Westminster College Bolsters Recruitment with 2-way SMS Tool

Westminster College has introduced a new two-way SMS tool into its recruitment process. The Salt Lake City, Utah private liberal arts college is now using Blackboard ConnectTxt to connect with prospective students. The two-way mass notification platform was recently introduced into the US.

Westminster tested ConnectTxt in a pilot program aimed at its outreach and recruitment process. Administrators from the school's admissions office used the system to send messages to prospective students that had not completed their applications and who were unresponsive to phone calls and e-mails, according to a statement released this week by Blackboard. The school heard back from more than 50 percent of the mass text message recipients.

Dana Simmons, director of e-marketing and outreach at Westminster College, was unsurprised by the response rate. "Communications have changed; while email, phone calls and direct mail are still viable tools, effectively connecting with students today means having a mobile conversation," said Simmons. "Incorporating Blackboard ConnectTxt into our recruitment strategy has proven that students are willing to respond if you connect with them in the right way."

ConnectTxt enables Westminster's administrators to personalize, schedule, and track outbound messages. The system's messaging engine uses keywords, shortcodes and standard codes, QR codes, and inbox filters and workflow rules to route inbound messages and replies.

Seventy-three percent of cell phone users are "active SMS users, and young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 send and receive an average of 3,200 text messages every month," according to a 2011 report from Pew Internet and American Life Project. These findings suggest that text messaging is the preferred communications channel for mobile phone users, particularly college-age adults.

Blackboard ConnectTxt is available immediately for US clients. More information is available by texting MOREINFO to 97178 or by visiting Blackboard's Web site.

About the Author

Kanoe Namahoe is online editor for 1105 Media's Education Group. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • MathGPT

    MathGPT AI Tutor Now Out of Beta

    Ed tech provider GotIt! Education has announced the general availability of MathGPT, an AI tutor and teaching assistant for foundational math support.

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • white desk with an open digital tablet showing AI-related icons like gears and neural networks

    Elon University and AAC&U Release Student Guide to AI

    A new publication from Elon University 's Imagining the Digital Future Center and the American Association of Colleges and Universities offers students key principles for navigating college in the age of artificial intelligence.

  • abstract technology icons connected by lines and dots

    Digital Layers and Human Ties: Navigating the CIO's Dilemma in Higher Education

    As technology permeates every aspect of life on campus, efficiency and convenience may come at the cost of human connection and professional identity.