Raphaella Prange

Higher Education (HE) is rapidly evolving, and leaders like Raphaella Prange, Vice President for Student Life at Maryville University, are at the forefront of navigating these changes. 

In today's conversation, Raphaella sat down with Jack Eagle, Co-host of The Interview, to discuss her career, fostering student belonging, engagement strategies, and the future of HE.

Raphaella’s Journey

Jack: Let’s start with an introduction to your current role and institution.

My name is Raphaella Prange, and I serve as Vice President for Student Life at Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri. We’re located in a metro area, which gives us the opportunity to collaborate with many nearby institutions. Before coming to Maryville 18 months ago, I spent 24 years at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, working in all areas Student Affairs.

Millikin is a small, private liberal arts college, while Maryville is a comprehensive university with 10,000 students, half of whom are online learners across the country and the globe. Transitioning to serve such a diverse and distributed student population has been a unique challenge, but one I’ve embraced.

As a first-generation college student from an immigrant family – my father is from Nicaragua – I’m deeply passionate about helping underrepresented students access education. That passion aligns with Maryville’s strategic plan, Maryville 2023: The Access and Opportunity Revolution, which focuses on providing education to all students who wish to pursue it.

Jack: How did you find the transition into such a different institution?

I wasn’t actively looking for a change, but after spending so long in one community and becoming established there, colleagues encouraged me to explore new opportunities. A search firm introduced me to Maryville, and while I was initially hesitant, visiting the campus changed my mind.

Maryville is incredibly progressive, especially in its emphasis on technology and its digital-first approach. That investment in innovation – especially meeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha where they are – made it clear this was the right move for me. It was a big change from what I was used to, but the environment has been welcoming. I still keep in touch with my colleagues at Millikin, but I’m excited about the future here.

Jack: Creating a positive campus environment is a huge topic in HE right now, how do you do that at Maryville?

A sense of belonging is critical. I like to think of it in terms of concentric circles. At the center, students need to feel seen and heard as individuals – that’s their foundation. From there, they can build connections within smaller communities, which is crucial for fostering personal safety and identity.

The outer circle represents belonging to the larger institution, but I believe it’s a mistake to start there. Students today care more about grassroots communities and smaller, personal groups than broad institutional identity. Focusing on those smaller, core communities helps students feel supported, which then allows them to expand outward and engage with the institution as a whole.

Jack: Students are increasingly time-poor – how do you solve the engagement issues that come with that?

It’s all about meeting students where they are and using different modalities. For instance, we’re a Slack campus. While Slack is widely used in business, we’ve adopted it as our primary communication tool for students, staff, and faculty. It allows us to create online communities where students can safely discuss topics and connect within our infrastructure.

Slack also serves as an entry point. Students can start with online conversations, which help them build the confidence to transition into in-person discussions. We pair this with micro-learning and micro-credentialing. Students are used to consuming information in small, digestible pieces, and HE needs to adapt to that. Passive education, followed by more active engagement, helps them build skills gradually.

Peer-led learning plays a big role as well – students often learn best from each other.

Jack: Peer-led learning is becoming more and more popular, how else are you implementing it for your students?

Every course at Maryville has a dedicated Slack group where students can discuss their studies. We also have non-course-related channels like "Foodies from St. Louis," where students share their favorite restaurants, and "Student Wellbeing." While we don’t directly moderate these spaces, we keep an eye on them to ensure they’re safe and inclusive.

Our approach is to treat students like customers in the sense of understanding their return on investment. What do they want from their education, and how can we meet their needs in quick, accessible ways? This helps us foster engagement and ensure students feel valued.

Jack: What is the best piece of advice you’ve received in your career?

Early in my career, someone told me never to stop learning. Especially in education, being open to learning throughout your career is essential.

Another great piece of advice was to broaden my horizons and expand my competencies. It’s important to explore new things and stay adaptable to navigate different industries and climates. That mindset has helped me grow professionally and stay engaged in my work.