Tag: Drive

  • European Governments Back Universities’ U.S. Recruitment Drive

    European Governments Back Universities’ U.S. Recruitment Drive

    European governments have sought to bolster their universities’ efforts to recruit international researchers, amid signs that an expected exodus in U.S.-based scholars is beginning.

    On April 23, Norway’s education ministry announced the creation of a $9.6 million initiative, designed by the Research Council of Norway, to “make it easier to recruit experienced researchers from other countries.”

    While the program will be open to researchers worldwide, the ministry said, research and higher education minister Sigrun Aasland suggested in a statement that the recruitment of U.S.-based scholars was of particular interest.

    “Academic freedom is under pressure in the U.S., and it is an unpredictable position for many researchers in what has been the world’s leading knowledge nation for many decades,” Aasland said. “We have had close dialogue with the Norwegian knowledge communities and my Nordic colleagues about developments.

    “It has been important for me to find good measures that we can put in place quickly, and therefore I have tasked the Research Council with prioritizing schemes that we can implement within a short time.”

    The first call for proposals will open in May, Research Council chief executive Mari Sundli Tveit stated, with “climate, health, energy and artificial intelligence” among the fields of interest.

    Last week, the French ministry of higher education and research launched the Choose France for Science platform, operated by the French National Research Agency. The platform will enable universities and research institutes to submit “projects for hosting international researchers ready to come and settle in Europe” and apply for state co-funding.

    Research projects on themes including health, climate and artificial intelligence may receive state funding of “up to 50 percent of the total amount of the project,” the ministry said.

    “Around the world, science and research are facing unprecedented threats. In the face of these challenges, France must uphold its position by reaching out to researchers and offering them refuge,” Education Minister Élisabeth Borne said.

    The initiative follows efforts from individual French universities to recruit from the U.S.: The University of Toulouse hopes to attract scholars working in the fields of “living organisms and health, climate change [or] transport and energy,” while Paris-Saclay University intends to “launch Ph.D. contracts and fund stays of various durations for American researchers.”

    Aix-Marseille University plans to host around 15 American academics through a Safe Place for Science program, announcing last week that almost 300 had applied. “The majority are ‘experienced’ profiles from various universities/institutions of origin: Johns Hopkins, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia, Yale, Stanford,” the university said.

    In Spain, meanwhile, Science Minister Diana Morant announced the third round of the ATRAE international recruitment program, with a budget of $153 million, which will run from 2025 to 2027.

    The plan, designed to “attract leading scientists to Spain in areas of research with a high social impact, such as climate change, AI and space technologies,” offers scholars an average of $1.13 million to conduct research at a Spanish institution. Successful applicants currently based in the U.S., meanwhile, will receive an additional $226,000 per project.

    “We are not only a better country for science, for those researchers who currently reside in our country, but we are also a better country for elite researchers who seek out the productive scientific ecosystem we have in Spain,” Morant said.

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  • Will Trump’s school discipline order drive wider disparities or ‘restore common sense’?

    Will Trump’s school discipline order drive wider disparities or ‘restore common sense’?

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    A new White House executive order calling for “common sense” in school discipline policies by removing practices based on “discriminatory equity ideology” will drive even wider racial disparities in discipline than currently exist, critics say.

    Rather than being common sense, the directive would “permit school discipline practices that target and punish students of color and students with disabilities at disproportionate rates,” said Denise Forte, president and CEO of EdTrust, in a statement Thursday, a day after President Donald Trump signed the order. EdTrust, a nonprofit, works with school systems to close opportunity gaps for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds.

    Additionally, EdTrust in a separate Thursday statement to K-12 Dive said, “When the dust settles from the education chaos being created by Trump administration, students — especially students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, students with disabilities, English learners, and students in rural areas — will be worse off, and the Trump administration wants to make sure we don’t have the data and research to prove it.”

    Dan Losen, senior director of education at the National Center for Youth Law, said the Trump administration is creating a false dichotomy that schools either need harsh discipline practices or they deal with out-of-control and unsafe student behaviors.

