Enhancing Student Engagement through Higher Education CRM

1. Enhancing Student Engagement through Higher Education CRM More and more higher education institutions are investing in enabling technologies to facilitate recruitment, mindsets and effective student performance. Of these, the most effective is the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. The higher education CRM is intended for education only, in order to improve relationships, organisation, and individual interactions between an institution and a student. CRM for educational institutions supports them in reaching out, communicating, and building long-term relationships with potential learners and instructors within the organisation via an effective communication technology that maps communication interactions from initial communication to the learner outfitting platform to graduation. With this approach, universities can be proactive rather than reactive to the learner’s needs by providing solutions or meeting the learners’ needs during various years of study or during their university education journey. What are the features of Higher education CRM? Higher education CRM systems typically include features such as: Admissions management Lead generation and tracking, an applicant tracking system to make sure no potential student gets lost in the system. Communication tools Supporting student and parent/ guardian/ alumni e-mail, text, and social networking communication. Event management Reducing the complexities involved in the management of recruitment fairs, open houses and alumni events. Student success tracking Supervising academic performance and activity to capture learners who may be struggling and require early intercessions.

2. Alumni relations Empowering Graduates Association to support financially and actively participate in the various activities of the university. What is the Role of CRM in Student Recruitment? Perhaps the most important responsibility of any higher education CRM is to simplify the process of recruitment. Colleges and universities throughout the academic world accept thousands of applications every academic year. I can only imagine the challenge of dealing with such large volumes of data when there is inadequate technology to support it. An educational institution’s CRM is a system that stores all data regarding potential students so that the recruitment officers have the opportunity to categorise inquiries, control applications, and communicate with prospective students. Higher education CRMs offload much of the recruitment execution to the technology, from sending follow-up e-mails or booking campus tours. Also, due to features such as customer relationship management, the systems allow institutions to forecast which students are likely to enrol to enable institutions to direct their resources to more potential students with an increased likelihood of enrolling. How does CRM help in Improving Student Retention and Success? In addition to recruitment, CRM for educational institutions has other very important functions aimed at increasing the levels of student retention and success. One of the biggest issues which universities have to deal with is student retention and higher education CRMs can assist in addressing this issue by providing real-time information on students’ activity and progress. For instance, if a student is absent from class, or not performing well in tasks, the CRM system can signal such behaviours and prompt the advisors. As educators get more data on each learner’s learning path, advisors and faculty can then track students and intervene by holding learners accountable and guaranteeing their timely graduation. Also, higher education CRMs help institutions to have consistent and quality interaction with the students in their university learning process. From emails with deadlines to feedback on on-campus services and sharing posts on social media platforms, CRMs generate touchpoints that make institutions stay in touch with students, making learning environments more supportive. How does CRM help in Strengthening Alumni Relations? A CRM for educational institutions is not only targeting current learners but is also involved in alumni management. This paper looks at alumni as an important source of funding as well as in terms of marketing the universities to prospective students. An application in higher education CRM enables universities to reach alumni and communicate with them through

3. communication, This makes relationship management possible long after alumni leave the university with a CRM system that tracks alumni career progression, donation status, and activity within the institution. This builds alumni loyalty and the chances of giving as well as volunteering to contribute immensely to the development of any institution of learning. event invitations, and institutional news. What is the Future of Higher Education CRM? As the world advances in technology, higher education CRM systems are now incorporating advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and advanced data analytics to drive efficiency and quality in the system. Such advancements allow institutions to work more effectively with greater insight and decision-making control while counting student behaviours and delivering even more tailored student experiences. In the future, CRM systems themselves are likely to become even more centralised in the delivery of the student journey, from acquisition through to graduation. Any institution that can adopt this technology will have an added advantage in the ever-growing and competitive market for education. Conclusion A higher education CRM is not a luxury that institutions can afford to ignore if they want to succeed in today’s academic arena. Redefining recruitment and retention, and reviving alumni relations; a CRM for educational institutions is a powerful tool for long-term success. As it will be seen, by optimally employing the capabilities of CRM technology, the university and college education can respond individually to students’ needs and expectations, and improve student satisfaction and achievement.