Swipe, Sit, Stay:

The Role of Campus Dining in Fostering Social Connections

The importance of social connectedness in student success has long been recognized. In the post-COVID19 era, fostering meaningful peer relationships among college students is more critical than ever. Positive social interactions are linked to improved mental health, academic performance, college satisfaction, and retention (Fischer, 2007; Hefner & Eisenberg, 2009; Otero et al., 2007; Wolniak et al., 2012). Because student socialization occurs across all aspects of the college experience, institutions must adopt a multifaceted approach to fostering connectedness—one that includes collaboration with campus partners from across the university. This study highlights the role of Dining Services in promoting social connectedness, building on the work of Bowman et al. (2019), who developed a proxy measure for social interaction using campus meal swipe data to predict retention and graduation outcomes.

Social Connectedness Among College Students

Social connectedness is a key contributor to student well-being and academic persistence. High-quality social interactions and peer relationships among college students have been shown to reduce mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety (Hefner & Eisenberg, 2009); increase college satisfaction (Fischer, 2007); and predict student retention (Fischer, 2007; Otero et al., 2007; Wolniak et al., 2012).

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted how college students formed and maintained social connections (Hamlin & Barney, 2022). According to Hamlin & Barney (2022), students reported decreased participation in on-campus events and reduced use of campus facilities, even after campus resumed normal operations. Instead, many relied more heavily on technology to stay connected— though virtual interactions proved less effective than in-person engagement. In this context, fostering face-to-face social interaction has become increasingly vital. As a result, the importance of student social connectedness has grown, underscoring the need for postsecondary institutions to support the holistic development of peer relationships across all aspects of the student experience.

Dining Services as a Facilitator of Student Social Connectedness

Although prior research has shown a strong connection between dining on-campus and student social connection, the role of Dining Services in promoting socialization is often overlooked. Bauer (2012) found that college students who dined more frequently in campus dining halls reported stronger social support and higher GPAs. Bowman et al. (2019) introduced the meal index (m-index), a novel metric derived from campus meal swipe data, to measure students’ social connectedness. By tracking how often students entered dining halls in close proximity to one another, the m-index captures both the breadth and frequency of peer interactions. This approach infers social integration without relying on self-reported surveys, offering early insights into students’ adjustment to college life. In this study, higher m-index scores were significantly associated with increased retention and graduation rates, even early as the first week of the semester. The m-index provides a unique method for postsecondary institutions to leverage existing data to craft holistic interventions that support student social connectedness. The present study is a replication that builds on the work of Bowman et al. (2019), exploring how early semester dining patterns among first-year students might serve as indicators of social connectedness, integration, and predictors of student success. Building on this innovative approach, Rutgers–New Brunswick Student Affairs and Dining Services, in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Research and Decision Support, replicated the study to explore how early dining patterns among first-year students might serve as indicators of social connectedness, integration, and predictors of student success.

Method

The study analyzed data 5,511 first-year students with meal plans who dined in two residential “allyou-care-to-eat" dining halls located at two different ends of the campus over a 15-week semester. The outcome variable was retention into the spring semester of the first year.

The primary independent variable was a social dining index, reflecting both the number and frequency of unique dining partners. Dining partnerships were inferred when two students swiped into the same dining hall within one minute of each other, a conservative threshold designed to minimize false positives while capturing meaningful social interactions. While this method may have missed some intentional meetups, it effectively reduced the likelihood of random co-occurrences being misclassified as friendships. Preliminary analyses confirmed that results were consistent across different time windows.

From this data, an “m-index” was calculated for each student. A student’s m-index represents the highest number (m) of peers with whom they shared at least m meals. For instance, an m-index of 10 indicates the student dined at least 10 times with each of 10 different individuals. This index was computed cumulatively at several points during the semester (Weeks 1, 2, 4, 8, and 15) and standardized (mean = 0, SD = 1) for interpretability. The standardized m-index was then regressed upon the outcome variable to determine its correlation with retention.

