Challenge

The best explanation for the college's high summer melt is the fact that Fort Lewis College educates a substantial number of first-generation and low-income students who don't have the background knowledge or free time to figure out how to navigate all of the hurdles between applying to college and attending college.  We  need to make their journey to college simpler. How might we improve our current systems and processes to enhance the customer journey, making college accessible to first-generation students while reducing staffing costs  and ultimately decreasing summer melt?

​

Research

Working with campus partners in enrollment, financial aid, and advancement, my marketing team initiated an audit of the customer journey from acceptance to the first day of classes. We began the research by understanding every step that a student needs to complete, how those steps are communicated to the accepted students, and every different digital environment they need to navigate in order to complete the tasks needed to become an enrolled student at Fort Lewis College. 

​​

Solution

We simplified the number of steps prospective students must take, collapsed digital systems to the fewest possible, and standardized all student communication channels.  The net result was a streamlined customer experience and a decreased summer melt which translated into better overall enrollment numbers. The hardest part of college should be in class, not navigating the university services needed to enroll in class.

​

On the horizon

We know we could do even better.  One promising option is to develop a mobile app that would be a one-stop shop, allowing students to complete the majority of tasks from their device. The app could inform and simplify our communications to prospective students (e.g. push notifications rather than emails), contribute to retention of current students, and improve the overall student experience.