    The reality, Losen said, is that well-trained educators and administrators have many approaches to reducing student misconduct that are evidence-based. “Many schools and superintendents are aware that the best antidote to violence, to drug involvement, to gang involvement, is to try to find ways to keep more kids in school,” Losen said.

    Closing racial gaps in school discipline has been a priority at the local, state and national levels for many years. Schools have also shunned strict zero-tolerance discipline policies in favor of responsive and restorative practices and other approaches that help students examine their behavior and make amends to those harmed. 

    Supporters of alternatives to suspending or expelling students — or what’s called “exclusionary discipline” — say those different approaches help keep students connected to school and reduce the school-to-prison pipeline. They also note that alternative strategies help reduce racial disparities in school discipline. 

    The U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection found that even though Black students represented 15% of K-12 student enrollment in the 2021-22 school year, they accounted for 19% of students who were secluded and 26% who were physically restrained. And while Black children accounted for 18% of preschool enrollment, 38% received one or more out-of-school suspensions, and 33% were expelled. 

    In the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, schools have reported an uptick in mental health and disruptive behaviors in students. In fact, 68% of respondents said behavioral disruptions have increased since the 2019-20 school year in an EAB survey of school employees published in 2023.

    At the same time, schools said they lack the funding and staffing to adequately address students’ mental health needs. Furthermore a 2024 Rand Corp. report found that challenging student behaviors contribute to teacher burnout.

    On Thursday, the departments of Education, Homeland Security, Justice, and Health and Human Services issued a resource for K-12 threat assessment practices to help prevent school violence and create a safe school environment. 

    The order’s expectations

    Student discipline policies are set at the school or district level. However, the federal government can issue guidance and hold schools accountable for discriminatory practices.

    The executive order signed by President Donald Trump on Wednesday lays out a timeline of expectations for U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon. In one month, McMahon, along with the U.S. attorney general, is to issue school discipline guidance that reminds districts and states of their obligations under Title VI to protect students against racial discrimination. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin in federally funded programs.

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  • Storytelling and arts education can drive social change

    Storytelling and arts education can drive social change

    Netflix drama Adolescence has ignited two vital national conversations.

    The rise of online misogyny among radicalised young men has seen Keir Starmer weighing in on the issue.

    There’s also been a debate surrounding disenfranchisement among boys and young men in primary, secondary and tertiary education.

    The latter has long been on the radar of policymakers, academics, and researchers. HEPI recently linked boys’ educational underattainment to a “veering towards the political extremes,” while discussions around figures like Andrew Tate have kept the former on Parliament’s agenda.

    Yet both issues remained on the margins until Adolescence – written, produced, and starring Rose Bruford College alum Stephen Graham – catalysed real-world conversations and moved us toward legislative action.

    Despite press, and policy, and parliament, the issue broke through because of storytelling.

    Power of creative arts

    Much like the Post Office scandal – exposed by Private Eye but only widely acknowledged after Mr Bates vs The Post Office (co-produced by another Rose Bruford alumus, Sara Huxley) – Adolescence shows how creative arts can achieve what policy papers often cannot: capturing public attention and driving cultural change.

    It highlights a key truth in fostering social change – the arts play a vital role.

    As a membership body representing nearly 40 per cent of creative arts students, we’re concerned by the continued perception of creative degrees as niche or non-essential – leading to disproportionate funding cuts compared to STEM.

    In reality, our graduates shape public discourse on identity, gender, and social responsibility, shifting public discourse, and ultimately contributing to public policy.

    At the same time as a devaluation of creative degrees, there’s another issue hiding in plain sight – working-class boys are falling behind in education.

    HEPI has produced compelling reports on this subject, outlining the growing gender attainment gap, particularly for boys from disadvantaged backgrounds and neurodivergent boys (although we note that some of this may be down to underdiagnosis in girls).

    Concerns in the report also raised that boys are less likely to be steered toward specific disciplines (while girls have been encouraged into STEM) and that traditional educational structures serve girls better.

    Although the authors should avoid biologically deterministic assumptions around how people learn and bear in mind that gendered socialisation probably plays a large part here – regardless of how behaviour and engagement is socially or otherwise fostered, the data shows its material impact – boys academically underperform compared to girls at every age, in almost every subject.