Results

Logistic regression analyses revealed that the m-index became a statistically significant predictor of retention beginning in Week 2. Notably, students’ m-index scores tended to increase over the course of the semester, suggesting that social connectedness through dining interactions strengthened week after week. Although the model explained a small portion of the variance (e.g., R2 =0.0078), the consistent significance of the m-index highlights the role of communal dining in fostering student connections and persistence. These findings point to a promising opportunity: dining halls are not just places to eat, but vital environments where meaningful relationships are formed, connections that can positively influence students’ college experiences.

Table 1: Summary of Logistic Regression Analysis of M-Index Scores and First-Year Student Retention at Rutgers—New Brunswick

Discussion

These findings build upon the foundational work of Bowman et al. (2019) and subsequent replications such as that at Rutgers–New Brunswick, consistently underscore that campus dining halls serve a purpose far beyond the mere provision of delicious, nutritious, and sustainable meals. These communal spaces are vital facilitators of social connection, playing a demonstrable role in enhancing a sense of belonging and significantly contributing to student retention and graduation rates.

The daily observations within university dining halls corroborate this assertion. It is a common occurrence to witness students engaging in shared meals, whether a group of friends debriefing an intramural sports event or classmates engaging in academic discourse following an expository writing seminar. These interactions exemplify the organic moments of connection that are central to a vibrant collegiate experience and are explicitly fostered by the environment that campus dining provides.

Dining Services plays an active and critical role in cultivating social connectivity through strategic programming. The consistent offering of special themed meals throughout the semester—including Friendsgiving, Winter Holiday Celebration, Boardwalk Bonanza, and Midnight Breakfast, illustrates a commitment to more than just culinary variety. These events are designed to break the monotony of routine dining and, more importantly, to create dedicated opportunities for students to gather with peers, solidify friendships, and experience a deeper social connectedness within the collegiate environment. The emphasis on high-quality food, prepared by award-winning chefs, further enhances the overall positive experience, making these gatherings even more appealing.

Limitations

Though the m-index is a helpful tool to measure student social connectedness, it has limitations. The m-index may not capture students who eat together did not enter the dining hall at the same time, conversely, the m-index may connect students who routinely swipe into the dining hall at the same time but do not dine together (Jarratt et al., 2019). The m-index also does not capture socialization between students who dine together off campus or those who do not purchase meal plans (Jarratt et al., 2019).

Despite these constraints, the m-index remains a valuable proxy for student social connectedness. The research presented, while acknowledging the mindex's statistical significance but the limited practical impact, nonetheless reinforces the broader concept that access to a meal plan and regular communal dining are indeed significant factors in promoting social connectedness and, consequently, student retention. Although the m-index does not capture all forms of social interaction such as informal gatherings, chance encounters, or the experiences of students who eat-off campus or lack meal plans, it still serves as an indicator of early social integration. While a meal plan is certainly one of many variables influencing a student's decision to persist at a university, it represents a tangible and manageable factor for the student and one that parents can directly support. This highlights the proactive role that both students and their families can play in leveraging dining resources to foster a more integrated and successful university experience.

Conclusion

Dining Services extends its commitment to fostering belonging by actively introducing culturally inspired menu items. This intentional effort ensures that students from diverse populations feel seen, welcomed, and genuinely integrated into the campus community. Such culturally responsive programming is not merely about culinary diversity; it is a critical component of transforming the student experience, reinforcing the idea that dining halls are inclusive spaces where students from all backgrounds can connect and thrive. This holistic approach to dining, which prioritizes social wellbeing and cultural integration, directly contributes to enhanced student retention by creating a more supportive and engaging campus environment. Ultimately, Dining Services functions as an integral department within Student Affairs, directly contributing to the division's and the university's strategic Master Plan, which has student success as a core focus. Its mandate extends beyond fundamental sustenance; it is a key driver in connecting and retaining students across a diverse and dynamic campus community, thereby solidifying its essential role in the broader mission of student success and institutional thriving.