Are you a Student? Learn More
Looking for Client Support?
Request a Demo
© 2026 Ready Education. All rights reserved.
Let's Talk
Home › Success Stories › Lincoln University
Success Story

Building Belonging from Day One at Lincoln University

Lincoln University has modernized its approach to student engagement. Lions Connect, powered by CampusGroups, brings multiple tools into one central hub. Students can access orientation, events, communications, and resources from day one.
Institution Type
HBCU
Client Since
2025
Location
Pennsylvania
Student Numbers
2,200

About Lincoln University

Founded in 1854, Lincoln University is the nation’s first degree-granting HBCU. Lincoln is committed to developing students academically, professionally, and personally. The university serves a diverse student body and prioritizes community, leadership, and life readiness.

Outcomes

Since launching Lions Connect in 2025, Lincoln University has achieved measurable gains in engagement and operational efficiency. Staff benefit from streamlined processes, including automated reporting. Engagement data supports leadership reporting and accreditation reviews, including Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Key outcomes in the first year include:
Earlier student engagement
with pre-orientation access helping build connections and reduce first-day friction.
Improved compliance visibility
with anti-hazing training fully tracked and easily reportable for leadership oversight.
Faster and more efficient communications
with the weekly ROAR Report generated automatically from event and announcement data.

Challenges

Before Lions Connect, Lincoln faced several barriers to delivering a connected and consistent student experience. Key challenges included:

  • Limited early engagement: Incoming students had no unified digital experience before arrival, making it harder to build early belonging and connection.
  • Fragmented tools and information: Communications and resources were spread across multiple platforms, leaving students overwhelmed and unsure where to find key information.
  • Manual administrative processes: Core tasks such as newsletters, event scheduling, and peer mentor recruitment required significant staff time.
  • Limited engagement visibility: Without centralised tracking, it was difficult to demonstrate the impact of student affairs programming to senior leadership.

Solutions

Lincoln University implemented Lions Connect to bring the student experience together in one place from pre-arrival through to graduation.

Digital-First Onboarding

Lincoln introduced Lions Connect during Lion Linkups, its pre-orientation program. Students access schedules, meet mentors, and receive updates before arriving on campus. This early engagement builds connection and confidence from day one.

Streamlined Communications

Lincoln replaced a manual newsletter process with an automated system inside Lions Connect. Events and announcements are tagged by category, including scholarships, service opportunities, and campus updates. Content automatically populates the weekly ROAR Report email, reducing workload and maintaining a sense of community.

Peer Mentor Recruitment & Onboarding

CampusGroups digital checklists support the full peer mentor process. This includes interviews, onboarding, and progress tracking. The result is a consistent, efficient, and easy-to-manage workflow.

Prevention Education & Compliance Tracking

Anti-hazing training is managed entirely through Lions Connect with integration into Canvas LMS. Staff can generate unified reports covering completion rates, pass rates, and compliance. This provides a clear, defensible record for leadership.

Engagement Reporting for Leadership

Staff track registrations, attendance, and participation across programs in one system. Leadership gains visibility into engagement trends and outcomes. Decisions are now driven by data rather than anecdotal feedback.

Controlled, Secure Environment

Lions Connect gives administrators granular control over content visibility. Some information is restricted to students, while other content remains publicly accessible. This balances transparency with institutional privacy requirements.

“Now it’s their central engagement hub.”
“Before Lions Connect, information was scattered across too many tools and students felt overwhelmed. Now it’s their central engagement hub.”
Ashley Spencer, Programme Manager
Lincoln Legacy Experience and New Student Orientation
“We’re excited to expand its use”
“Lions Connect is like Facebook meets LinkedIn. I also value the platform’s security—some content is only visible to our institution. We’re excited to expand its use with faculty and staff.”
Brandon Harris, Director of Student Life & Development
Student Success
“Students can do everything through their phones”
“Students can do everything through their phones, which is key since that’s where they already are.”
Brandon Harris, Director of Student Life & Development
Student Success
“Ready Education’s turnaround time is excellent”
“Ready Education’s turnaround time is excellent. As we expand platform use, their support remains critical.”
Brandon Harris, Director of Student Life & Development
Student Success

Conclusion

Lincoln University’s approach shows that belonging requires consistent and accessible connection. Lions Connect unifies communications, onboarding, events, compliance, and engagement data in one platform. 

Staff now spend more time supporting students and less time managing processes. The university plans to expand platform use across community service and faculty engagement. Lions Connect is now central to how Lincoln supports student success.