It’s National Apprenticeship Week. Today on the HEPI blog, you can read about how University Alliance members are using healthcare degree apprenticeships to address workforce shortages: click here to read.
Or carry on reading to hear from Viggo Stacey at QS about how the researchers at Swansea University are solving contemporary problems like potholes with cutting-edge research.
By Viggo Stacey, International Education & Policy Writerat QS Quacquarelli Symonds.
Drivers in England and Wales encounter an average of six potholes per mile, and damage sustained from them cost drivers an average of £460 in 2024. One estimate put the cost of potholes to the UK economy at £14bn last year.
Research published last week by Swansea University provides a real solution to this critical problem. Adding plant spores to bitumen will create a self-healing road surface that can extend its lifespan by 30%.
This speaks directly to the Secretary of State for Education’s five key priorities for reform of the higher education system – that universities should play a great civic role in their communities.
Local communities and businesses need to benefit fully from the work of higher education institutions, Bridget Phillipson wrote to the sector in November last year and as Debbie McVitty recently covered over at Wonkhe. This research will help individual drivers, councils across the country and UK industry.
But another thing that is so exciting about this discovery is where it came from. Swansea University, on the south coast of Wales and an institution whose Vice Chancellor in the last week has said higher education in Wales is facing ‘the toughest [financial] position that we’ve been in’, is showing what its academics are capable of, given the right resources.
And that leads to the second place where this research originated.
One of those involved is Dr Jose Norambuena-Contreras, a Senior Lecturer in Swansea’s Department of Civil Engineering, originally from Chile, while Dr Francisco Martin-Martinez is a Lecturer at King’s College London’s Chemistry Department who hails from Spain.
It is also notable that this news came out on the day that Keir Starmer became the first UK prime minister to join a gathering with EU leaders since Brexit.
While rejoining the EU’s single market is firmly off the cards, a deal on youth mobility is an obvious open goal. Some 57% of voters recently backed a scheme for the under 30s, in addition to polling last year finding 58% thinking a scheme is a good idea.
The UK Science and Tech Secretary, Peter Kyle, rightly met with EU counterparts in January to push to turbo-charge UK-EU science and technology links in a bid to tackle shared global challenges.
Potholes in the UK might just be a small part of the UK’s challenge. But as Norambuena-Contreras puts it, it’s a ‘very sexy topic’ that British people like to talk about. If researchers can continue to identify problem areas that resonate with local communities and industry, they’ll be on to a winner.
International talent is, and will continue to be, key to solving crises across the UK. If only researchers at the country’s top business schools were empowered to find solutions to filling higher education’s financial gaps in the same way as others can for potholes.
Jessica Turner, CEO at QS Quacquarelli Symonds, commented:
The UK’s universities are not just centres of learning—they are engines of economic transformation and real-world problem-solving.
Research from the University of Bristol released this week – showing that it contributed £1.13 billion to the West of England economy in 2022/23 – is just one example of that.
Swansea University’s ground-fixing research is a perfect example of how higher education drives innovation with tangible benefits for communities, industries, and the economy,” Turner added.
As the QS World Future Skills Index highlights, the UK is a global leader in academic readiness and future workforce skills. To sustain this momentum, continued investment in universities is essential—not just to address today’s challenges but to shape the solutions of tomorrow.
In the education industry, cloud-based technologies are driving a major revolution. Over 70% of colleges use cloud solutions to streamline operations and cut expenses as they balance budgets. Recent studies show that institutions that have adopted Cloud based higher education management solutions have seen an average reduction of 30% in reduce operational costs in higher educations, enabling them to reinvest in areas that enhance the student experience and drive academic success.
Keeping on budget while managing admissions, money, HR, and learning systems is no small task. Often caught handling costly, ineffective, error-prone fragmented systems are IT teams are assigned. Still, there is a smarter road forward. Higher education management solutions housed on clouds are meant to streamline your life. These tools are meant to combine all those disparate systems, automate tedious chores, and clear the mess of documentation. Consider it your default method for simplifying university processes.
In this blog, we’ll dive deep into how cloud based higher education management solutions are optimizing university operations, enabling smarter decision-making, and unlocking efficiencies that were once unimaginable with legacy systems.
Cloud based higher education management solutions: why?
Cloud technology is improving campus operations, including:
Automating and removing paper workflows saves institutions up to 30%.
Efficiency: Real-time data and better cooperation boost productivity.
Scales smoothly: A rise in students? Program expansion? Your needs shape cloud systems.
Upgraded Security: Multi-factor authentication, encryption, and compliance safeguard data.
Disjointed Systems Breakup
Even the most efficient teams can be slowed by obsolete technologies and paper processes. To reduce redundancies and streamline operations, cloud solutions combine these systems into a single, easy platform. IT teams can focus on strategic innovations instead of segregated platform troubleshooting.
Future-Ready Change
Agility and resilience are essential for the future of higher education. Enabling seamless scalability, strengthening cybersecurity measures, and fostering innovation, cloud-based systems guarantee that your institution remains at the forefront. Not only do these solutions address current challenges, but they also establish your campus as a leader in adapting to the constantly changing educational landscape.
