Launching a Points program is an exciting way to motivate student engagement and you don’t need to wait for the start of a new term to get started. Whether it’s mid-semester, during a special event series, or leading up to a major campus tradition, you can introduce Points at any time of year.

The key is starting with a program that matches your goals, timeline, and available resources. Some campuses begin with short, themed challenges that build quick momentum, while others pilot Points within a single department before expanding. And when you’re ready, you can grow into a comprehensive, campus-wide engagement initiative.

Below are a few proven approaches to help you bring Points to life, no matter when you decide to launch.

1. Start Small with Themed or Time-Bound Challenges

Perfect for: Testing out Points for the first time or adding a burst of engagement mid-semester

You don’t need a yearlong competition to get students excited. Try launching a short-term Points challenge tied to a specific campus initiative or event series. These smaller efforts are a great way to pilot the feature, collect feedback, and build momentum.

Examples:

Why it works: 

Short-term challenges are an easy, low-pressure way for both students and staff to get familiar with how Points work. Students quickly see how their participation translates into recognition, while campus partners learn how to create and manage Activities effectively. These quick wins help generate excitement, uncover best practices, and build a shared understanding of how Points can enhance engagement across campus. Once everyone’s comfortable with the basics, it’s much easier to expand into larger or ongoing programs.

Making it Happen: 

Use the Criteria Builder to create a single Point Activity that encompasses your entire challenge. This keeps setup simple for both staff and students.

For example, during a Weeks of Welcome challenge, you might create one Activity where attending any event with the category “Weeks of Welcome” earns students points. When the challenge ends, simply Archive the Activity to remove it from student view while keeping the data for your records.

2. Go Targeted with Department or Program-Specific Points

Perfect for: Departments that want to gamify engagement within their own area

Sometimes, one office or program can lead the way by creating a focused Points experience that aligns with its existing goals. These programs let you explore Points in a controlled environment while demonstrating early success to other departments.

Examples:

Why it works: 

Starting within one department provides a clear audience, streamlined communication, and measurable outcomes. It also helps build internal champions who can share results and inspire a broader rollout later.

Making it Happen: 

Clearly name your Activity and include a detailed description that explains the purpose, identifies your target audience (e.g., first-year students), and outlines the related learning outcomes.

To simplify management, use the “And” criteria to layer filters such as Hosting Organization and Event Category.

For example, if your Student Leadership Program wants to award points only for events hosted by the Department of Student Leadershipand categorized as Leap into Leadership, you can easily configure that with layered criteria.

Points are intentionally designed to be open to the entire campus community, showcasing all the ways to grow involvement. However, if you want to restrict Points to a specific group of students (for instance, the Class of [Insert Year]) consider creating a “Class of [Insert Year]” organization. Host the related events through that organization and make them visible only to its members. Students outside the organization won’t see those events on the Points page.

3. Dream Big with a Campus-Wide Engagement Program

Perfect for: Campuses ready to connect engagement across multiple areas

Once you’ve tested what works, you can expand your Points program to include all aspects of student involvement from events and leadership to service, wellness, and beyond.

Examples:

Why it works: 

A campus-wide approach reinforces the value of engagement as a core part of the student experience and provides meaningful data to track trends, celebrate involvement, and support retention efforts.

Making it Happen: 

As you build capacity, familiarity, and excitement through smaller programs, you’ll have a strong foundation for a campus-wide initiative. Your existing Activities can serve as the first building blocks to expand upon.

When you’re ready to scale, review your Point values to ensure they align with institutional priorities. For instance, consider whether Points for Leadership Development, Career Readiness, and Weeks of Welcome are balanced in a way that reflects campus values. If adjustments are needed, you can Archive old Activities and create new, balanced ones and don’t worry, students will keep the Points they’ve already earned!

Launching your campus-wide initiative may also be a great time to complete a Points Refresh. Since this larger initiative will likely include new Activities and attract more participants, a Refresh resets the leaderboard so everyone starts with the same number of Points. This creates a more equitable Ranking and gives all students a fresh opportunity to engage.

Don’t worry — students will retain all previously earned Points under the Lifetime Points category, keeping their full history of involvement visible and celebrated.

Pro Tip: Don’t Wait for the “Perfect” Launch

You can introduce Points any time of year, even mid-semester! Tie your first program to something already happening on campus, such as a themed week or signature event series. Starting small helps you learn the system, gather feedback, and build excitement for what’s next.

Choosing the Right Starting Point

Next Steps

You’ll be surprised how quickly students respond and how easy it is to grow your Points program from there.