PROBLEMS TO SOLVE

Dr Amy Radford-Popp is the Dean of Student Engagement and joined the college just before the Covid-19 pandemic. “Upon starting at the college I realized we were lacking a digital engagement presence.” Dr Radford-Popp began some research including speaking to other nearby institutions using the Ready Education app.

She also explored if the college could build an app in-house with students, before selecting the Ready app. Another reason why the college was seeking an app was that they wanted to bring the student experience to life. There was a lack of engagement with emails as well as students not knowing everything happening on campus.

The launch strategy - Results

WHY THE READY APP

Dr Radford-Popp goes on to explain that another attractive element of the Ready Education product was the data aspect and that the app would enable the college to collect lots of data on how students were engaging with the college and how the college was engaging with students. Other additional benefits were that the app would really add a digital presence to the college - meeting students where they were on their smartphones as well as assisting with understaffing issues at the college.

SCALABILITY 

Although the college hasn’t yet completed a full academic year with their new app, they have already noticed a difference.The app is a resource for the college as well as a social tool. Students and faculty are now approaching the team asking how they can get involved with the app, as well as share content such as events on there. For Jason it has been useful to have events all in one place and now the thinking is “Hey! If you want to know what is happening on campus with student events and clubs, there is an app for that. You can take action from your phone, and it’s much more convenient.”

The college is looking forward to integrating the app into every aspect of college culture. They are also excited to use Forms to deploy in-app surveys related to advising needs, career goals, mental health check-ins, and overall wellness. The team also plans to dive into the data over the summer and find other ways of engaging with students. There are also plans to engage with other audiences linked to the college such as parents, alumni and the local community.