Improving Efficiency with Creatrix Campus Cloud-Based Solutions
Creative Campus provides a complete solution for your university. The automation of financial operations and real-time course registration are meant to simplify and improve your work.
The platform’s easy design and customized modules let you solve campus issues. Because it’s cloud-based, Creatrix Campus integrates across departments, fosters collaboration, and supports growth without costly infrastructure updates.
As we welcome a new year, educators and industry leaders are excited to discover the biggest education trends for 2025. The past few years have been characterized by fresh and innovative solutions for learning, as well as transformative, technology-forward approaches to education.
Each year, we like to look ahead and anticipate the biggest upcoming education trends. There are many topics education professionals can expect to be at the center of the conversation in 2025–from new perspectives on artificial intelligence for education to the emergence of nontraditional school models amid an increasingly competitive enrollment environment.
For 2025, schools and districts are focused on making learning more engaging for students, creating a more positive environment for educators, and transforming school culture to meet the diverse needs of the school community. As schools work to accomplish these goals, we expect to see an expansion of AI and other emerging technologies in the classroom, enhanced professional development and support for teachers, and more individualized learning opportunities for students.
Here are five of the biggest education trends for 2025:
1. Nontraditional school models
Everything from career opportunities, technology, and the world around us has changed significantly over the past decade, yet the traditional model of public schools in the U.S. has remained largely unchanged for generations. As this industrial-age school model persists, many students feel bored and disengaged with their learning.
When the COVID-19 pandemic caused school interruptions in 2020, many families decided it was time to pivot to new and nontraditional learning opportunities for their children. Since 2019, over 1 million students–the equivalent of one student from every class in the country–have left the conventional classroom to seek out different educational approaches and more innovative learning environments. The National Center for Education Statistics projects that public schools, including public charter schools, will lose an additional 2.4 million students by 2031.
Today’s students desire more individualized learning approaches, which empower them to use their creativity, explore their passions, and engage with their peers in more collaborative ways. In 2025, we will see a greater emergence of nontraditional school models that center student engagement, collaboration, and creativity, and prepare learners to graduate into a continually-evolving workforce.
Some of these emerging nontraditional education models include microschools, online and hybrid learning programs, and project-based or student-led schools, as well as long-established nontraditional school programs such as homeschooling, Montessori, and career and technical education schools. In 2025, we also anticipate that public schools will step up to meet the diverse needs of students through innovative approaches, mirroring some of the elements of these nontraditional school models in order to maintain enrollment, enhance engagement, and equip students with applicable career-ready skills.
2. Expanded use of AI in education
As we predicted last year, artificial intelligence (AI) has become prevalent in the educational space, and this emerging technology shows no sign of stopping its rapid growth as we make our way into 2025. This year, we expect the conversation around AI to shift, reflecting a more widespread acceptance of the technology as a beneficial tool to enhance education and productivity.
In 2025, schools will continue to integrate more AI into the curriculum, guiding students to use it appropriately to enhance their learning. Many schools and districts have already developed formal AI school policies and modified student codes of conduct to ensure safe, effective, and ethical use of AI tools in the classroom.
Furthermore, many educators are now taking the initiative to incorporate AI tools into their lesson plans to help students build familiarity with the technology. Introducing students to AI in a safe and controlled environment enables them to learn how to use it effectively and ethically. Equipping students with foundational skills in AI is already regarded as an essential skill set for college and many careers.
Because AI is a fairly new technology for everyone, including educators, we anticipate that more schools will implement AI professional development opportunities this year, enabling teachers to deliver more effective AI instruction. Some schools are also beginning to employ AI tools for administrative productivity, which will require training and guidance to ensure educators and staff can successfully integrate these tools into their work.
3. Targeted support for educators
Over the past five years, many districts have been focused on allocating Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding to implement new educational programs and tools, support student wellbeing, and overcome learning loss. Now that the final ESSER deadline has passed, 2025 will see schools and districts shift their attention to providing targeted support directly to educators.
With all of the new technology, refreshed learning spaces, and updated curriculum districts have recently introduced, professional development is essential to ensure effective implementation of these enhancements. In 2025, schools will incorporate new professional development programs that empower educators to foster engaged learners. By providing the tools and resources teachers need to be successful, schools can help educators improve their productivity and attain professional goals, while still keeping teacher wellbeing as a top priority.
Teachers are the primary influencers of the K-12 educational experience, so supporting educators is a holistic approach that benefits the entire school community. To address rising workloads, schools will implement new tools and strategies to support teacher efficacy and wellbeing. Some schools are even piloting automated and AI-powered technologies to take repetitive and administrative tasks off teachers’ plates, freeing up invaluable time for them to connect with students and focus on teaching.
Additionally, districts have begun to recognize the importance of a healthy work-life balance, as many teachers have left the profession over the past several years. In 2025, districts will continue to explore ways to cultivate a more positive job experience for teachers. Teachers want solutions for student behavioral issues, more attentive leadership teams, and more manageable workloads. Schools will work to improve these matters, while maintaining aspects of the job teachers value most, including school culture, opportunities for professional learning and certifications, and STEM and arts programs.
