The T-Shirt Effect: How SWAG has Cultivated Community, Connection, and Retention in an Online EdD Program

The strategic delivery of program-branded swag, which stands for “stuff we all get”, is an important way to build community with online students, leading to increased connectedness. An improved sense of belonging and a strong community can support improved retention rates in online programs.  Roughly 71% of the 3.1 million adults enrolled in a post-baccalaureate degree-granting program in the United States utilize an online learning platform for one or more courses (NCES, 2021; NCES, 2022). Enrollment in online higher education programs continues to outpace enrollment in traditional on-the-ground programs (Lederman, 2019; NCES, 2022). Online learning is the modality of choice for many adult students because it offers self-paced, flexible learning opportunities, improved accessibility to a variety of degree programs regardless of geographic location, increased control of time management, and the ability for participants to maintain established professional and personal commitments. More students are opting for online pathways (McKenzie, 2021), however, attrition rates in online programs remain high (Bawa, 2016; Cochran et al., 2014). Further, completion rates for doctoral degrees were roughly 50% after ten years of enrollment (Sowell et al., 2015). While there is no disaggregated data for online doctoral program attrition rates, current literature suggests attrition rates for online programs are frequently 10-20% higher than traditional face-to-face programs (Bawa, 2016) and that doctoral degree completion rates are lower than most other postsecondary degrees (Lehan et al., 2021; Spaulding & Rockinson-Szapkiw, 2012). Consequently, students in online doctoral programs face the compounded challenge of earning a high-level degree using the online modality.

Various personal and programmatic factors influence the persistence of online doctoral students (Lehan et al., 2021; Rockinson-Szapkiw & Stephen, 2019; Zahl, 2015). Creating a community, promoting a sense of belonging, and providing opportunities to be connected to the university, faculty and staff, and other students, are critical factors that contribute to student success in online doctoral programs (Bollinger et al., 2019; Buss & Wolf, 2021; Lively et al., 2021; Studebaker & Curtis, 2021). One way we have fostered community, promoted belonging, and created connections between stakeholders is through the use of strategic program-branded swag, or promotional products as strategic relationship marketing.

Swag is an important promotional tool in the United States marketing industry. The U.S. promotional product market was estimated at $25 billion, up 13% from 2021 (Auping, 2023). While the use of corporate gifting of mass-produced items can be viewed as cheap and unsustainable (Peralta, 2023), strategically providing thoughtful program-branded swag can be a form of relationship marketing, that supports the “development and cultivation of” positive long-term connections between “an organization and defined customer group” (Peck, 1999, pg. 2-3). People love to get free items, and students always feel special when they receive these gifts from their program/school. However, more than that, the intentional and thoughtfully-timed gift of swag to students is an effective way to foster community, develop connectedness, and build strong relationships between students and the program. Bowden (2011) emphasized that strong relationships improve student commitment, loyalty, and retention and support positive perceptions of the program and university.

Our online EdD program invests about $130 per student throughout their enrollment to provide thoughtfully-timed, purposeful, program-branded swag as a form of relationship marketing. Outreach includes a mailed gift after a successful first term of coursework. The gift includes a university-branded shirt that reads: “You can be a (university name and mascot) from anywhere” along with a card that reads: YAY!  You did it! Congrats on finishing your first term in the program!  Another thoughtfully-timed gift occurs when a student has a new baby in the family, the program sends a university-branded onesie with a congratulations card signed by our faculty and staff.  Additionally, we send luggage tags, koozies, notepads and handwritten congratulations when a student receives a promotion, is awarded a grant or award, or presents at a conference. The program also provides swag bags at multiple points throughout students’ three years of enrollment. The swag strategy is a way we communicate our student-first approach, demonstrate our care and compassion for our students as individuals, and live out our mission and vision through actions. 

To measure the impact of the swag strategy, we are conducting a multi-year research study. The research question guiding this study is: In what ways does receiving program-branded swag create a sense of belonging, community, and connectedness for online doctoral students?

The concept of classroom community provides the foundation for this study, understanding that the classroom refers to both physical and virtual spaces (Rovai, 2002a; Rovai, 2002b; Rovai & Lucking, 2000). This concept, built upon McMillan’s (1996) work, is constructed of four dimensions: common interactions (i.e., learning), interaction, trust, and spirit. We specifically focused on the dimension of spirit in this study, which is the connectedness that one feels to the group. This culture of connectedness can create learning environments where students regularly challenge and support one another, lessening opportunities for them to feel excluded and unmotivated (Rovai, 2002a). Furthermore, this sense of spirit can manifest itself in loyalty to the group (i.e., program, university; McMillan & Chavis, 1986), which can then create an engaged alumni base (Osayawe Ehigie & Taylor, 2009). 

Providing swag creates a community among EdD students, faculty, and staff, improves connectedness, and increases a sense of belonging in our program. This is evidenced in our most recent survey findings, where 96% of student participants (N=53) indicated they enjoyed receiving swag. Specifically, one student shared “I love the EdD swag! Love when it has the EdD logo.” Another shared they “love the variance of items we are always given - appreciate it so much.” Similarly, one student shared they “love repping the EdD”, whereas another stated the swag is a “morale booster and appreciated.” Further, 92% of students shared they agree or strongly agree that they felt part of the university community when they wear/display/use their swag. This was evidenced when one student shared “I love the swag! It really helps feel connected to our school.” Another student wrote that swag “provides more opportunities to represent and have a sense of belonging.” Swag also made another student “feel more connected to the university and our program” and shared that receiving swag helped her feel special. Another student responded, “Because I am so far from campus, swag makes me feel like I am a part of the university.” Similar comments were shared by another student when she mentioned “even though it’s online” receiving swag helped her “feel like a (name of university) student even from a distance.”  These sentiments demonstrate that swag helped our students from various geographic locations create a sense of belonging and feel connected to our campus, program, and community. One student’s summative statement about swag shared our ultimate goal as an online program: to provide our stakeholders with a strong sense of community. She said, “We as an EdD community are blessed to have such connected faculty, staff, and students!” 

Learning Objectives: During this virtual session, we will:

• Discuss how to structure a strategic swag program.

• Share the purpose and value of a strategic swag program in online learning communities. 

• Share study findings on student perspectives of swag as it relates to improving belonging, connectedness, and community in one online doctoral program. 

• Examine the overall sense of belonging, community, connection as a result of a strategic swag program. 

Activities: This session will be structured as an interactive workshop where we provide intentional opportunities to share on targeted topics in small groups throughout the presentation. We will include examples of swag items and images embedded in the presentation to help participants contextualize content. Our presentation will be broken down into three topics and interaction activities, including: 

• Topic 1: Structuring a purposeful swag program 

  • Whole Group Interaction Strategy: Mentimeter and Modeling a swag giveaway

• Topic 2: Purpose and value of thoughtfully-timed swag in online programs 

  • Small Group Interaction Strategy: breakout small group

  • Small Group Discussion Prompt: How might a purposeful swag program be implemented in your specific online setting?

• Topic 3: Student perceptions of swag and the importance of improving the sense of belonging, connectedness, and community in online programs 

  • Small Group Interaction Strategy: jamboard

  • Small Group Discussion Prompt: In what ways do you feel a purposeful swag program might help your online learners create connections to the university, faculty/staff, or other students? 

• Time for Questions 

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