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Enrollment Hub Removes Barriers to Access at Northland Pioneer College

Northland Pioneer College in Arizona has launched a new constituent relationship management platform as part of a strategic goal to grow enrollment, particularly for under-represented students. The community college, which serves a diverse population of Native American, first-generation and working adult students, partnered with CRM provider TargetX to create a digital, mobile-friendly enrollment hub that enables the institution to personalize communication with prospective students and streamline the enrollment process.

A study of NPC's enrollment data over the past year revealed that a significant number of students who began the application process ultimately never registered, according to a news announcement. The college realized it needed to improve the student intake and onboarding process in order to remove barriers to access and enrollment.

"College access and completion offers a pathway to social and economic mobility, but the complexity of the enrollment process itself can too often be a deterrent for students from underserved backgrounds and first-generation students," explained Dr. Chato Hazelbaker, president of Northland Pioneer College, in a statement. "To deliver on our affordability and access mission and support the college-going aspirations of more students, we need to create an enrollment experience that is easier for students to navigate and more supportive of their needs."

TargetX provides a centralized hub to help guide students though the entire enrollment experience. Prospective students can view their enrollment journey and identify tasks that need to be completed, while administrators can track students' progress and help guide them through the process. Once students enroll, the college will use the TargetX Retention Suite for advising and student support.

"To counter historic declines in enrollment, community colleges are finding new and creative ways to scale the sort of high-touch communication and support students need to navigate the enrollment and financial aid process," said Sasha Peterson, chief innovation officer at Liaison International and CEO of TargetX. "This work is about creating an enrollment experience that is more responsive and accessible to students throughout the process — while at the same time empowering administrators with the insights they need to support students during every step of the journey."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

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