IU South Bend has launched an “Engage & Thrive” program to help first-year students get involved on campus with their peers. This program was started by the University of Kentucky seven years ago and now has been adopted to all IU campuses for only full-time, first-year students to engage more in their time in college. 

Starting this year, the program is a pilot for first-year students only. IU partners with Fidelity Investments, which are also funding this program. Their main goal is for students to be more involved in college activities, events and organizations, and to retain students throughout their degree path.

The program’s unique feature is that when students sign up for designated Engage & Thrive events, they can receive money. Engage & Thrive programs will have a red stamp on their event picture in Titan Atlas, where all the events in the series are listed. Students can earn up to $145 per semester to go into a Fidelity investment account.

Kory Vitangeli, IU South Bend’s executive vice chancellor for student engagement, said that if the pilot year is successful, the university hopes to branch out to other groups besides first-year, full-time students in the future.

Student organizations and clubs can also apply for their event to be an Engage & Thrive event. If it gets approved, it is then advertised with the Engage & Thrive events to first-year students. Applications for the fall semester are now closed, but student groups will be able to apply to host a spring-semester Engage & Thrive event later this semester.

Vitangeli said the administration is planning to create a separate email list for first-year, full-time undergraduate students to raise awareness about the Engage & Thrive events and encourage attendance. 

To create a Fidelity account and learn more about Engage & Thrive, follow the steps on the attached poster.