Summer Sessions officially began on May 20, and while students are already engaging in coursework, faculty and staff across NC State are beginning to shape the upcoming academic year. As planning for the 2026–2027 academic year gets underway, the Division of Enrollment Management and Services (EMAS) invites colleges, departments and campus partners to view Summer Sessions not simply as a seasonal academic offering, but as a third academic term that creates shared opportunities to support student success through collaboration.

Summer is uniquely positioned to bring together advising, academic programs, student support services and enrollment initiatives in ways that strengthen the student experience across the university. Through intentional partnerships and coordinated outreach, Summer Sessions can help students stay on track academically while also creating opportunities for colleges and departments to expand visibility, engagement and interdisciplinary connections.

Supporting Students Through Collaboration

Summer Sessions are most successful when the campus community works together to help students understand how summer fits into their academic journey. With flexible course formats, online options and a broad range of offerings across colleges, students have more opportunities than ever to make meaningful progress during the summer months.

Advisors, faculty and staff each contribute important perspectives in helping students identify opportunities that align with their goals. Advisors can help students explore ways to stay on track, reduce future course loads or recover credits. Early recommendations can make a meaningful difference in helping students stay on track and feel more prepared heading into the next academic year. Faculty can introduce students to unique summer learning experiences, while student support teams can help connect students with resources that make summer enrollment more accessible and achievable.

Summer also creates opportunities for students to engage outside their home college. Programs such as Poole College of Management’s business minors or General Education Program offerings through the College of Humanities and Social Sciences allow students to explore interdisciplinary interests and broaden their academic experience in ways that may be more difficult during the traditional academic year.

Rather than creating additional responsibilities for campus partners, EMAS aims to support collaborative opportunities that amplify the work already happening across departments and colleges. By sharing resources, outreach strategies and event opportunities, Summer Sessions can become a coordinated effort that benefits students and campus units alike. As part of that effort, EMAS is inviting colleges and departments to help shape future Summer Sessions initiatives through the Summer Sessions Initiatives Assessment Survey. Feedback from across campus will help identify opportunities for collaboration, improve outreach strategies and better align Summer Sessions efforts with the needs of students and academic units across the university. Departments interested in increasing visibility, strengthening student engagement or exploring partnership opportunities are encouraged to participate.

Expanding Partnerships Across Campus

Starting in Fall 2026, the Summer Sessions team within EMAS will also introduce a Summer Sessions Advising Toolkit that will be distributed across colleges and departments throughout NC State. The toolkit is designed to support advisors, faculty and student-facing staff by providing resources that make conversations about summer opportunities easier and more informed. Materials will include historical Summer Sessions enrollment data, student success and retention outcomes connected to summer enrollment, key benefits of Summer Sessions participation, examples of communications and campaigns shared with students by the EMAS office, and samples of promotional materials such as stickers, handouts and giveaway items used during outreach events. By sharing these resources broadly, the goal is to equip campus partners with consistent messaging and practical tools that can support local advising and engagement efforts while encouraging a more collaborative, university-wide approach to Summer Sessions outreach.

In addition, EMAS will continue its Summer Sessions awareness campaign through a coordinated, year-round communication campaign designed to increase visibility and create more opportunities for conversation around Summer Sessions. This includes general awareness messaging, major-specific and class-year-specific outreach campaigns, social media promotion and collaborative marketing opportunities that departments can adapt to their own audiences and goals.

A major focus of this effort is creating spaces where colleges and students can connect directly around summer opportunities. Two signature engagement events — Summerween in October during the opening of spring registration and Summer Sessions Fest in late March or early April — are designed to encourage campus-wide participation and collaboration.

By working together, campus partners can help create a more connected, student-centered summer experience that strengthens academic engagement across the university.

As NC State continues to expand opportunities for student success and academic flexibility, Summer Sessions represents an important space for innovation, collaboration and student engagement across the university. EMAS looks forward to continuing these conversations with campus partners and building stronger collaborative pathways that help students make the most of their summer experience at NC State.