purdue Global

Purdue Global is Purdue’s online university for working adults who have life experience and often some college credits. It offers flexible paths for students to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, based on their work experience, military service and previous college credits, no matter where they are in their life journey. Purdue Global is a nonprofit, public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and backed by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://www.purdueglobal.edu.