Campus Management Featured in eCampus News; CRM Software Helps Improve Student Recruitment, Retention

by Lisa Patterson on February 14, 2013

eCampus News recently published an article detailing how CRM software has helped improve colleges’ and universities’ ability to recruit and retain students by elevating many schools’ marketing techniques.

The article featured how Campus Management’s Talisma CRM solution enables increased efficiency across many platforms and processes, and that Campus Management’s Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) solution is designed to follow students after graduation to help strengthen alumni relationships.

The article also featured case studies from Arizona State University and the University of Alabama, as they both drastically improved their abilities to recruit and retain students by incorporating the Talisma CRM software.

Because Talisma CRM automates communication with students, prospects and alumni via multiple platforms, including email, chat, telephone, and text messaging, the schools were able reach constituents more effectively and more efficiently than before.

The two schools also used Talisma CRM’s advanced analytics to measure the effectiveness of marketing efforts, which enhanced their targeted campaigns.  In fact, the University of Alabama was able to reduce its 10-year growth initiative to a seven-year timeline, thanks to the tracking features within Talisma CRM.  After implementing the Talisma CRM, UA saw its undergraduate applications increase by 22.9%, and ultimately lead to a 42.4% increase in freshman enrollment in 2009.  New transfers also increased by 16.2%, and the numbers have continued to soar since then.

Read the entire article here: http://bit.ly/12KwQDB

 

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Boost Enrollment with Enterprise CRM: University of Ottawa Explains How

by Lisa Patterson on February 11, 2013

The University of Ottawa has gone beyond the traditional use of Constituent Relationship Management software for recruiting and admissions.  On Tuesday, February 12, the University of Ottawa will give an inside look into how a new, enterprise-wide CRM helped boost enrollment.

With more than 40,000 students, the institution has expanded the technology to an enterprise-wide vision of service throughout the student lifecycle, to keep students progressing toward graduation. Today, uOttawa continues to expand its use of its CRM for proactive e-advising, on-demand services, housing, and highly targeted and measurable campaigns.

The Webinar, which will be hosted by Campus Technology, will showcase how CRM technology helps deliver highly targeted communications and services; unite and track communication across campuses, departments, staff and systems; gain a 360 degree view of student issues, from academic to financial; and empower students through Web-based self-service and integrated communication.

Join Denise St. Jean, information technology manager – student IT services at the University of Ottawa, and Eric Kramer, senior director of sales at Campus Management to learn more about how the University of Ottawa was able to boost enrollment using an enterprise-wide CRM, and how you can too.

To register – http://bit.ly/11uCsH3

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Using a Truly Interactive Student Information System to Enhance Career Services

by Lisa Patterson on February 7, 2013

An unstable economy, a growing employment crisis, and an ever-diversifying student body have provided today’s colleges and universities with a bigger challenge than ever before: career placement.  Coupled with the uphill climb graduates face as they begin their journey into the “real” world, it is essential that an institution’s career services department has the ability to work with each student individually to help him or her find the right fit to start and excel in a chosen career.

The Minnesota School of Business and Globe University saw an opportunity to better serve their students by integrating a student information system with their constituent relationship management services to foster community outreach, internships and, most importantly, job placement.

However, the career-college faced a significant challenge as they began strategizing the implementation: the schools have more than 20 campuses throughout the upper Midwest, and each student has the ability to take classes in multiple locations.  This geographical reach required a robust platform to centralize and standardize reporting and processes to ensure that students moving between departments, programs and locations did not fall through the cracks.

The Minnesota School of Business and Globe University chose to implement Campus Management’s CampusVue Student Information System, as it allowed for seamless multi-campus incorporation by easily integrating Blackboard, eCollege and other student platforms already in place, creating one centralized database.  By extending CRM technology across the enterprise through Campus Management’s suite of certified application programming interfaces (APIs), the institution was able to create a truly interactive way of developing a student profile to foster community outreach, internships, and job placement.

With an end-to-end student information system in place, the Minnesota School of Business and Globe University were able to align student profiles and goals with the needs of employers, generate follow-up letters, verify inquiries, and better manage the overall communication between students and potential employers.

“We have our own online application that we built for students, which they access through CampusVue Portal,” said Matt Long, Director of Information Services at the Minnesota School of Business.  “We also have our own application that allows employers to post jobs and enables students to search and apply for jobs through the portal.  We’re taking a bigger view of the placement module and treating it more as a community engagement tool, trying to tie all the touch points together to help our students find jobs when they graduate.”

In today’s world, finding a job after college can be a struggle.  Engineering career services through a single point of entry portal that maximizes placement success and student satisfaction, enables students attending colleges like the University of Minnesota School of Business and Globe University to have the upper hand.