4.A focus on school and district culture
With a growing list of education options, students and their families are seeking out learning environments that not only provide high-quality curriculum and resources, but also align with their values and prioritize school-home communication. In this increasingly competitive enrollment environment, cultivating a positive culture and connected school community are the qualities that make schools stand out.
Funding and resources are directly related to the number of students at each school, so cultivating an inviting school culture is key. In 2025, schools and districts will take time to refine their school brand in order to attract and maintain students. School leaders will focus on creating more opportunities to engage with students and families, implementing new communications tools, initiatives, and events that bring the school community together.
In the past few years, some K-12 administrators have piloted mobile teaching stations to increase their visibility and daily impact throughout their school. We anticipate more school leaders will embrace this approach in 2025, enabling them to build stronger relationships with students and teachers. By working from mobile workstations, administrators can directly engage with students and staff, making face-to-face connections on a daily basis. Frequent positive interactions with school leadership help students, teachers, and families stay engaged with the school community, promoting a culture of connection and support.
5. Universal design for learning
Today’s students are making more choices about how and where they want to learn than ever before. Universal design for learning (UDL) promotes achievement among diverse student bodies by giving each student access to resources and environments that help them learn. Accessibility goes far beyond ADA compliance, and schools are recognizing this through the application of UDL across the learning experience. Understanding the diverse needs of students is crucial for creating learning experiences that are inclusive and supportive.
In 2025, UDL will be at the center of creating comfortable and engaging learning environments that accommodate all students’ needs. For instance, more schools are implementing sensory spaces, ensuring neurodiverse learners have a safe and comfortable space to self-regulate throughout the school day. These spaces don’t just serve neurodivergent students–all students benefit from having areas at school that are dedicated to supporting wellbeing.
As in previous years, accessibility and equity will continue to be prominent topics in 2025, but the conversation will pivot to focus on ways UDL can positively impact curriculum. UDL emphasizes providing students with multiple, flexible types of engagement, different ways of presenting information, and multiple ways to demonstrate their understanding in the classroom. This practice supports students who are neurodivergent and/or experience learning challenges, but also improves the learning experience for neurotypical students.
Dr. Christina Counts, MiEN Environments
Dr. Christina Counts, VP of Education at MiEN Environments, is a proven leader with over 17 years of experience transforming learning spaces. Her background includes roles as a teacher, district leader, school administrator, and innovative learning designer. She currently leads a team supporting schools transitioning to flexible, collaborative, student-centered environments. Dr. Counts holds a doctorate in K-12 Educational Leadership, is National Board certified, and an Accredited Learning Environment Planner (ALEP).
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Q: What is the university’s mandate behind this role? How does it help align with and advance the university’s strategic priorities?
A: First of all, thank you for the opportunity to share more about this exciting new position. I’m thrilled about the potential of this role and the chance to welcome a new colleague to the Center for Academic Innovation—an extraordinary organization that I care deeply about—who will join us in shaping the future of education.
The inaugural chief education solutions officer (CESO) is pivotal to CAI’s mission to collaborate across campus and around the world to create equitable, lifelong educational opportunities for learners everywhere. By helping CAI deliver offerings that are learner-centered, research-driven, scalable and sustainable, the CESO will directly support the University of Michigan’s Vision 2034, particularly the impact area of life-changing education.
This role is designed for a dynamic leader ready to solve organizational learning and workforce development challenges while driving growth through innovative, impactful solutions. By developing scalable and sustainable educational models, the CESO will ensure U-M remains at the forefront of lifelong learning and talent development on a global scale.
The CESO is not just about executing current strategies—it’s a leadership role charged with helping to forge a bold new path for education. By addressing emerging trends like workforce transformation, AI and the growing demand for upskilling, this role will help learners and organizations thrive in a rapidly evolving world. The CESO’s work will empower learners and position U-M as a leader in education innovation for generations to come.
Q: Where does the role sit within the university structure? How will the person in this role engage with other units and leaders across campus?
A: The CESO will report directly to me in my capacity as the founding executive director of the Center for Academic Innovation and will be an additional key member of the senior leadership team at CAI. This role sits at the intersection of education innovation, strategic partnerships and business development, ensuring seamless collaboration between external stakeholders and CAI’s internal teams.
The CESO will work closely with units that already engage with industry and organizational partners and schools and colleges across campus that extend their reach through innovative programs and initiatives. Through these collaborations, the CESO will help identify and deliver innovative solutions to meet workforce development needs and support sustainable partnerships with organizations looking to support their current and future employees in a rapidly changing economy.
For example, the CESO might work with a school to design a custom program for an industry partner, collaborate with units across campus to expand U-M’s impact in key markets, help an organization to effectively utilize Michigan Online offerings or integrate CAI’s expertise into new initiatives that benefit learners and organizations alike. This role is about connecting ideas, people and resources to drive impact. By aligning CAI’s innovative capabilities with partner needs, the CESO ensures U-M’s resources create transformative outcomes both on campus and beyond.
Q: What would success look like in one year? Three years? Beyond?
