Creating engaging, equitable, and sustainable student experiences by transforming your spaces, services, systems, and staff.

Higher education is facing unprecedented social, demographic, technological, and economic shifts and challenges.

For colleges and universities to remain competitive and be engines of opportunity, they must adapt and improve the engagement of students, faculty, staff, and alumni so that people are better connected to the mission, to the information and services they need, and to each other. They must also make higher education work better for everyone – in particular students who face greater challenges of access, navigation, and opportunity that arise from systemic socio-economic inequities.

Here’s what we know: only 41% of college students graduate within four years (NCES), only 40% of students are engaged (NSSE), and only 34% of faculty and staff are engaged (Gallup). From brightspot’s Student Experience Snapshot, we know that first-generation students are 10% less likely to feel like they belong, and students of color are 18% less likely to play leadership roles on campus. Colleges and universities must transform by better connecting their people, programs, and places to increase student success, improve research support, and enable staff productivity while making their institution and operations more efficient.

Our services

What people are saying

BrightSpot Strategy

“When we wanted to envision our future student experience, we worked with brightspot in a collaborative process that yielded ideas that were both innovative and cost-effective.”

Chief Financial Officer, Liberal Arts College

“brightspot uniquely succeeds at being a strong thought partner on innovation and an implementation partner that enables change in services across the campus experience.”

Ben Maddox, Chief Instructional Technology Officer, NYU

Faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in the planning phase of the Kennedy Library renovation project in the Advanced Technology Laboratories at the Keck Lab, Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017. Brightspot strategy, an experience design consultancy firm, led town hall meetings to understand how the Cal Poly community uses the library today and how it can better meet the campus needs of tomorrow. Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA. 
Photo: Hannah Travis/Kennedy Library

A systematic approach

More than 100 colleges and universities have partnered with brightspot to design practical, innovative strategies that improve the student, faculty, and staff experience.

We do this by researching student, faculty, and staff needs; planning the services and spaces to meet them; and facilitating the organizational and operational change to make it all happen so that people can have more meaningful and effective experiences.

Through an inclusive, participatory consulting process that engages stakeholders from across the institution, we partner with you to develop solutions that attract, retain, support, and build your unique campus community. We use proven strategies that help create an engaging and equitable experience for all students, especially those who struggle with socioeconomic and systemic barriers within and outside of higher education.

  • RESEARCH

    RESEARCH
  • VISIONING

    VISIONING
  • STRATEGY

    STRATEGY

Results

We help our clients get results by taking an approach that values innovation and practicality in equal measure.

Recent results have included:

  • 93%

    student satisfaction

  • 89%

    staff engagement

  • 88%

    faculty satisfaction

  • 84%

    reduction in response times

  • 30%

    reduction in space and operational cost