Blinn College

• Public community college
• Brenham, Texas
• 150 academic programs
• 18,977 students

Most Loved Features

• Multi-channel communications
• Unlimited 2-way texting
• Automated email workflows
• Integrated Events module

Integrations

• Banner (Ellucian)

Since Implementing Element451:

• Blinn College experienced a 10% increase in enrollment.
• The college has seen a 33% decrease in dropouts.
• Staff has achieved a 75% reduction in time spent on communication preparation.

Established in 1883, Blinn College holds a rich history as the first county-owned public junior college in Texas. Today, it stands as one of the premier two-year colleges in the state, serving over 17,000 students and boasting the number 1 academic transfer rate in Texas.

Blinn College prides itself on providing a diverse range of educational opportunities, including academic transfer, workforce training, and continuing education classes. The college offers a comprehensive selection of over 150 degree and certificate programs across various disciplines.

Despite it’s historical success in the state, Blinn College embarked on a mission to overcome newer challenges posed by a fragmented technology stack and changing student recruitment expectations.

To address these issues and transform their enrollment processes, the college partnered with Element451 to leverage it’s powerful CRM platform specifically designed for the unique needs of higher ed institutions. The results? A 10% increase in enrollment and a 33% decrease in dropouts.

One Right Sized Solution to Consolidate Various Tools

Blinn College faced the challenge of finding a CRM platform that could seamlessly integrate all their recruitment and communication needs into one tool. 

Assistant Registrar, Erin May, stressed the importance of finding software that could fulfill multiple requirements, including unlimited texting, multi-channel communication, and event management while reducing friction for both staff and students. The search ultimately led them to choose Element451. 

Prior to implementing Element451, May and her team had to navigate multiple fragmented software solutions. These disparate systems caused inefficiencies and hindered effective communication both with other departments and students. Plus, keeping track of and managing multiple solutions and vendors took a significant amount of time.

Element451’s unified platform streamlined various communication channels, including unlimited texting, email segmentation, and automated workflows. 

This consolidation eliminated the need for multiple software solutions and helped simplify communication plans, resulting in increased efficiency for staff and increased engagement amont prospects and current students.

Improved Admissions Process For Students And Staff

One of the most crucial objectives for Blinn College was to optimize the recruitment process. With Element451 streamlined communication, the team at Blinn College saw enhanced staff efficiency, and was better able to foster meaningful relationships with prospective students. 

By utilizing Element451's smart segmentation, the team successfully assigned students to specific recruiters based on territories and predetermined factors. This approach ensured efficient tracking of communications, enabling students to connect with the appropriate recruiter.

Additionally, Element451’s person profiles now offers counselors a comprehensive view of whatever student they were communicating with on one single screen. Previously, Blinn College faced challenges in assigning and segmenting recruiters, leading to confusion for students who had to contact multiple individuals. 

Blinn also leveraged the power of Element451’s Events module to drive campus visits and group gatherings, with custom reports automatically sent to visit coordinators. Through Element451, the college developed specialized forms for college fairs and high school visits, streamlining the data collection process. 

By utilizing QR codes for lead collection, enrollment advisors now seamlessly capture information, which is instantly stored in Element451, triggering targeted communications, automated workflows, and relevant tasks for efficient follow-up and engagement.

Boosting Staff Efficiency and Effectiveness

The previous manual approach to sending email campaigns consumed an excessive amount of time so increasing staff efficiency and effectiveness was a critical goal for Blinn College. 

With Conversations, Element451’s flexible communication tools, the college experienced a significant reduction in time spent on campaign preparation. Prior to Element451, emails were sent out of Outlook and we were limited to 500 contacts per email, meaning a campaign to 10,000 students would require 20 separate emails and have to be sent manually.

By leveraging Element451, Blinn College achieved a 75% reduction in time spent on communication preparation, allowing staff members to allocate their time more strategically.

Since implementation, Blinn College has:

• sent nearly 1 million emails
• sent 663,280 text messages
• 35 currently active workflows that have reached nearly 30,000 students 

This newfound efficiency empowers the staff to focus on other crucial tasks, ultimately enhancing their overall effectiveness. 

The Numbers Don’t Lie: 10% Increase In Enrollment and 33% Decrease In Dropouts

Improved email and SMS workflows, along with better tracking of student interaction and enhanced student engagement contributed to Blinn College's ability to attract and retain a greater number of students. This resulted in Blinn’s higher retention rate and increased enrollment at the college, an average 10% increase in enrollment since Element451’s implementation.

May and her team also successfully addressed the challenge of student dropouts for nonpayment by leveraging timely and targeted communication through segmented emails automated by triggered workflows.

These easy-to-build functionalities enabled Blinn College to proactively provide students with vital information and support regarding payment deadlines and options, leading to an average 33% decrease in dropouts. 

Fast Implementation and Customized Support

The urgency to implement unlimited texting capabilities was a large reason Blinn College sought a speedy implementation process. Element451's impressive six to eight-week timeline, coupled with its IT-friendly, no-code approach, allowed for a swift integration. 

Element451’s robust customer support played a vital role during implementation, ensuring a smooth transition and providing tailored assistance. Unlike other CRM options, Element451 offered personalized support, customization, and guidance, helping Blinn College maximize the benefits of the software.

Now that May and her team have experienced increasingly positive returns on their investment, they’re gearing up to implement Element451’s artificial intelligence (AI) offerings such as BoltBot, a 24/7 AI-powered chatbot, and Bolt Copilot, a generative AI copywriting tool throughout the CRM.