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University Business Webinar: How ASU Drives Global Recruitment with Advanced CRM

by Lisa Patterson on January 17, 2013

With an enrollment of almost 60,000 undergraduate students, more than 275 degree majors[1], and home to some of the best men’s and women’s sports teams in the country, Arizona State University is one of the most sought-after destinations both instate and out-of-state – as well as internationally – for high school graduates and transfer students.  In fact, ASU received close to 17,000 applications from prospective students in 2012.

To help drive global recruitment, and to help the admissions department keep track of the communication between prospective students and the admissions department, Arizona State switched to an advanced CRM system, Campus Management’s Talisma CRM.  The new system not only enabled the institution to engage students on multiple levels, but also to effectively personalize the communication with prospective students coming from all over the world.

University Business recently hosted an exclusive webinar detailing how Arizona State University, the largest public university in the United States, enhanced its recruiting system by employing Talisma CRM.

David Burge, Executive Director of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at ASU, gave participants an advanced look at the strategy and technology behind their initiative to upgrade their CRM system, and how the new system has transformed admissions and marketing for the university.

Also, specialists from Campus Management demonstrated for participants how communications that used to take days to accomplish are now fully online and instant with tailored work streams.

Click the link to view the webinar on the Campus Management website: http://bit.ly/11fb66O

You’ll learn how you can personalize and automate communications throughout the recruitment process and automatically respond to inquiries through multiple channels – including phone, text, email, mobile devices, and more – based on student preferences.

 

[1] Statistics are from US News and World Report’s review of Arizona State University – http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/asu-1081

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Campus Management Recognized for Optimizing University Processes

by Lisa Patterson on January 2, 2013

As part of its inaugural Readers’ Choice Awards, University Business reached out to campus leaders and administrators from across the country throughout 2012, asking them to nominate the products they and their peers are using, and to offer their perspective regarding how these products contribute to the success of their institutions.

Based on the quality and quantity of nominations, Campus Management’s Talisma CRM was named one of the Top Products of 2012.

According to the article highlighting the winners in the December issue of University Business, “Talisma CRM delivers personalized information and services across marketing, sales and service functions and provides tools for staging and measuring marketing campaigns, managing the sales pipeline, increasing revenue, and gaining insight into operational performance and customer needs.”

By utilizing the Talisma CRM solution, institutions can improve their recruiting and retention by personalizing and automating communications from multiple channels, including email, chat, phone, text message and print.  Administrators and university officials also noted that the software helped their institution build and sustain relationships with constituents, strengthen their brands and stay competitive.

Thank you for acknowledging Campus Management Corp as one of the providers of the top products of 2012.  We are dedicated to providing the software and the technology needed to optimize university processes, and improve the institutional experience for students, faculty and administrators.  We are honored to be part of this list, and we are excited for what’s to come in 2013 and beyond.

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Individualizing 30,000 Prospective Students: Enhancing the Efficiency of Admissions Recruiting

by Lisa Patterson on December 13, 2012

Since its founding in 1867, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has earned a reputation as a world-class leader in research, teaching and public engagement.  More than 30,000 undergraduates are enrolled in over 150 fields of study offered by the university, which is ranked as one of the top public universities by U.S. News and World Report.  It’s no wonder that 31,454 prospective freshmen applied in 2012, according to the Chicago Tribune.

With admissions officers stationed across the country, and internationally, one of the university’s main challenges was organizing the communication across each region.  The 31,000 applicants pales in comparison to the number of prospects these admissions counselors interact with on a daily basis – whether it be at a school or at a college fair – and being able to reach out to and respond quickly with personalized information is crucial in finding the right candidate.

To help manage the communication volume of this magnitude, UIUC, which is now ranked as the “number-one wired college” according to PC Magazine based on the value it places on new and innovative technologies to enhance its practices, was in search of a platform that would enable it to centralize, automate and personalize communications across multiple pathways.

“We needed to be able to enter candidate information into the system and have it as part of the permanent record of interaction for that prospect,” said Stacey Kostell, the university’s director of admissions.  “Our problem was that we didn’t have good prospect data.  We could have been sending information to a prospective student who had already been denied admission.”

To solve these complex communications issues, UIUC turned to Campus Management’s Talisma Constituent Relationship Management (CRM), a strategic enrollment software solution, to enhance the admissions department’s ability to engage candidates, manage territories, stage and track events, and meet its recruiting objectives.

By implementing a universal CRM system to consolidate the communication between admissions counselors and prospective students from all over the world, UIUC is now better able to coordinate communications among other departments and territories.  For example, if a student is interested in the music program, the admissions department and the music department are now sending complementary messages rather than bombarding the candidate with the same messages and materials.