A: Success in this role is all about creating momentum—whether by building early partnerships, driving measurable growth or laying the groundwork for transformative initiatives. Here’s what we envision at each stage of this journey:
In one year: The CESO will have established a strong foundation for growth by building early partnerships with industry leaders, meeting key growth targets and launching initial programs that deliver measurable value for learners and organizations. This first year is about setting the stage—building relationships, aligning CAI’s capabilities with external needs and creating momentum for the future. Importantly, the CESO will work alongside a really talented senior leadership team. Year one is also about creating strong connections within this group, building trust and finding ways to support each other.
In three years: The CESO will have significantly scaled CAI’s impact, with a portfolio of partnerships that reflect innovative, sustainable approaches to workforce development and lifelong learning. Internally, we’ll see streamlined systems for managing partnerships, delivering programs and providing exemplary relationship support. Externally, CAI will be recognized as a trusted leader in educational solutions that address real-world challenges through highly relevant programs that build on interdisciplinary breadth of excellence.
Beyond three years: Long-term success means driving transformative innovation in education—at both the individual and organizational levels. The CESO’s work will have deepened CAI’s reputation for empowering learners everywhere while also positioning U-M as a leader in lifelong learning and workforce development. The legacy of this role will be an ecosystem of partnerships and programs that inspire and uplift learners across the globe.
At every stage, success in this role is about creating meaningful, lasting impact for learners and partners. That said, I’m looking to hire a colleague who will not only embrace this vision of success but also challenge it—pushing us to explore uncharted possibilities and reach new heights we haven’t yet imagined.
Q: What kinds of future roles would someone who took this position be prepared for?
A: The CESO role is an incredible opportunity for someone looking to advance their career in business development, partnership leadership or workforce innovation—whether within higher education or in related industries.
This role provides direct experience in managing high-impact partnerships, driving revenue growth and designing innovative learning solutions for diverse audiences. It’s a unique combination of strategic thinking, relationship management and educational innovation that builds a strong foundation for future leadership roles.
The skills developed in this position—including expertise in lifelong learning, workforce transformation and sustainable business growth—are highly transferable to roles in education, industry or even global organizations. Whether leading similar initiatives at another institution or shaping workforce strategies for a global enterprise, the CESO will leave this role with the tools to make an even bigger impact.
This position enhances vital leadership skills, such as building trust with stakeholders, navigating complex organizational challenges and creating scalable solutions. It’s a perfect launchpad for individuals ready to shape the future of education at the intersection of academia and industry.
Joining this team means stepping into a vibrant, forward-thinking environment where your contributions will be valued, your ideas will have impact and you’ll have the space to grow, innovate and truly make a difference.
I’m truly excited to welcome a dynamic new partner to our team—could it be you?
COSTA MESA, Calif. — BenQ, an internationally renowned provider of visual display and collaboration solutions, today announced that Marian High School in Omaha, Nebraska, selected and installed two BenQ LK936ST 4K HDR short-throw golf simulator projectors for its golf sim Golf Training Lab at the Marian Athletic Center. In 2024, the Marian girls’ golf team became the undefeated Nebraska State Champions in Class A golf. Designed to help analyze and improve the golfers’ swings and give them the ability to practice in all weather conditions, the Marian Golf Training Lab provides the girls’ high school and junior teams with an immersive and realistic golf course environment. Based on research and recommendations from golf simulation experts, Marian High School chose the BenQ LK936ST for its exceptional color accuracy, powerful brightness, and maintenance-free operation.
Head Coach Robert Davis led the effort to build the Golf Training Lab, which includes two golf simulator bays featuring Carl’s Place 16×10 impact screens and ProTee VX launch monitors. Seeking a high-performance projector that could deliver realistic course visuals, bright images in a well-lit environment, and long-term, maintenance-free operation, Davis consulted with golf simulator manufacturers and reviewers. After thorough research, BenQ’s LK936ST emerged as the top choice.
“Our athletes benefit from an experience that’s as close as you can get to being on an actual course,” said Davis. “When we pull up courses, you can see distinct leaves on the trees. That level of realism not only makes training more effective but also more enjoyable.”
The BenQ LK936ST’s 4K UHD resolution, combined with BenQ’s exclusive Golf Mode, ensures a highly detailed, true-to-life golfing experience. Its 5,100 lumens of brightness allow it to perform exceptionally well in the Marian Athletic Center’s brightly lit environment, ensuring clear visuals even without dimming the lights. Additionally, its short-throw lens and advanced installation tools — such as digital shrink, lens shift, and keystone correction — allow for a flexible and seamless setup within the limited space of the simulator bays.
“The golf simulation market has grown rapidly as more schools, athletes, and enthusiasts seek ways to improve their game year-round,” said Bob Wudeck, senior director of business development at BenQ America Corp. “With the LK936ST, we’ve provided everything a golf simulator needs to deliver a truly immersive experience. Its 4K resolution, high brightness, and laser-powered color accuracy ensure that golfers can see every detail with precision, whether it’s the grain of the greens or the clear blue sky. By combining these features, we’ve created a projector that meets the high standards required for today’s golf training environments.”
