Campus Colleagues,
Last year, our university began a mission to rethink our enrollment strategies and develop an effective foundation to grow enrollment while also promoting student success now and in the future. As a result, the Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Plan was developed.
The plan includes seven key themes with associated observations, goals, and actionable, prioritized strategies that are essential to boosting enrollment and student success. Data, Technology, and Systems is a critical enabler and foundational element that K-State must address and continue to monitor, assess, and enhance on an ongoing basis.
The Enrollment Management Data, Technology & Systems (EMDTS) Task Force was established to respond to a number of technology and data needs of the SEM initiative. One of these goals is to deploy an enterprise-wide student Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to foster collaboration university-wide to enhance recruitment, enrollment, and student success. Currently, K-State uses multiple CRM tools that are unstable and do not share data with one another.
To accomplish this goal, a sub-committee of the EMDTS, the Admissions CRM project team, has been charged to select a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution for K-State. By improving our collaboration and communication, K-State can share CRM information across departments, streamline workflows, create operational efficiencies, while providing a more focused relationship with students. The primary component of a CRM that we are looking for is for Undergraduate Recruitment and Admissions. Some CRM technologies provide capabilities well beyond Undergraduate Admissions as well (Graduate, Student Success, etc.).
As a result, the Project Team developed a Request for Proposal targeted at an Undergraduate Admissions CRM, but also requested information and costs tied to the other features (as described above) so that we know what options we would have for scaling the system into the future.
To assist the Project Team in reviewing and weighting the RFP Proposals, we want to hear from you. Throughout March and April, listening tours are scheduled to gather feedback on the use of current CRM systems, and finalizing what criteria must be met when selecting a university-wide solution. Based on that feedback, CRM vendors will conduct demonstrations of their products. Surveys will be used to gather feedback about the vendors, and a product selection will be made.
Listening tours have been scheduled by department and college. Additionally, two open sessions are scheduled for anyone who would like to share their feedback. The open sessions are scheduled for:
- Thursday, April 4, 8:30-10 a.m., K-State Student Union, Room 207
- Thursday, April 25, 1:30-3 p.m., K-State Student Union, Room 207
To learn more about the university-wide CRM initiative, go to https://blogs.k-state.edu/crm
Enrollment and student success is owned by all of us, not by one person, department, or unit. Consequently, it will take K-Staters working together to select a university-wide CRM solution that will improve the management of student relationships.
Sincerely,
Gary Pratt
Chief Information Officer
