The transition into college isn’t an easy feat, but at Purdue, the First-Year Success (FYS) campaign is helping to turn that first step into a successful journey for new students.
Designed to guide first-year students through the academic, social and logistical hurdles of college life, the FYS campaign uses strategic, timely emails and resources to help students succeed. Dan Carpenter, assistant vice provost for Student Success Innovations, describes the campaign’s deeper purpose as offering “effective encouragement” when students most need it.
“It’s not just telling students to ‘work harder,’” Carpenter explains. “It’s guiding them toward the right support at the right moment, in a way that students actually notice and act on.”
Rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to ensure a smooth shift into college life, the campaign carefully times messages to resonate when students are ready, such as after the first round of exams or during critical registration periods.
Katie Dufault, director of the Helen Bass Williams Academic Success Center (ASC), emphasizes the importance of national research, Purdue-specific data and extensive collaboration with campus partners in shaping the campaign.
“It was important that we developed the campaign so that students really benefit from it,” she says. “We looked at what students across the country and at Purdue needed to hear, when they needed to hear it, and how best to deliver it.”
The topics covered range from academic support to financial aid resources, ensuring that students are not only aware of available help but also feel empowered to use it.
“What makes the FYS campaign so impactful is its intentionality,” says Craig Johnson, director of Orientation Programs. “We’re not just informing students — we’re using what we know about campus and reaching them with important messages at the right time, in a voice that is consistent for first-year students.”
First-year student Sophia Zakar
Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Sophia Zakar, a first-year computer science student, shared how FYS emails helped her discover the ASC’s Supplemental Instruction (SI) program.
“I was able to attend SI sessions when I needed extra help in certain classes or wanted to review before an exam,” she shares. “Without the reminders from the FYS emails, I wouldn’t have known they existed.”
For first-year biomedical health sciences student Hannah Wade, ongoing support from the campaign made a lasting impact throughout her first year at Purdue.
“The FYS campaign is a steady stream of information on how to succeed as a new student,” she explains. “By approaching different topics each week — like academic support, involvement opportunities and advising — it kept me updated without feeling overwhelmed.”
First-year student Hannah Wade
Beyond immediate benefits, the campaign aims to nurture long-term resilience.
“Transitions are a major part of life,” says Dufault. “We’re not just helping students succeed at Purdue. We’re helping them build the skills to navigate future transitions, too.”
In a landscape rich with helpful information for first-year students, the FYS campaign distinguishes itself by offering timely and targeted support. Through the collaboration of Student Success Programs and countless campus partners, students are empowered to not only navigate college life but to embrace it with resilience, confidence and purpose.
Learn more about the First-Year Success campaign here.
Shree Balasubramaniyan
Communication Assistant for Teaching and Learning, tlcoms@purdue.edu