The BenQ LK936ST is engineered to provide a truly immersive and precise golf simulation experience, making it an ideal choice for Marian High School’s Golf Training Lab. With a 4K UHD resolution powered by Texas Instruments’ DLP chip technology, it delivers razor-sharp visuals and a stunning 3,000,000:1 contrast ratio, which allows for enhanced graphics and a lifelike recreation of the world’s top golf courses. Its exclusive Golf Mode, designed specifically for golf simulation, reproduces the vivid greens and brilliant blues of fairways and skies, offering 92% of the Rec. 709 color gamut for true-to-life color accuracy. This unprecedented visual fidelity helps golfers maintain their focus and engagement, simulating real-world conditions to perfect their game.
In addition to its color and image quality, the LK936ST is designed to excel in challenging environments. The projector’s short-throw lens (0.81-0.89) and 1.1x zoom capacity make it easy to install outside of the swing zone, projecting a large image without casting shadows on the screen. Digital shrink, offset, lens shift, keystone correction, and corner fit provide advanced installation flexibility, enabling perfect alignment with the screen, even in tight or unconventional spaces like garages, basements, or smaller training rooms.
Built for long-lasting, maintenance-free operation, the LK936ST features a sealed IP5X-rated dustproof optical engine, eliminating the need for filter changes and ensuring optimal performance even in dusty environments. Its laser light source guarantees 20,000 hours of use with consistent color and brightness, far outlasting traditional lamp-based projectors. The projector also offers instant power-up without the need for warm-up or cool-down times, allowing golfers to jump straight into their training. With multiple HDMI inputs and networking options, it integrates easily with other entertainment or training components, making it a versatile centerpiece for not only golf simulations but also home theater and gaming setups.
More information on the BenQ LK936ST 4K HDR short-throw golf simulator projector is available at bit.ly/3na585n.
About BenQ America — Business & Education Solutions The No. 1 selling global projector brand powered by TI DLP technology, according to Futuresource, the BenQ digital lifestyle brand stands for “Bringing Enjoyment and Quality to Life,” fusing ease of use with productivity and aesthetics with purpose-built engineering. BenQ is a world-leading human technology and professional solutions provider serving the enterprise, education, and entertainment markets. To realize this vision, the company focuses on the aspects that matter most to users, redefining traditional technology with innovative capabilities that increase efficiency, enhance learning, and amplify entertainment — all while ensuring a healthy, safe, and intuitive user experience. BenQ’s broad portfolio of professional installation solutions includes digital, laser, and interactive projectors; premium flat panels; and interactive large-format displays that take visual enjoyment to new heights in corporate offices, classrooms and lecture halls, and home theaters. The company’s products are available across North America through leading value-added distributors, resellers, and retailers. Because it matters. More information is available at www.BenQ.com.
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eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.
As a school striving to broaden its reach, you likely already understand the importance of personalized communication to attract and retain students. That may sound like a lot of work because, without the right tools, it certainly can be. Fortunately, our team, with over fifteen years of experience working closely with educational institutions, has developed specialized solutions that address key challenges faced by schools looking to streamline their processes and boost enrollment.
HEM’s custom-built solutions—Mautic by HEM, a powerful Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and marketing automation system, and HEM’s Student Portal, an all-in-one Student Information System (SIS)—offer the tools you need to manage your admissions and student engagement efforts seamlessly. Let’s explore how you can give yourself the gift of efficiency this holiday season with these systems!
Simplify student management and boost recruitment efficiency!
Transform your student portal experience. Get a FREE HEM-SP demo today.
Understanding CRMs and How They Benefit Your Institution
What is a CRM and how can it benefit educational institutions? A CRM, or Customer Relationship Management system, is a platform that helps organizations manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle.
For educational institutions, a CRM is essential in managing prospective student relationships, tracking their progress through the admissions funnel, and keeping detailed records of interactions. At its core, a CRM enables schools to create personalized experiences for prospective students, allowing them to engage in meaningful ways at every stage of their journey.
Mautic by HEM, our tailored CRM for educational institutions leverages the open-source marketing automation platform Mautic to deliver a seamless experience designed specifically for the education sector. With features like lead segmentation, automated workflows, custom reporting, and multichannel marketing, Mautic by HEM empowers schools to enhance their lead management and marketing efficiency.
By segmenting contacts based on their stage in the admissions process, program of interest, or geographical location, your institution can ensure that each prospect receives targeted messages that are more likely to result in conversions.
Reach out to us for a demo to see how Mautic can boost efficiency for your school’s marketing campaign!
Mautic by HEM: Supercharge Your Lead Management and Marketing
Mautic by HEM goes beyond a standard CRM, combining powerful customer relationship management with advanced marketing automation to help you maximize your student recruitment efforts.
Mautic makes it easy to manage a large number of prospective students by allowing you to segment, organize, and follow up with prospects efficiently. By automating workflows and assigning follow-up tasks, your team can manage their workload better, ensuring that each prospect receives timely attention.
Source: Mautic | HEM
Example: Do you see how centralizing prospect information helps you track the effectiveness of your campaigns and determine the next step in the enrollment funnel? Here, prospects are categorized by their current stage in the enrollment process, their program of interest, the channel through which they first interacted with your institution, and what sort of contact they are. That’s all the information you need to craft an appropriate and compelling follow-up message tailored to each unique responsibility. Mautic helps you with that part too!
