Beyond Enrolment: How University of the Fraser Valley Builds Belonging Throughout the Student Journey

Hear from the University of the Fraser Valley

We spoke with Daryl Smith, Director, UFV International, from the University of the Fraser Valley about why belonging matters before students arrive, how he sees it contributing to conversion, and why universities need to keep thinking about engagement well beyond orientation.

▶️ Watch the conversation below

Building Belonging Before Students Arrive

When we asked Daryl what motivated UFV to introduce Goin', he came back to a sense of belonging.

"It's that sense of belonging... how do we develop that sense of belonging?"

For Daryl, that can start before students ever arrive on campus. If students have already spoken to others making the same move, they can begin their time at UFV knowing there are familiar people waiting for them.

He described the feeling simply:

"I'm doing this, I know this person, I've talked to this person, I've talked to this person, we're all going."

Daryl also sees a connection between that early sense of belonging and conversion.

"The sense of belonging is definitely the motivation. Then with that I think there's conversion, right? So students then are... more likely to feel comfortable with the idea."

UFV started using Goin' in January, and by mid-June Daryl had already seen more than 300 students join. The current cycle has since grown to 380 registered students, with incoming students making an average of 22 connections each.

From Promoting Events to Starting Conversations

As students started using Goin', UFV also learned more about the role they wanted the community to play.

Daryl explained that their first instinct was to use it as another way of sharing university activities.

"At the beginning we were looking at it more, here's an event, so let's advertise an event."

Over time, he started looking at it differently.

"I don't think that's what we really want to use this for. I think it's more, how do we engage the students in conversation."

That meant putting less emphasis on what UFV wanted to promote and paying more attention to the conversations students wanted to have.

"It's not about promoting things, it's about simply allowing opportunities for that engagement to happen with students."

Those conversations have also helped show what students are thinking about as they prepare for life at UFV.

Listening Beyond the Academic Experience

Housing and employment are two of the areas where Daryl has seen particularly strong interest from students.

Both reflect needs that extend beyond what happens in the classroom. Students may be preparing for their studies, but they're also looking for somewhere to live, thinking about work and figuring out how they'll settle into a new community.

That comes through in the groups students are using. Alongside Housing and Roommate Search and Job Opportunities, the community includes spaces for Sports & Rec, UFV Clubs and Associations, Ask a Current Student!, and even a UFV Student Marketplace. In total, students have 17 groups to connect around different parts of university life.

Housing has become especially practical. 72% of surveyed students said Goin' helped them find information about housing or accommodation, while 50% found someone they could search for a place with.

Daryl sees those conversations as a reminder that listening to students also means looking beyond their studies.

"We listen to the students about their academic aspirations and their connection to the institution."

Students are only spending part of their day at university. They're also looking for housing and employment and finding their place in the community they're moving into.

Daryl believes universities need to understand those needs too, while also considering the communities welcoming new students and how the two can work together.

Looking at the Entire Student Journey

The same thinking comes through when Daryl talks about recruitment.

He believes universities naturally put a lot of resources into the beginning of the student journey, but that attention can drop away afterwards.

"I think the one thing they focus on is the resources that are available at the beginning. So they don't focus on the entire journey."

For Daryl, the goal is to think further ahead.

"A university needs to be thinking about what can I do from the beginning right to the end? Because that's the goal. If you focus on the beginning, the retention's not there."

And that's where his view of recruitment becomes particularly clear:

"It's retention that we really want, not just entrance."

Students supporting one another can be part of that journey too. 93% of surveyed students said Goin' helped them get answers to questions they would normally have asked university staff.

For UFV, the question is how to keep that engagement going after the initial excitement of starting university has passed.

From Arrival to Graduation

When Daryl talks about what he enjoys most about working with students, he mentions two very different moments.

One is seeing students arrive for the first time.

"There's that enthusiasm, there's that energy that they bring to the campus."

The other is watching students graduate.

Getting from one to the other isn't always straightforward.

"There's a journey and no student's journey is straight. It's always up and down and over all over the place and the supports and everything that's needed."

It's why Daryl keeps coming back to what happens after students arrive.

"We spend a lot of time on orientation, but then I think the engagement needs to continue."

And the question he leaves universities with is a simple one:

"How do we ensure that engagement continues after orientation?"

About Goin'

Goin' is a friendship and community platform for higher education, helping universities strengthen student recruitment, engagement and retention with little additional effort from their teams. By connecting prospective and admitted students with their peers, Goin' helps students build friendships, find answers and feel more confident about their decision to enrol.

Universities gain insight into student engagement and concerns, while students support and connect with each other throughout their journey. The result is stronger conversion, belonging and retention, without adding significant workload for university staff.