    Class acts

    But it is essential to be clear – the issue is not boys in general, but working class boys who are most at risk of falling behind. Discussions that flatten this into a gender-only concern risk obscuring the real and compounding impact of class-based disadvantage on educational engagement and attainment.

    This issue receives little attention in practice. A rudimentary and quick scan of Access and Participation Plans (APPs) revealed a striking omission: boys are rarely, if ever, mentioned as a specific target group.

    Even when John Blake outlined the significant scale to equality of opportunity faced by “boys from working-class communities” back in 2022, it was primarily in comparison to smaller groups who experience more intense forms of disadvantage, rather than recognising the issue of working-class boys attainment as a standalone concern.

    GuildHE Institutions like Rambert School, Northern School of Contemporary Dance and AUB are already doing vital outreach work to bring boys into the subject spaces they are underrepresented in. But again, this work often happens in isolation, without the policy recognition or funding it truly deserves.

    That’s a mistake. For many boys, especially those disengaged from traditional academic pathways, creative disciplines provide an essential space to connect, reflect, and grow. Dance, drama, music, and film help young men process difficult emotions and identities constructively.

    As our recent written submission to parliament outlined, the dance training boys took part in at Rambert School helped them in areas of life such as creative thinking, managing anger and ADHD symptoms. Arts University Bournemouth runs Being a Boy which provides a supportive space for young men to creatively and safely engage with the role of masculinity in their lives.

    Add in Prof Becky Francis’s review of the school curriculum – which argues it’s failing students outside the A-levels-to-university pipeline, disproportionately boys – and her call to value arts subjects, and we see an emerging case for education that better accounts for how many boys have been socialised to learn and engage.

    This is where creative education comes in. The arts are not just about performance or aesthetic appreciation – they are powerful tools for expression, empathy, and exploration, and a possible way to engage boys who are disenfranchised at an estimated cohort size of half a million from higher education

    While the HEPI report calls for a push to get more men into teaching, care roles, and nursing, we believe in the individual and societal benefits of encouraging boys – particularly working-class boys – into, and their contribution to, the arts.

    Some of this work is already being done by our alumnus – Stephen Graham discovered Owen Cooper, who plays Jamie Miller in Adolescence, who Cooper describes as “a normal working-class family from a normal council estate”. But there needs to be a concerted policy effort.

    That means:

    • Valuing arts and creative degrees as critical to both gendered social progress and supporting widening participation in HE for boys
    • Including boys as a key demographic in widening participation strategies in HE.
    • Supporting cross-sector collaboration between educators, policymakers, creatives, and communities to tackle today’s issues and truly value the impact creative degrees make on individuals and society.

    The success of Adolescence in sparking national debate is a wake-up call. If we want to tackle misogyny, and we must remember that Adolescence was fundamentally about violence against women and girls, as well as male disengagement in education, we need to invest in the places where empathy and identity are formed – and value how these are explored and communicated to wider society.

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  • Tailored for Student Success and Built to Drive Results

    Tailored for Student Success and Built to Drive Results

    Why would you settle for a generic LMS when your university deserves one based on its own learning path? Custom LMS development creates a customized experience that drives student achievement from day one, not only provides tools.

     

    Why Universities Need a Custom LMS

    Custom LMS systems are much needed in modern institutions since off-the-shevel LMS solutions usually fail to satisfy their various needs. Custom LMS development is hence quite relevant. Customized solutions can fit the processes, academic framework, and student needs of your university, therefore promoting improved institutional effectiveness and learning results.

    Did you realize?

    • A 2023 EDUCAUSE study shows that 78% of leaders in higher education feel that tailored learning environments directly help to ensure student success.
    • Using custom LMS solutions, universities noted a 25% increase in student involvement and a 19% increase in course completion rates.

     

    Key Benefits of a Custom LMS Development for Student Success

     

     

    • Students advance at their own speed under customized content delivery depending on performance.
    • Interactive materials, multimedia integration, and group projects all help to keep students engaged.
    • Modern analytics—real-time student performance—allows teachers to modify their plans to raise results.
    • Linkages with current SIS, CRM, and outside tools help to simplify procedures.
    • Flexibility and scalability help you to ensure long-term viability as your university develops. 