In addition, Mautic by HEM’s marketing automation tools enable you to scale up your email marketing, create dynamic landing pages, design forms, and automate workflows. This allows your institution to maintain a high level of personalized engagement with prospects across multiple channels, thereby improving your reach and effectiveness in digital recruitment.
The solution’s custom reporting features also give you detailed insights into your admissions pipeline. With Mautic by HEM, you can monitor productivity, track lead progress, and evaluate channel performance, which will help you refine your approach and allocate resources to high-impact activities.
Ensuring timely follow-up is essential for converting leads to students, and Mautic by HEM enables automated SMS and email follow-ups, allowing you to communicate with leads through their preferred channels. Whether it’s sending reminders, booking meetings, or making calls, Mautic by HEM has the tools your team needs to maintain a consistent communication flow.
Source: Mautic | HEM
Example: Viewing the contact history for each prospect lets you know how they prefer to communicate. In addition to other vital data such as name and contact information, you can craft a highly personalized message such as the SMS pictured above.
Finally, Mautic by HEM also helps your team manage their daily tasks and workload. With integrated calendars, workflow assignments, and productivity tracking, your staff can stay organized and focused on what matters most—building relationships and driving enrollments.
Why You Need an SIS for Your School
Now, what is a Student Information System (SIS)?Student Information System software is designed to manage student data from application through graduation. An SIS handles everything from enrollment and class scheduling to academic records and financial management. This centralized database makes it easy for staff to track student progress and streamline administrative tasks.
HEM’s Student Portal integrates CRM and SIS functionalities to provide an all-in-one admissions and student management platform. Tailored to meet the demands of educational institutions, the portal includes tools for application management, payment processing, and student record tracking. This integrated solution enables institutions to centralize and simplify operations, allowing your staff to focus on building meaningful relationships with prospective and current students.
HEM’s Student Portal takes SIS integration to a new level, offering an all-encompassing admissions and student management system designed specifically for educational institutions. The Student Portal simplifies the application process, offering a virtual admissions assistant that guides students from start to finish. Students can inquire, apply, pay, and even enroll through an easy-to-use interface.
Source: Student Portal | HEM
Example: A customized Student Portal will guide students through your application process from initial form submission to payment in a user-friendly format as pictured above.
Customizable forms and a centralized management system make it easy for your staff to track applications, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks. Additionally, the portal seamlessly integrates with Mautic by HEM, allowing you to manage marketing and admissions in one place. By streamlining communication and automating workflows, this system supports your institution’s goals for efficiency and high-quality engagement with prospective students.
The Student Portal allows for comprehensive data management, tracking all aspects of student data from initial inquiry to graduation. With detailed records and customizable reports, your team can monitor application status, manage payment processing, and keep detailed academic records, providing staff with a complete view of each student’s journey.
Source: Student Portal | HEM
Example: Here, you can see our centralized application management system. See all incoming applications and determine which applications were started and not completed. In addition, the Student Portal platform allows you to track prospects based on name, program, whether they’ve been sent an invoice, and whether that invoice has been paid. This information is valuable as it clarifies the next step for each contact.
Furthermore, the portal’s quote builder tool allows prospective students to calculate program costs, offering them a transparent view of financial requirements. This provides clarity and builds trust, making it easier for students and their families to plan for the financial aspects of their education.
Designed to improve efficiency across all departments, the Student Portal facilitates better collaboration by centralizing data and providing tools for managing projects and tracking progress. This comprehensive approach allows staff to work towards strategic institutional goals, fostering a collaborative environment that drives both student success and institutional growth.
Experience the HEM Advantage: Efficiency
Mautic by HEM and the HEM Student Portal offer transformative CRM and SIS solutions that empower educational institutions to work smarter, not harder. By combining lead management, marketing automation, admissions tracking, and student data management, HEM’s tools create a cohesive system designed to meet the unique needs of schools. That’s what we accomplished for Micheal Vincent Academy.
Founded by Tally B. Hajek, a multi-talented recording artist and makeup artist, and her husband Michael Vincent, a renowned celebrity photographer, MVA teaches around 350 students annually. Each student gains expert instruction and builds a professional portfolio, launching them toward successful careers in beauty and media.
MVA sought an organized, streamlined solution to manage its student recruitment efforts, and they found the answer in Mautic by HEM. This customized CRM software, specifically tailored for educational institutions, allows MVA to efficiently automate its marketing efforts and seamlessly follow up with prospective students.
Transformative Results for a Thriving Institution
With Mautic, MVA’s team can now easily track and manage leads. The CRM’s powerful reporting tools give the academy a clear view of each lead’s journey through the admissions process. Staff can track the progress of every prospective student, monitor recruitment team activities, and measure productivity—all crucial for a private institution focused on cost-effective outreach. Furthermore, the lead-scoring feature in Mautic enables the recruitment team to identify and prioritize high-value leads, allowing MVA to concentrate on students who are genuinely interested and likely to succeed within the academy’s creative programs.