“Talisma CRM enabled our admissions counselors to view information about student interests as well as all previous contact or interactions, whether it was a phone call, a letter, or a conversation or at a college fair,” continued Kostell.

The result was improved recruiting and retention due to a more personalized and automated communication process.  The platform also gave UIUC the ability to track the progress and the effectiveness of specific events used to attract applicants.  For example, the admissions department was able to gauge the effectiveness of its annual Orange and Blue Days to attract prospects, allowing them to compile data, determine which aspects of the event resonated with each prospect, and find a way to personalize the follow-up interaction.

“Before Campus Management deployed the Talisma CRM solution, if a prospective student visited our Website, he or she might get three identical emails from three different departments or counselors over a weekend.  It wasn’t a very efficient process,” said Kostell. “Now we know who’s talking to whom.”

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Indiana State University Innovates with Enterprise-Wide CRM

by Lisa Patterson on October 11, 2012

Higher education has historically used constituent relationship management (CRM) strategies to assist in the communication and data-recording management of the three phases of the student lifecycle: admissions prospecting, student management, and alumni relations.  However, as these three stages are very different from one another, the specific departments responsible for managing each of the three stages have historically done so separately and autonomously.

However, today’s technology advancements have enhanced the ability to bring the three aspects of the student lifecycle together into one comprehensive CRM tool – centralizing campuses, automating workflows, and offering administrators, faculty and advisors a 3600 view of all university operations, and improving services to students at every stage and touch point of their academic experience.

On October 16, Campus Management and the Chronicle of Higher Education will be holding a Webinar detailing the benefits and challenges of extending CRM capabilities across multiple departments by analyzing the work done by an actual institution that has pioneered the integration of an enterprise-wide CRM.

Indiana State University (ISU), known as one of the best public universities in the Midwest, has capitalized on the ability to organize and consolidate communication, by creating one data source for communications across its enterprise.  The ambitious project, called Data-to Action, delivers a new, innovative and more effective way for higher education to engage prospects, students and alumni.

With this enhanced student information system in place, Indiana State University is able to create a student profile for each one of its students, and more effectively cater to that student’s priorities and interests throughout the entire student lifecycle: enhancing student engagement, improving retention and accelerating academic progress management, while helping manage student prospecting, campus events, alumni relations and more.

Karl Burgher, Chief Strategy Officer at Indiana State University and ISU Director of Web Services, Santhana Naidu, will provide a real-world look into applying CRM strategies and software across all departments and systems.

Brent Ramdin, Campus Management’s Vice President of Product Management, will also provide technological insight on the most effective and efficient ways to utilize different applications and capabilities of various CRM software.

Please visit the Website for more information:
http://chronicle.com/section/Events/77/

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Campus Management to Hold Regional Users Conference

by Lisa Patterson on September 24, 2012

Campus Management will be holding its annual Regional Users Conference in Boca Raton, Florida on October 4 and 5, 2012.  The event is geared toward providing institutions in the Southeast with the latest innovations and industry best practices.

Along with specialized networking activities, tailored information about each of Campus Management’s platforms and presentations from top executives, product managers and emerging technology specialists, attendees will have the opportunity to attend a series of training sessions to learn how innovative technologies and strategies can enhance their operations.

On Thursday, October 4, Raymond Todd Blackwood, Senior Product Manager for CampusVue Student, will lead a training session focused on solving business challenges through best practices. During this session, participants will learn how to consistently identify, describe and document problem statements, and how to effectively and efficiently involve cross-departmental stakeholders in the solution process.  These problem-solving exercises are intended to help develop a specific strategy that will have immediate impact.

Later that day, Stacey Gartee, Product Owner of Campus Management’s Financial Aid and Student Accounts, will be providing insight on how to optimize financial aid processes for improved efficiency and compliance.  During this course, participants will explore various business procedures and configuration points that should be evaluated to enhance the processing of financial aid.  After a detailed overview of CampusVue Student, which is used by institutions throughout the country to help consolidate financial aid data and communication, participants will then build a framework for validating processes and introducing efficiencies.  This hands-on approach will help users understand how the CampusVue Student system is used and how to identify improvements that will save time and effort.

In addition, The Genius Bar will be available throughout the conference for users to find solutions to their specific questions from a number of Campus Management’s product experts and support professionals.  The Genius Bar will have a different theme every hour to help effectively answer each user’s questions.

For more information, please visit the Campus Management website, http://www.campusmanagement.com/en-us/newsandevents/events/regional/Pages/default.aspx

We hope to see you there!

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The Demographic of “You”: How Big Data Can Change the College Experience

by Raymond Todd Blackwood on September 19, 2012

A recent infographic from The New York Times and The Chronicle of Higher Education shows that data-driven experiments are happening more and more in colleges around the country in an attempt to deliver a more personalized education to students.  For example, the University of Florida and Arizona State University provide students with “eAdvisors” to suggest classes to take based on previous grades, their status within their given major and their interest in related classes.