     

    How to Develop a Custom LMS for Universities

    Customizing the best LMS for student success is about matching the platform with the mission of your university, not only about technology. Here’s a breakdown:

    • Name the main goals: Describe for your university what student success means.
    • Plot the course of the student. Recognize several student kinds, from those needing more help to fast learners.
    • Design for User Experience: Make sure teachers and students alike have a simple, mobile-friendly interface.
    • Leverage data: To create reporting and analytics tools to monitor performance and interaction.
    • Test, refine, and scale: Beginning with a pilot program, get comments, and always improve. 

     

    The Future of Learning with Creatrix Campus

    Creatrix Campus provides a best-in-class LMS for student success, therefore enabling universities to design individualized, data-driven learning environments. Features like automatic reporting, assignment administration, and engagement tracking enable our platform to help colleges uncover new academic successes without sacrificing cost-effectiveness.

    Ready to change the educational process at your university? Your way, let us create an best LMS for student success that propels student success.

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  • From Feedback to Feedforward: Using AI-Powered Assessment Flywheel to Drive Student Competency – Faculty Focus

    From Feedback to Feedforward: Using AI-Powered Assessment Flywheel to Drive Student Competency – Faculty Focus

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  • The Graduate Route — the most undervalued tool at the Treasury’s disposal to drive growth in the UK.

    The Graduate Route — the most undervalued tool at the Treasury’s disposal to drive growth in the UK.

    The HEPI blog was kindly authored by James Pitman, Chair of IHE and Managing Director U.K. and Ireland, Study Group

    The Graduate Route has been extraordinarily powerful in driving international education value in the UK. Although all the surveys show students choose universities and courses for their reputation or fit, the opportunity to translate this into a first job in another country to strengthen English language skills as they earn is evidenced by what happens as soon as that is taken away.

    The correlation between removing the Post Study Work Visa scheme on the back of statistically invalid analysis and the drop in international students choosing the UK in 2012 is irrefutable. This is strengthened by the significant international student growth linked to the re-introduction of the Graduate Route in 2021.

    Why is the graduate route visa such a powerful incentive for some international students to come and study in the UK? The simplest explanation came from an agent in India, who explained:

    ‘An Indian student can recoup much of their investment in a UK degree over a few years of employment in the UK when it would take several decades to do the same back in India.’

    International students contribute a net £100,000 to the UK economy during their degree study. A degree is required to enter the Graduate Route. Therefore, one could consider the ‘entry ticket’ for a Graduate Route visa to be a £100,000 investment in the UK – which may be worth up to £30,000 to the exchequer. From a Treasury growth perspective, international students drive employment and economic benefit in every constituency of the UK, especially in university towns and cities. I doubt the mandarins at the Treasury could think of a more cost-effective measure that seeds prosperity right across the country while building connections and loyalty that last a lifetime amongst the very group who will, in years to come, shape societies and build companies.

    Oxford Economics concluded that every 10 international students supports 6 jobs, with half in Higher Education and half in the local economy. If this remains accurate, the reported loss of approximately 10,000 jobs in Higher Education last year, mainly attributed to the decline in international students, should correspond to a similar loss in local economies across the country.

    And yet this is economic harm proactively driven by policy choices which raised uncertainty regarding the future of the Graduate Route.  If you were thinking of making a £100,000 investment, uncertainty would not exactly be conducive to choosing to invest in the UK. As one local businessman in Sheffield put it, “If you walk past a shop window swinging a baseball bat for a couple of weeks, it doesn’t matter if you never hit it, the people inside will still get worried.” Even just the threat of future policy changes creates “a massive amount of uncertainty, and uncertainty for students is a big problem.” 

    Subsidising the domestic tax payer

    Students on the Graduate Route, like all international students, pay the Immigration Health Surcharge (currently £776 p.a. for students and £1035 p.a. for graduates on the Graduate Route).  The actual costs according to the Department of Health and Social Care in 2018 were £480 p.a. including dependants.  Given the restrictions on dependants, a shift in the mix (until recent restrictions) to shorter PG courses, the prevalence of private insurance that many students have and the reality of waiting times for treatment, this is a subsidy to the NHS.