As Tally Hajek highlights, the organizational capabilities of Mautic are essential to building meaningful connections with prospective students. “We value connections with prospective students, but connections cannot happen without organization,” she explains. The system enables her team to foster relationships with students who are both committed and well-suited to the academy’s professional and artistic environment.
Moreover, HEM’s attentive and supportive customer service has made the partnership especially rewarding. “We love working with the HEM team,” says Hajek. “We feel like they really understand us and want us to succeed.” With HEM’s customized solutions, MVA has significantly increased staff efficiency in student recruitment, giving their team the tools to excel in a competitive educational market and helping the academy continue to thrive as a leader in beauty and media education.
Imagine a system that handles every step of the student journey—engaging prospective students, nurturing leads, simplifying applications, and supporting students through their academic journey—all from a single platform. HEM is dedicated to providing solutions that help you enhance recruitment, boost enrollment, and offer the seamless digital experience that students expect.
To see how Mautic and the HEM Student Portal can transform your institution, request a demo today and discover the possibilities of giving yourself the gift of efficiency.
Give Yourself the Gift of Efficiency
This holiday season, give your institution the ultimate gift: the power to work smarter, not harder. HEM’s custom-built solutions, including Mautic CRM and the HEM Student Portal, are designed to streamline your operations and boost your team’s effectiveness.
From managing prospective student leads to enhancing engagement and improving communication, these tools empower your staff to focus on what truly matters—building connections and driving success.
Simplify student management and boost recruitment efficiency!
Transform your student portal experience. Get a FREE HEM-SP demo today.
FAQ
Question: What is a CRM and how can it benefit educational institutions?
Answer: A CRM, or Customer Relationship Management system, is a platform that helps organizations manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle.
Question: What is a Student Information System (SIS)?
Answer: Student Information System software is designed to manage student data from application through graduation.
High education institutions and colleges are trying hard to suppress student skipping rates to boost performance and improve education standards. Management is trying hard to tackle truancy by imposing strict penalties on students skipping classes. Suspensions can only count as time missed from classroom instructions. Parents also face a blitz on attendance, and they are trying to keep students in higher education.
No more students skipping classes – try these out!
With nearly 25% of students admitting to skipping classes, we have churned out 10 sure-fire ways to tackle the issue behind students skipping classes. Easy to adopt, try these out for a result in a split-second.
Techniques to tackle students skipping classes
Monitor Attendance
This is practically the first and foremost way when trying to clock in to stop students from skipping classes. Monitoring attendance at high education is not new. Forget the days when faculty used to pass a piece of paper around the classroom to check attendance. It was ideally to support students who silently disengage. But trust us, of the hundreds of students attending lectures, 10-20% can even be missing without the lecturer realizing. Do not think of suspensions – for even they count as time missed from classroom instructions. Having an attendance policy in place works better! With electronic registrations, there can be a more structured attendance pattern. RFID-based attendance management system tracks unauthorized absence or lateness of higher education students in real-time. This will reduce the scenario of students skipping classes keep up-to-date records for all courses and improve student outcomes.
Track Discipline
When it comes to tackling the problem of chronic absenteeism, students who already have a track record of skipping class can be a particularly tough crowd to sway. So infectious they could be! The overall strategy for tackling such high education absenteeism should be to prioritize discipline. Getting into a friendly discussion helps. Figure out ways to help such students. Pool in mentors! Take complete ownership. Alternatively, manage and track behavior incidents of students using discipline software and generate automated reports for quicker decision-making.
Parent Communication
Get parents involved! This can be a way to reduce tardiness amidst such irregular students. Increased communication with parents will curb the notion of students skipping classes. Today, there are many parents connect software that provides real-time access to student’s academic information.
Manage Assessments
Another reason for students to skip classes could be their exam anxiety. If these classic signs of test uneasiness fill your classroom, attendance muddles will be there. Make assessments tension-free by creating online tests and assignments and sharing results with students and parents often. This will reduce the rising numbers of withdrawals from assessments and remove fears and inhibitions from students and parents.
Review of Curriculum
Hard to believe, but yes attendance truancy could be a result of the ill-fitting curriculum too. Teachers can review the curriculum and align the portfolio of courses to deliver quality learning for the institution. The curriculum management system provides student access to all the relevant course and curriculum data.
Smart Classrooms
Students feel aloof when teachers do not spend little or quality time with them. With smart classrooms paperwork gets eliminated, enabling teachers to spend quality time to improve teaching and learning.
Teacher Evaluations
Never neglect students who are chronically absent themselves – be all ears and resolve it at the earliest. This strategy works better! Analyze the teacher’s effectiveness in classrooms with a strong evaluation system and set performance goals to improve their skills. An ineffective faculty is but a drabby asset to the class. After all, it is they who matter the most in the classroom.
Role-based Security
The high education management system provides role-based authorization which facilitates discipline and eliminates privacy concerns of students. This information is protected and will be visible only to the targeted students or groups. Parents will be able to access and see the information about his or her children.
Event Management
Turn mundane days into gripping ones by scheduling events and announcements! With many departments and units, scheduling an event might seem like a task. Using an online calendar can be a lifesaver here. With such a calendar in place, make instant academic information available to students, teachers, parents, and alumni for specific purposes.