At the same time, this relatively new concept of “Big Data” has begun to stir conversation and debate spanning several industries and generations.  The term refers to the fact that as technology advances, so does our capability to record and analyze massive amounts of information, and often based on a specific person’s real-time actions.  This knowledge helps gain further insight regarding people’s habits and priorities, enabling companies to tailor their messaging and positioning to effectively reach their most important customer demographic: you.

Although this invasive knowledge may seem like Big Brother has its eye on you, think about what it could mean to higher education, both inside and outside the classroom.

This Fall term, close to 20 million people will be enrolled in some form of higher education– not including the millions of others taking free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offered by various online education platforms.  The same way companies are looking for ways to best fit the needs of each individual customer; institutions of higher education are finding ways to reach each one of those 20 million students on a personal level in order to provide them with the best educational experience as possible.

Everything a student does – from receiving a grade, to inquiring about a class or program – provides the school with information about that student’s behavior, interests, and academic status.  Mining, analyzing and leveraging this data could help give each student what they need as opposed to feeling like they are just one in a sea of 20 million.

With the infinite amount of information at the fingertips of each institution, it is essential to have a robust data warehouse and a comprehensive reporting system in place to manage it all; this wealth of information is worth nothing if it isn’t accessible.

Having a thorough Student Information System allows institutions to enhance their performance abilities outside of the classroom as well.  All of these breadcrumbs left behind by students as they exist within the walls of universities help not only to build a profile for the student, but one for the alumnus the student will become.

For example, Career Development Offices are able to use student information systems to help align student profiles and goals with the needs of employers.  This tool could prove to be invaluable, for recent grads that might be struggling to find work.

The student information system also enhances the way administrators employ CRM technology like Campus Management’s Talisma CRM, which helps consolidate communication data throughout the full student lifecycle.  These profiles help fund administrators create dynamic, targeted and effective marketing campaigns, and keep track of what has been distributed and received, helping to create a life-long relationship with alumni (potential donors).

Granted, the issue of privacy looms over this “big data” capability, slowing its progress.  But when used strategically and intelligently, this kind of technology awards the higher education industry with so many new and exciting possibilities.

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Empowering Higher Education Through Technology and Accessibility

by Brent on August 22, 2012

In 1985, Steve Jobs set off on a mission to transform the learning process at the collegiate and graduate-school level by creating a powerful computer, and a new kind of software.  The idea was spurred by a conversation the legendary Jobs had with chemistry professor and Noble Laureate, Paul Berg about how education is limited by textbook learning due to the overwhelming cost of wet labs, which allow students to experience the material.  Dr. Berg proposed the creation of a computer program that could simulate a laboratory workstation to give students the virtual experience, and a better understanding of what was being taught.

NeXT, the brainchild of Steve Jobs after leaving Apple, was the result.  NeXT was a computer platform that created a simulated learning environment, giving students the ability to work with unreachable tools such as linear accelerators, cadavers and space stations at an affordable price-point.

Today, almost a year after Jobs’ death, the evolution of higher-education technology continues. Coursera, a year-old online-learning company offering free online classes taught by some of the world’s most notable professors from Michigan, Princeton, Stanford and UPENN, recently announced that it has partnered with twelve more schools to start the Fall semester.  Their more than 100 free, massive open online courses, or “MOOCs,” are expected to draw millions of students and adult learners globally.  Education – and potentially a credited one from an Ivy League school – is now at the fingertips of anyone with an Internet connection.

The development of online learning has been vital for higher education’s ability to keep up in today’s on-demand world.  This progress also introduces a new challenge: in order to thrive, institutions that are increasingly expanding their network of virtual pupils and online capabilities will need solutions that unify academic and administrative data in a relevant and usable manner. Class participation, online attendance, measured learning outcomes are some of the metrics that can be used to optimize institutional processes related to student success.

Progressive solutions, like Campus Management’s CampusVue solution ensures elegant linkages exist across learning, academic and administrative resources by embedding capabilities specific to online operations throughout the solution. For example, terms can no longer be considered a fixed period of time, attendance isn’t dependent on set schedules and physical presence, and determinants of retention may reside across multiple systems which track behavior and outcomes.

Solutions like Talisma CRM are being used to both analyze and serve online constituencies in unique ways. For example, Talisma CRM can be used to enable online retention strategies anchored in analysis of data coming from the learning platform, portal, student information system and other solutions. When intervention is required to retain an online student, an array of channels that include online chat, SMS and e-mail can be used to automatically perform outreach and engage students.

What are you doing to drive success with your online programs?

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