points of engagement
Case study // Kennesaw State + SEAHO 2025
From residence life program to conference case study.
KSU’s HVZ program was presented at the Southeastern Association of Housing Officers 2025 conference as an example of innovative residential programming: immersive gameplay, campus collaboration, technology infrastructure, and measurable student engagement.
points of data
app interactions
The engagement lesson
Students respond when an event feels visible, social, and worth joining.
The KSU case study shows how HVZ can become more than a standalone game. The program connected residence life, campus promotion, dining, traditions, technology, and student-led excitement into one shared experience.
A strong HVZ rollout can connect recreation, residence life, dining, student media, campus traditions, and student organizations into one shared week of play.
What made the rollout feel bigger
A campus event, not just a signup sheet.
Promotional surfaces
Posters, campus screens, dining displays, social posts, and physical promo items make the game feel real before it starts.
Campus departments
Dining, housing, recreation, student affairs, and media teams can all create touchpoints around the event.
Player belonging
Wristbands, faction colors, shirts, mission briefings, and visible teams help students feel part of something larger.
Evolution of the program
KSU’s model matured from tracking tags to running a connected experience.
The basics
Manual data tracking and a simple tag-game foundation.
Expansion and automation
Integrated technology and broader marketing efforts.
Full-scale immersion
A campus-wide transformation supported by the mobile app.
Hard-to-reach populations
HVZ gave less visible students a reason to leave the room.
STEM students may play video games in-room; commuter students may leave campus after class.
Game-based programming, 24-hour accessibility, immersive story, and problem-solving objectives.
Increased participation, connection to the residential population, and stronger impact on the college experience.
Image needed Final crowd / closing mission photo
Add a high-energy wide photo showing the scale of the finale or the full group after the game.
Case study figures are drawn from the SEAHO 2025 presentation prepared for KSU Housing and Residence Life. Additional confirmed registration, retention, and participation metrics can be added as the program data is finalized.