    Another subsidy is less well known, but any student on the Graduate Route employed at any salary level, high or low, is actually subsiding the UK tax payer. In comparison with a domestic employee at the exact same level of remuneration, international students pay the same income tax and National Insurance, but critically, they can only access less than half of the services that those taxes pay for. International students on the Graduate Route are barred from benefiting from services provided in the areas of Education, Social Protection, and Housing, and they already subsidise the NHS, as shown above. Those four areas account for c.65% of public sector expenditure on services (PESA 2023/4).  Another way of putting this is that international students employed on the Graduate Route are effectively paying income tax at double the rate of a domestic equivalent worker.  

    The dependants dilemma — a third way

    However, the Migration Advisory Committee has argued that there is a subsidy element for international students. This seems to be based on the fact that international students could, until last year, bring unlimited numbers of dependants and that any child dependants had access to free education at the UK taxpayer’s cost. This option was then removed with a devastating knock-on impact for university finances.

    However, it is instructive to note that the options considered around this issue were binary — either close the dependants route (the approach taken for any students other than for those on research-intensive PG courses) or leave the system as was. What was not considered was adapting the dependants’ visa by removing access to free childhood education but leaving the route, which would have caused far less damage to international student recruitment in 2024. Instead, removing the dependant’s route caused significant damage that disadvantaged female students and students from cultures where chaperones are required. I know the options considered, because the Home Office responded to an FOI on this matter. Let us also remember that dependants have always been (as the name implies) dependant on the international student that they accompany, not the UK tax payer.

    Cost-benefit analysis

    In reality, in economic terms, international graduates are more akin to tourists, having no recourse to public funds (apart from the historical significant exception of child dependants) and bringing resources into the UK to sustain themselves. However, unlike tourists, they do have to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.

    To give an indicator of the cost to the UK of restricting international students coming to study in the UK over that period, I compared the government-published data on value and growth rates of international education from 2010 to 2024 to the equivalent global international student mobility value growth rates published by Holon IQ (part of the QS Quacquarelli Symonds, group).  It is only an indicator, but against the UK having been permitted by government to grow at the same growth rate as the global market (which I doubt many in the sector would have bet against), cumulative loss to GDP over that period was £66 billion, implying a cumulative loss of income to the exchequer of £23 Billion. How many hospitals, schools and roads would be in better shape today if that scale of investment had been funded by international education?  What a wasted opportunity, and for what purpose?

    Now, the Prime Minister tells us his priorities are security and growth. On both, international students can be a key part of a progressive policy shift. And yet it is sad to say that our new government, whilst saying the right things, has not yet done anything to undo the damage of the past. If reports are to be believed, they are even being tempted to impose even more restrictions on international students in the Immigration White Paper to be published this month, preceding the new iteration of the International Education Strategy in April.  

    Once again, it appears that those who are tasked with reducing immigration are acting in direct opposition to the avowed growth agenda of the Treasury, the Department of Business and Trade, the Department for Education and others and, quite frankly, considering the above, against the demonstrable interests of the UK.

    Rethinking terms

    I have a clear understanding of the root cause of this ambivalence towards international students, and I direct any interested readers to the HEPI blog ‘When is an Immigrant not an Immigrant’. Allpolling of the general public (most recently by Public Future) shows that they recognise international students are not immigrants, and a strong majority cannot comprehend why they are categorised in the same way. If our government is serious about growth, I urge them to separate international students from immigration immediately.

    Finally, again, to demonstrate the value of international students, we should consider the increasingly dangerous situation we find ourselves in and the government’s commitment to ramp up defence spending. That incremental 0.2% GDP or £6 billion spend, announced recently, could have avoided the contentious cut in the overseas budget.  

    Why didn’t the Treasury consider international education instead? With no investment needed beyond the political will to enhance the UK’s international education offering, we could provide high-quality education to an additional 175,000 international students (that’s merely, on average, 1,250 per university). At current rates, this would generate around £6 billion for the exchequer from each cohort while also supporting the creation of approximately 50,000 jobs in higher education and another 50,000 jobs for hard-pressed families in local communities across the UK. Furthermore, it would significantly enhance the UK’s soft power in the long term.