Automated Notifications
Don’t wait for the students to turn up the next day to notify them. Sending mass notifications with pre-built templates helps! Dish it out to students, teachers, staff, and parents via email, SMS alerts, and push notifications.
How Creatrix Campus Cloud Can Transform Your Institution and Simplify Student Life
Here’s a tip: Cloud and mobile technology can tackle regular and chronic absenteeism and benefit in many ways. They drastically result in increased attendance rate, improved student performance, reduced staff workload, and improved efficiencies of the institution.
Creatrix Campus offers the most advanced cloud and mobile-based cloud suite of solutions designed for higher education institutes. Adaptable, it easily integrates with other modules and provides secure access to track all your information in a single unified system.
In late 2021, the College of Western Idaho (CWI) needed to address a consistent enrollment decline and improve student retention. With an ambitious vision to improve and optimize its technological infrastructure and student outreach, CWI sought to build a best-in-class system to enhance student engagement and elevate enrollment strategies. To ensure that data and technology were aligned with CWI’s growth objectives, the college partnered with Collegis Education to analyze their combined impact. Were its data and tech aligned for impact, or were gaps hindering progress and creating unnecessary burdens across the team?
Key Takeaways
Six consecutive terms of YoY enrollment growth
Experienced the highest YoY increase in persistence in history of the college from Fall 2022 to Fall 2023
Consistent improvement in term-over-term retention
CHALLENGES:
Declining enrollment
No established retention strategy
Lack of CRM
Underutilized LMS
Siloed technology and data systems
SOLUTIONS:
Connected Core®
Advanced analytics + business intelligence
LMS support
Website optimization
Data-driven outreach and support for students identified as at-risk
Strategy
Collegis Education and CWI began collaborating on building a best-in-class student journey from the point of initial inquiry through graduation.
A comprehensive evaluation of existing CWI systems allowed Collegis to assess the college’s digital readiness, technology infrastructure, and enrollment ecosystem to understand how they aligned with its growth objectives. The partnership quickly proceeded from consultation to implementation.
Collegis prescribed a set of solutions to enhance student engagement from first contact and elevate the school’s enrollment strategies:
Connected Core® to unite siloed systems, data sets, and other enrollment technologies, providing more accurate, actionable, unified institutional intelligence with clear visualizations to support data-enabled decision-making at all levels.
Website optimization to improve conversion and deliver a student-centric digital experience that supports the objectives, goals, and mission.
Prospective student nurturing campaigns with a messaging protocol designed to drive conversion and prospective student engagement with CWI.
Collaborating closely with CWI, Collegis developed a well-defined student retention strategy that established meaningful student-advisor relationships early on, ensuring students felt supported from their first interaction onward.
Enrollment conversation training gave student-facing staff the tools to drive positive experiences for CWI learners while embracing a liaison approach to student engagement.
Collegis student success coaches conducted proactive outreach to engage students while leveraging an at-risk alert system to drive intervention. This early alert system flags students needing support based on learning management system (LMS) data on attendance, current grades, and assignment completion.
Results: Average YoY growth each semester since our partnership began has averaged 5%
By working with Collegis, CWI could focus on its student journey and how it could better use data and technology to deliver superior student engagements and reach its growth targets. This has helped not only stop, but reverse historical enrollment declines. In 2024, CWI projected year-over-year growth for the sixth consecutive academic term. The school has achieved an average year-over-year term growth of 5%, with a trendline for fall 2024 of over 9% growth.
“Our partnership with Collegis has provided expertise, speed, and flexibility in areas where we, as an institution of higher education, have been unable to improve so nimbly.Where most consultants provide an analysis and leave, Collegis follows through with ‘and this is how we’ll make that happen for you’.Trusting their recommendations is easy because I know they are signing themselves up to do the work with me.”
Tyler Brown, Associate Vice President Enrollment & Student Services, College of Western Idaho
Value-based conversations with prospective students have resulted in increased applications. Further, pre-start engagement from the advising and student success coaching teams has increased registrations from admitted students.
By fostering a culture of meaningful interaction and support for students, CWI paved the way for improved student retention. The LMS-based at-risk model has driven 19,000+ proactive student engagements and interventions in one academic year.
Within just one year of implementing these targeted strategies, CWI witnessed a remarkable in retention rates, all while alleviating the workload on faculty and staff.Similar retention strategies deployed by other Collegis partner institutions have yielded term-over-term retention rates exceeding 90%, underscoring the effectiveness of our approach.
“Whenever we want to try something new or have a challenge we need help with, my first thought now is let’s call Collegis and see if this is something they can help us with.”
Denise L. Aberle-Cannata, Provost, College of Western Idaho
With a proven retention strategy and access to a proactive model, CWI can now build out its internal retention capabilities and plans to take over the student success coaching function.
The Future
CWI’s commitment to embracing change and being agile is demonstrated by the school’s evolving partnership with Collegis to exceed industry best practices and realize sustained growth. Ongoing services and incremental work are targeting LMS initiatives to stabilize, standardize, optimize, and transform CWI’s instance of Blackboard Learn and redesign its new student orientation, among other things.
