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Student Development
Student Engagement

Inside Providence College's FIT Initiative: Building Career-Ready Students & Scaffolding Student Success

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Solutions Used

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Description

Explore how Providence College partnered with Suitable to elevate career readiness, student engagement, and competency development through an innovative campus-wide initiative, Friar Involvement Tracker (FIT). Designed to scaffold the student experience, FIT integrates experiential learning with employer-aligned outcomes. With mobile-first access and personalized learning plans, students can track their growth in real time. The program has been especially impactful in the School of Business, where customized badges and activities align directly with business students’ goals. Discover how Providence transformed student engagement, adapted during COVID-19, and continues expanding FIT as a strategic hub for career preparation.

 

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“When we found Suitable, we realized that it was the right product for us. It was more than capable of managing our events, helping us track, it had the ability to have variation between levels and milestones. It was the right fit.”

Jacqueline Elcik, Associate Dean School of Business - Providence College

About the School

Providence College is a private Catholic college located in Providence, Rhode Island. ​​It serves over 4,700 undergraduates and 500 graduate students across 49 majors and 34 minors. The college has four undergraduate schools: the School of Business, Arts & Sciences, Professional Studies, and Continuing Education. The School of Business alone accounts for 41% of the student population and offers majors in Accounting, Finance, Management, and Marketing.

To prepare students for the future, Providence recognized the need to modernize its student engagement model. However, they needed a partner to help bring this vision to life. That is where Suitable came in.

 

Challenges before Suitable

Providence College knows that what makes students really successful goes beyond the classroom. In order to develop well-rounded students into career-ready professionals, the college needed to find a way to nurture their experiences outside of the classroom, but boosting student engagement proved challenging. 

With career readiness and student success on the line, Providence College partnered with Suitable to take its engagement metrics to the next level. Then, once the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the country and forced schools and universities to be completely remote, Providence utilized Suitable’s mobile-first platform to quickly pivot its FIT program to a virtual, user-friendly format.

 

Life with Suitable

Providence partnered with Suitable to design and implement the Friar Involvement Tracker (FIT), a mobile-first engagement platform built around personalized, competency-based learning. FIT enables students to pursue badges in key areas such as professional development, global awareness, and career readiness, each with multiple achievement levels. Using campus analytics and strategic planning, each student receives a customized roadmap aligned with their personal goals and professional aspirations.

Providence College FLIP badges

Since launching FIT in 2019, Providence has seen significant increases in student involvement from career services appointments to virtual workshops. When the School of Business joined the initiative, FIT was further customized to align with its unique goals. This included the launch of the Friar Leadership & Immersion Program (FLIP) badge for first-year business students, which includes career advising, networking events, and exclusive learning opportunities.

FIT is accessible through students’ smartphones, offering a seamless, user-friendly experience. Whether on campus or studying remotely, students can complete advisor check-ins, submit ePortfolios, reflect on experiences, and track progress through FIT’s interactive dashboard. Custom notifications and nudges help maintain momentum and keep students engaged every step of the way.

Take a look at the accomplishments of the FIT initiative

  • Career coaching numbers are up every single month over last year for advising appointments
  • An increase in student engagement across departments
  • Built a resource library amongst the pandemic to equip students inside and outside of advising time
  • Road After Ryan series was created to gain FLIP points proactively in the summer and create a career track earlier
  • When all student engagement was moved remote in Fall 2020, enrollment and engagement stayed strong
Providence College - dash

Outcomes Achieved

Providence College has seen remarkable outcomes since implementing Suitable. Students now engage with co-curricular learning in more meaningful ways, building experiences that directly support their post-graduate success. During the pandemic, Suitable helped launch the Summer PIVOT program, offering virtual career development for the Class of 2020. In just one summer, 320 students from 18 majors earned a total of 18 badges through events, workshops, and career expos.

As FIT expanded, especially within the School of Business, it became a trusted platform to help students translate involvement into tangible career readiness. The initiative continues to evolve into a digital hub for engagement and professional growth across campus.

 

Plans for the Future

After seeing tremendous success with the new FIT program, Providence is now looking to expand personalized FIT programs, like the School of Business, into other colleges and programs by creating Academic Tracks across campus.

Providence is also looking at creating a badge for another major on campus, Health Policy and Management while also planning a Cultural Agility program.