Personas and Motivations of University Students Pursuing High Impact Opportunities

Abstract

High-Impact Practices (HIPs) are critical experiential learning opportunities in higher education that significantly enhance student success, yet participation remains inconsistent across diverse student populations. While the benefits of HIPs are well-documented from an institutional perspective, a deeper understanding of student-centric motivations and barriers is needed to address these engagement gaps. This study employed a qualitative, thematic analysis to tackle such problems, conducting 77 semi-structured interviews with students from Lehigh University, which is private and non-profit, and other U.S. institutions to understand their unique experiences and question student perspective towards HIPs. Thematic analysis of the data identified multifaceted motivations driving participation, including resume-building, community seeking, and life exploration, alongside significant barriers such as time constraints, lack of awareness, and financial pressures. The central contribution of this research is the development of six distinct, evidence-based student personas: the Observer, Explorer, Ambitious Multitasker, Social Connector, Focused Academic, and Driven Visionary. Each persona encapsulates a unique combination of internal drivers and external challenges. These personas provide a practical framework for universities to design targeted interventions, tailor support systems, and create more effective communication strategies, fostering a more inclusive environment, improving equitable access, and maximizing the developmental impact of HIPs.