The University of Tennessee does not just hope students are thriving. It asks them about their experiences and makes adjustments to increase their success.
Each year, the UT Student Experience Survey gives students a direct voice, and the results from the fall 2025 survey responses tell a positive story. More than 1,300 comments were reviewed and categorized, and the dominant themes were ones any campus community would be proud of: a welcoming environment, supportive faculty, vibrant school spirit, and a deep sense of belonging. “Go Vols” and “I love it here” were among the most common things students had to say.
Those sentiments are not accidental. They reflect a sustained, intentional effort by the university to create conditions where students feel connected, supported, and set up for success, not just as students, but as future professionals. Since 2022, UT has seen marked improvements in all five categories asked about in the survey. The highest improved score since 2022? A 15.29% increase in students who agree or strongly agree with the statement “I believe that I matter and belong at UT.” In fact, 90% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they would recommend UT to a friend or family member as a great place to study, and agreed that UT offers the resources and support needed for their success as a student.
The Division of Student Life is at the center of it all. With hundreds of programs each year, a thriving Greek community, and a plethora of resources to ensure Vols have the wellness resources they may need, Student Life is constantly looking for ways to level up and create an unparalleled student experience. That effort extends beyond programming and events. It shows up in the way Student Life thinks about communication, digital strategy, and the partnerships it builds
across campus.
Marketing Students Weigh In
This spring, one such opportunity arose through a collaboration between Student Life staff and undergraduate students enrolled in a high-level marketing class through the Haslam College of Business.
The class is a social media strategy course, and its final project is working on a real client pitch deck. Students do not practice on hypothetical brands or made-up scenarios. They work with actual clients, pitch real ideas, and receive genuine feedback, similar to the experience that account managers or creatives might have at advertising companies. This spring, the instructor approached Student Life to serve as one of those clients, and three student groups took on three distinct projects: generating excitement around Homecoming theme voting, building awareness for the Student Experience Survey itself, and creating content that helps incoming students stay on top of their to-dos and evoke excitement for their first fall as Vols.
In mid-March, Melissa Rubens, digital communications manager for Student Life Communications, presented the projects to the class. She walked students through the audiences Student Life serves, the strategies behind its current content, and the nuances of each project. During this time, students were able to ask clarifying questions, dig deeper into topics, and get clear direction from their client. In early May, she returned to hear the students’ final presentations and offer feedback before they submitted their work for grades.
What happened in those sessions was something exciting. Students commented on how the experience changed the way they think about the content they have scrolled past as Vols. They talked about “peeking behind the curtain” and realizing that the posts about immunization deadlines, move-in schedules, and campus events do not appear by chance. There is strategy, care, and intention behind each one. There is a team thinking about how to reach them where they are and get them what they need.
| Item | % Agree or Strongly Agree Fall 2022 | % Agree or Strongly Agree Fall 2023 | % Agree or Strongly Agree Fall 2024 | % Agree or Strongly Agree Fall 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I would recommend my campus to a friend/family member as a great place to study. | 80.4% | 84.58% | 86.28% | 90.31% |
| I believe my campus listens and responds to student needs. | 67.6% | 63.37% | 71.47% | 80.11% |
| My campus offers the resources and/or support needed for my success as a student. | 83.9% | 85.74% | 87.14% | 90.14% |
| I am currently accessing the resources and/or support I need to be successful. | 68.5% | 69.22% | 72.37% | 73.89% |
| I belong that I matter and belong at UT. | 69.5% | 73.31% | 78.11% | 84.79% |
These themes surfaced in their research projects as well. All three student teams presented their perceptions of brand voice, a SWOT analysis, and audience persona in addition to their pitch for marketing the projects Rubens had assigned them. All three teams noted words like “authentic,” “energetic,” and “student-focused” in their brand voice analysis, and noted strengths like “strong campus presence” and “student focused content” during their SWOT analysis. That recognition is exactly the point. Student Life’s work is most effective when it is invisible in the best possible way, when students simply feel informed, included, and cared for without noticing all the effort that made it so. When a class of marketing students can name that effort and articulate its value, something meaningful has happened on both sides of the table.
The Student Experience Survey confirms that students feel the impact of that work. The partnership with students studying social media shows one way it gets done. Together, they illustrate what Student Life is always working toward: an unparalleled student experience that grows and evolves with the needs of Vols.
Student Experience Survey By the Numbers
Since 2022, the number of students who agree or strongly agree with the statement “I believe that I matter and belong at UT.” has increased from 69.5% to 84.8%.