Austin Peay student life office outlines traditions, new engagement platform GovConnect

Ashley Kountz, director of student life and engagement at Austin Peay State University, presented an overview of the department's programs and student engagement work to the Board of Trustees.

Kountz told trustees the office has six staff members and manages Greek life, student organizations, leadership programs and major campus traditions intended to promote belonging and student retention. "Campus traditions play a pivotal role in fostering a sense of belonging and community on our campus," Kountz said during the presentation.

She highlighted recurring events including Family Weekend (which features the Mud Bowl), a weeklong football homecoming with a parade and crowning of a homecoming king and queen, the new-student convocation, and Apex (the Austin Peay experience) that runs through the first six weeks of the fall semester. Kountz said the office hosted or co-hosted 210 programs that drew more than 20,000 attendees during the year; student organizations hosted 570 programs. She also reported 419 students were members of the Greek community, a 9% increase from spring 2024, and that the university chartered 25 new student organizations for the 2024-25 academic year.

Kountz described two leadership conferences the department supports (the Fall Leadership Experience and the Ziegler Leadership Forum) and noted the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs now uses a set of "Greek pillars of excellence" to guide organizational development.

To improve how the university tracks participation and recognizes student engagement, Kountz introduced GovConnect, a consolidated engagement platform that combines existing tools (described in the presentation as P Link and P Mobile) into a single system with mobile and web access. "GovConnect will provide us with improved data tracking capabilities," she said, and the office plans to implement a badging system that lets students document involvement for resumes and professional profiles.

Trustees asked clarifying questions about GovConnect and commented on the importance of campus traditions and in-person engagement. Trustee comments praised the office's programming and noted the role of organized housing and student life in recruitment and retention. Kountz concluded by inviting trustees to ask further questions and offering follow-up materials in the meeting packet.

What this does not do: the presentation was informational; trustees did not take separate board action on student life programming at this meeting.