    Many in the international education sector believe that our ability to welcome students is, in financial terms, as near as our country can get to a golden goose, although not one that will live forever. The Graduate Route is a key golden lever in its nest.  International students bring huge investments in order to access the benefits of the Graduate Route, subsidise the UK taxpayer while they are on it and can only remain in the UK after that with another category of visa.

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  • Indian Students getting Swept Up in Donald Trump’s Deportation Drive? (Palki Sharma, Vantage)

    Indian Students getting Swept Up in Donald Trump’s Deportation Drive? (Palki Sharma, Vantage)

    From FirstPost:

    Reports say that Indian Students in the US are becoming collateral damage amidst President Donald Trump’s Mass Deportation Drive. The Indian students entered the US legally, on valid visas. But they say they are now being subjected to more frequent questioning from US immigration officials. They say uniformed officers have been questioning them more frequently, and demanding to see their student IDs and documents. Is Trump’s deportation drive becoming an all out purge of migrants, irrespective of whether they’re in the US legally or not?

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  • Personalized Communication Strategies That Drive Student Engagement in Higher Education

    Personalized Communication Strategies That Drive Student Engagement in Higher Education

    Key Takeaways:

    • Personalized, timely, and relevant communication is key to engaging prospective students and meeting enrollment goals in higher education.




    • Effective strategies rely on immediacy, relevance, automation, and trackability, ensuring impactful and consistent interactions.




    • Omnichannel outreach, using a mix of email, SMS, print, and digital platforms, enhances visibility and builds trust by meeting students where they are.




    • Data-driven tools enable tailored, personalized communication, real-time adjustments, and sustainable strategies.

     

    Connecting with prospective undergraduate students in meaningful ways requires a thoughtful blend of strategy, immediacy, and personalization. Gone are the days when generic messaging could effectively spark interest or drive engagement. Today’s prospective students expect communications that reflect an understanding of their individual needs, aspirations, and priorities and their value to your institution.

    Institutions aiming to enhance their enrollment strategies must adopt a more data-informed and strategic approach to communication. This means reaching out with the right message, at the right time, and through the right channels.

     

    Laying the Foundation for Communication Success

    Effective communication with students is built on four key principles: immediacy, relevance, automation, and trackability. Each element plays a critical role in ensuring that interactions resonate with students and influence their decision-making process.

    • Immediacy: Quick and timely responses that change as students’ behaviors change demonstrate attentiveness and can make a significant impression on prospective students. Delays in following up on inquiries or campus visits risk the loss of momentum and interest. Statistics show that the school that responds to inquiries first is more likely to convince that student to enroll.




    • Relevance: Tailored, personalized communication should go beyond basic name inclusion. Students expect messages that address their specific interests. Misaligned content, such as sending information unrelated to a student’s expressed major, can quickly undermine trust.




    • Automation: Streamlined, automated workflows keep communication consistent and dependable, even during staff transitions or times of high demand. Manual processes, such as college fair follow-ups that sit unprocessed for long periods, can derail engagement. Automation prevents these bottlenecks, enabling timely responses even when staff are unavailable.




    • Trackability: Monitoring communication effectiveness helps institutions refine their strategies and optimize ROI.

    By integrating these principles, higher education institutions can deliver a cohesive and impactful communication strategy that strengthens student engagement and builds trust.

     

    The Importance of Omnichannel Outreach

    While email has long been—and remains—a cornerstone of communication, relying on it exclusively is no longer sufficient. The sheer volume of emails students receive daily makes it easy for even the most well-crafted messages to be overlooked. To stand out, institutions must adopt an omnichannel approach with campaigns that combine email with print materials, SMS messaging, voice blasts, digital ads, social media engagement, and microsites, all tailored to student interests.

    Each channel serves a unique purpose for student engagement in higher education. Print materials, for example, are particularly effective at involving families in the decision-making process. A well-designed brochure placed on a kitchen table can spark conversations among family members, especially parents, who are often key influencers in the college selection process.

