This communication explores student engagement in Higher Education as a multidimensional and transformative phenomenon, essential for consolidating students’ identity in their academic role and directly influencing their sense of belonging, success, and well-being. We propose that higher education institutions, beyond their mission to transfer knowledge to individuals across disciplinary fields, should also be understood as social arenas that cultivate citizens who participate, question, and contribute to shaping the society of tomorrow. To examine the concept of engagement in higher education in depth and across its multiple dimensions, this study relates it to the notion of active citizenship, positioning the University as a democratic space where students develop civic competencies and a sense of social responsibility. The discussion also draws on Alain Coulon’s conceptualization of learning the student’s craft (2008; 2017), emphasizing how students acquire the cultural and relational codes that enable them to fully inhabit the role of student. Drawing on empirical data from a project conducted at a Portuguese public university, this article concludes that student engagement cannot be adequately captured through quantitative indicators alone: it is a fluid phenomenon that must be analyzed in its full scope. We propose that the discussion on this subject should follow a comprehensive approach, considering its various ramifications, covering relational, behavioral and civic dimensions and, therefore, going beyond numbers. Assuming class attendance as the minimum threshold of participation, this communication explores how genuine engagement extends far beyond the classroom environment. Concrete examples from the project illustrate how strengthening students’ sense of belonging and aligning institutional culture play a central role in sustaining engagement levels. Ultimately, numerical reach does not reflect the profound and transformational impact of these diverse forms of involvement.

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Student engagement,Higher Education,Active Citizenship