Case study · Coastal Carolina University

How Coastal Carolina raised its chapter induction rate

After a slow start, the chapter spent a year building a trained student executive board and a predictable calendar. Its induction rate averaged 33% from spring 2022 to spring 2023 and 46% across the five semesters that followed.

NSLS Research ·Conway, SC · 10,306 students ·Updated October 13, 2026

The challenge

A strong launch, a structural gap

The NSLS chapter at Coastal Carolina University launched in December 2021 under Dr. Daphne Holland, Associate Provost for Student Success, with Academic Coaching Specialists Megan Grandey and Jordan Ross. The campus already had a full slate of student organizations, and more than 2,800 students have joined the chapter since launch.

Early on, students joined readily, but the chapter had no trained executive board to plan events, communicate with members, and keep programming moving. Interest was there; follow-through was not.

33%

average induction rate, spring 2022 to spring 2023, against the chapter’s own 40% benchmark

28%

induction rate in spring 2023, the low point

The constraint was capacity rather than student interest or advisor commitment. A chapter fielding hundreds of member inquiries cannot deliver consistent programming without a trained, dedicated student leadership team.

The solution

Seven changes, made over several semesters

The team worked methodically across several semesters, building systems meant to outlast any single student leader or academic year.

Assemble and train a dedicated E-Board

Over a full year, Dr. Daphne Holland, Megan Grandey, and Jordan Ross worked with student leaders to build a team trained in NSLS best practices. Each E-Board member had clear responsibilities and ran events from NSLS Facilitator Guides. Student President Abigail DeVico set the standard for consistent chapter leadership.

Set a communication cadence

Email, social media, and direct outreach, used together so no member fell through the cracks. During peak membership periods the team answered more than 120 inquiries while keeping event quality and personal contact with members.

Keep event programming consistent

A predictable calendar members could plan around: regular Orientations, Leadership Training Days, Success Networking Teams (SNTs), and community service. Consistency made it easier for students to fit participation into a full academic schedule.

Stay visible on campus

Prominent placement at OKDay, CCU’s main start-of-year event, plus organization fairs and service initiatives, kept the chapter in front of students each semester.

Build institutional partnerships

Dr. Holland made embedding the chapter in campus culture an institutional priority, and the chapter and the university formalized their partnership in a memorandum of understanding. That gave the chapter standing with academic leadership as well as student life.

Create real-world leadership opportunities

With the United Way of Horry County, the chapter set up internship placements for members on the Heggerty Phonemic Awareness initiative, delivering early literacy instruction in local schools while building professional skills.

Recognize student achievement

The chapter marked milestones publicly. Alyssa Ciccarelli, the first CCU student to complete the NSLS Advanced and Executive coursework, was honored at the spring induction ceremony, where the university’s president spoke. The chapter received the NSLS Innovation Award and a $1,000 prize at the NSLS Summit, and student leader Kenyatta Smith received an additional $500 Summit award.

The results

From a 33% average to 46%

The chapter’s induction rate averaged 33% across spring 2022 to spring 2023, with a low of 28% in spring 2023, and 46% across the five semesters from fall 2023 to fall 2025, never dropping below 41% and peaking at 49.8%. Every one of those five semesters met or exceeded the chapter’s 40% benchmark.

Induction rate by semester (40% benchmark)

Sp ’22

29%

Fa ’22

43%

Sp ’23

28%

Fa ’23

41%

Sp ’24

48%

Fa ’24

49.8%

Sp ’25

46%

Fa ’25

47%

Data through fall 2025. Semester induction rates as published in the NSLS’s Coastal Carolina chapter case study; the before and after figures are simple averages of the semester rates shown.

33% → 46%

average induction rate before and after (spring 2022 to spring 2023 vs. fall 2023 to fall 2025)

49.8%

peak induction rate (fall 2024)

9/10

average member rating of their likelihood to recommend the NSLS

2,800+

students joined since the December 2021 launch

Members rated their likelihood to recommend the NSLS 9 out of 10 on average.

Student & partner voices

The people behind the numbers

“The NSLS speakers have helped me to change my life because I wake up every day with a new attitude. I am more positive about my dreams and making them a reality, and what steps I need to take in order to obtain them.”
Meghan Ford, CCU NSLS Member

“These SNT meetings have helped me achieve my goals in ways that I could never imagine. It helped me set small objectives in order to complete my big goal.”
Jeremiah Dingui, CCU NSLS Member

“As a first-generation college student, navigating everything on my own has been a journey, and the NSLS made the process easier, less stressful, and empowering.”
Alyssa Ciccarelli, First to complete NSLS Advanced & Executive at CCU · First-generation student

“Having these Coastal Carolina University NSLS interns embedded in our partner sites has been a game-changer for our Heggerty Phonemic Awareness initiative. The interns are trained, prepared, and passionate.”
Richard Williams, Jr., Director of Education, United Way of Horry County

Key takeaways

What other chapters can learn

Infrastructure can take time

Student leadership multiplies impact

Consistency builds trust

Visibility matters

Institutional partnerships build credibility

Real-world opportunities deepen learning

Celebrate publicly

Use the advisor’s institutional role

Communication is operational infrastructure

Track the numbers each semester

First-generation students need support

Community impact strengthens campus standing

Build the same foundation on your campus.

The NSLS provides the curriculum, facilitator guides, and training on setting up a student executive board. Your campus provides an advisor and the students who lead.

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Sources

The NSLS: Coastal Carolina University chapter case study (semester induction rates, enrollment, membership, strategies, member rating, awards, and the United Way of Horry County partnership)