In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, PHSC has launched a new vision and focus on success with its academic programs, innovative ideas, structure, and a broad experience for students to help student retention. This vision includes a more collaborative structure within the College and an effective use of modern technology and automation for better services for students. The vision creates real opportunity for innovation using the modern technology ecosystem including the new Banner Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Slate Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems. This powerful automation and AI tool enables PHSC to streamline processes, enhance communication and enhance student success. This early phase of this vision includes a re-organized structure, a new emphasis on collaboration and governance, and an exploration of strategies for leveraging ERP and CRM to effectively communicate information about new academic programs and foster student retention.

“We are endeavoring into a best practice of using patterns and analysis of how to help students with the new CRM and manage our curriculum offerings with a new mindset of expansion and communications across the college community,” said Tom Hull, vice president of instructional technology and distance learning, and chief information officer.

 A primary advantage in the ERP and CRM is the ability to create a centralized information hub for new academic programs. This includes:

  • Publish Program Details: Ensure all relevant information about recent programs, including curriculum, faculty and admission requirements, is easily accessible.
  • Update Stakeholders: Automatically notify faculty, staff and students about new programs through integrated communication tools.

PHSC faculty and administrative leadership can facilitate targeted marketing campaigns to promote new academic programs. By analyzing student data, PHSC can identify potential candidates and tailor messaging accordingly. This may include:

  • Multi-channel Campaigns: Sending personalized emails as well as multiple modes of direct communications to students who may be interested in an enhanced curriculum, based on their academic history.
  • Social Media Integration: Leveraging social media platforms to reach a broader audience and engage prospective students.

Implementing feedback mechanisms through the tools will help PHSC gauge interest in cutting-edge programs. This will be achieved by:

  • Surveys and Polls: Conducting surveys to gather student opinions on proposed programs and improvements based on feedback.
  • Focus Groups: Organizing leadership groups with students and faculty to discuss the relevance and appeal of new offerings.

To enhance student retention, PHSC has developed a plan that includes personalized communication, engagement initiatives and mechanisms for continuous improvement.

PHSC will use more personalized communication with students, ensuring they feel supported throughout their academic journey. This strategy includes:

  • Advising Alerts: Utilizing the system to send alerts to academic advisors when students are at risk of dropping out, enabling timely intervention.
  • Progress Tracking: Providing students with regular updates on academic progress and resources available to help them succeed.

PHSC plans to enhance engagement with students through various initiatives can significantly enhance retention rates. The emphasis on engagement can support these initiatives by:

  • Event Management: Organizing events, workshops and seminars related to emerging programs and academic success and promoting them through the ERP system.
  • Community Building: Creating online forums or groups using the cohort demographics in the ERP platform where students can connect, share experiences, and support one another.

To ensure that communication strategies remain effective, PHSC will strive to continuously assess and improve approaches. This will include:

  • Data Analysis: Regularly analyzing data from the new technology in order to identify trends in student retention and program success.
  • Iterative Feedback: Establishing a cycle of feedback and improvement, where student input is regularly sought and used to refine communication strategies.

“We are very focused on innovating at PHSC regarding new academic programs and our new student retention structure is essential for the growth and sustainability of all of our educational institutions,” said Hull. “The PHSC vision is to leverage new leadership and immersive adoption of tools to provide personalized services, automation and the comprehensive capabilities of the ERP and CRM coming up. The college is creating a cohesive communication strategy that not only informs but also engages and retains students.”