    Similarly, integrating consistent, tailored messaging across multiple channels ensures that students receive a seamless experience. Whether they encounter an institution on social media, via a targeted ad, by SMS message, or through an email campaign, the message should feel cohesive and tailored to their interests. Omnichannel strategies, timed appropriately through the enrollment timeline, not only improve visibility but also demonstrate an institution’s commitment to meeting students where they are, thus building trust and rapport.

     

    Leveraging Data for Personalization

    Modern communication strategies must be rooted in data. By analyzing student preferences and behaviors, institutions can craft messages that resonate on an individual level. With data-informed insights, institutions can identify what matters most to prospective students—whether that’s career outcomes, financial aid, or specific academic opportunities—and address those priorities directly.

    For example, students interested in STEM programs may be more receptive to communications highlighting research opportunities and faculty expertise, while first-generation students may appreciate messages emphasizing affordability and support services.

    To further maximize impact, institutions can use surveys and initial engagement data to tailor their outreach strategies, which allows them to deploy resources efficiently while maintaining relevance. For example, expensive print materials can be reserved for students who show strong interest in particular programs, while a social media campaign may be more appropriate for inquiries earlier in the enrollment cycle.

    Real-time data tracking lets institutions segment their strategies dynamically. If a particular campaign underperforms across the board or for certain cohorts of students, modifications can be made immediately to better align with student preferences. This agility is essential for maintaining relevance and impact throughout the recruitment cycle.

     

    Building a Sustainable Communication Infrastructure

    Sustainable communication strategies rely on the integration of advanced tools and technologies. While a customer relationship management (CRM) system lays a strong foundation, institutions often need more specialized solutions to elevate their outreach efforts. Liaison offers a suite of products designed to enhance and streamline communication and enrollment strategies, including:

    • Enrollment Marketing (EM): Liaison’s EM software and marketing services help institutions manage and analyze personalized, automated omnichannel campaigns, ensuring consistent and effective messaging across multiple channels.




    • Othot: This AI-driven tool leverages predictive and prescriptive analytics to optimize communication strategies and enrollment decisions, tailoring outreach to align with student behavior and institutional goals.




    • Centralized Application Service (CAS): By simplifying the admissions process for students and providing institutions with tools for marketing, data management, and application processing, CAS supports efficient communication with applicants.

    By incorporating these technologies, along with Liaison’s CRMs, institutions can maintain a seamless and unified communication flow so that prospective students receive timely, relevant, and personalized messages. These solutions also allow institutions to monitor campaign performance and adjust strategies in real-time, maximizing the effectiveness of resources and making messaging more impactful for target audiences. This integration reduces reliance on fragmented workflows, preventing gaps or delays caused by disconnected platforms.

    Aligning tools and strategies across departments using Liaison’s technologies keeps messaging consistent and impactful, even as prospective students engage with multiple touchpoints throughout their journey.

     

    Achieving Long-Term Engagement

    Effective communication with students is about building relationships that extend beyond the initial stages of recruitment. Institutions that invest in understanding and addressing the unique needs of their prospective students position themselves as partners in their academic journey.

    By delivering personalized, timely, and relevant messages through multiple channels, institutions can foster deeper connections and enhance student engagement in higher education. As the competitive landscape of enrollment continues to shift, adopting a strategic and data-informed approach to communication will remain essential for success.

    Ready to elevate your communication strategies? Discover how Liaison’s advanced tools and technologies can transform how you connect with prospective students. From personalized, omnichannel campaigns to data-driven insights, our solutions help you engage students meaningfully and meet your enrollment goals. Contact us today to learn more.

    About the Author

    Craig Cornell is the Vice President for Enrollment Strategy at Liaison. In that capacity, he oversees a team of enrollment strategists and brings best practices, consultation, and data trends to campuses across the country in all things enrollment management. Craig also serves as the dedicated resource to NASH (National Association of Higher Education Systems) and works closely with the higher education system that Liaison supports. Before joining Liaison in 2023, Craig served for over 30 years in multiple higher education executive enrollment management positions. During his tenure, the campuses he served often received national recognition for enrollment growth, effective financial aid leveraging, marketing enhancements, and innovative enrollment strategies.

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