Today more than ever, student affairs must respond to a wide range of demands for accountability and respond to requests to assist faculty in designing the best learning environment for students. Student engagement is a term used to explain a set of beliefs that can guide student affairs as a field in planning and accomplishing this mission. This manuscript discusses how the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) has propagated the concept of student engagement, traces the genesis of student engagement through earlier student affairs paradigms, and outlines a methodology to implement a student engagement paradigm particularly relevant for student affairs practitioners working to create an engaging environment for students.