The Community College of Baltimore County is transforming the student journey.

The Problem

Before implementing Element451, CCBC faced challenges that will sound familiar to many colleges: fragmented systems, manual processes, and a lack of insight into the full student journey. Staff were relying on outdated workflows—some dating back to the 1990s—and critical student touchpoints were siloed across platforms like Banner (SIS) and Brightspace (LMS).

“We couldn’t see the full story of a student’s experience,” said Jessica Benedict, Constituent Relationship Manager. “There was nothing in place to track or act on engagement in between systems.”

The college knew that in order to improve retention and student success, they needed to reimagine the student journey from start to finish—and equip their teams with tools that support data-informed, student-first engagement.

“We wanted better outreach, better onboarding, and automation that didn’t just make things easier for staff, but more meaningful for students,” said Matt Lang, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment & Outreach.

“This was never just about software,” added Craig Klimczak, Chief Information Officer. “It was about giving students more value—and helping them actually reach their goals.”

The Solution

CCBC chose Element451 not just as a CRM—but as a platform to build a connected, cohesive student experience. The goal was to move from patchwork systems to a true “system of engagement.”

“Banner is our system of record. PowerBI is our system of analytics. Element451 is our system of engagement,” said Klimczak.

In just months, CCBC implemented inquiry forms, revamped applications, overhauled event management, and launched an AI Agents—all using Element451.

• Inquiries were centralized and segmented, allowing for immediate, targeted follow-up.
• Applications moved out of the SIS and into a user-friendly, fraud-resistant workflow.
• Events became fully trackable with digital check-in, automated reminders, and feedback loops.
• Bolt Agents, AI-powered agent, began handling 24/7 support across the college’s website.

“We used to do case management in spreadsheets,” said Lang. “Now it’s built into our admissions workflow—and soon, advising too.”

The platform rollout wasn’t just a tech upgrade—it also sparked a cultural shift. Departments began working together more closely, using shared dashboards and real-time data to make decisions.

“We created a dedicated CRM team,” Lang added. “It’s helped us move faster, implement more, and rethink how we allocate staff time.”

The Results

11,000+ Inquiries in One Year

Before Element451: Less than 200 inquiries/year
After Element451: 11,000+ inquiries

“It blew our minds. In the first month alone, we surpassed our total from the entire previous year,” said Benedict.

Improved Application Experience

Application yield improved even as the system filtered out fraudulent submissions.

“We introduced a pause for fraud checks. It reduced false entries and increased our yield,” said Lang.

300% Increase in Event Attendance

Spring Open House attendance jumped from less than 200 to over 600.

“We used Element to optimize check-in, messaging, and feedback,” said Klimczak. “Now we’re using that insight to make every event better.”

900+ Staff Hours Saved by Bolt Agents

The Bolt Agent has handled over 6,000 conversations since launch.

“We trained the agent using real student FAQs. It’s made a huge difference,” said Benedict.

More Strategic Collaboration Across Departments

From Excel chaos to live dashboards, Element451 helped teams across admissions, virtual services, advising, financial aid, and beyond.

“We’re no longer guessing what a student has done—we can see it, act on it, and collaborate around it,” said Lang.

Next Steps

CCBC isn’t slowing down. The team is now expanding Element451 into new areas like specialized applications, case management in advising, and full integration with their call center.

“This is just the beginning,” said Klimczak. “We’ve built the foundation. Now we’re scaling and optimizing across the entire student lifecycle.”

They’re also continuing to build strong internal expertise—ensuring Element451 is not only managed but championed.

“If there’s one piece of advice I’d give, it’s to dedicate people to this work,” Lang emphasized. “You need someone who wakes up every day thinking about how to unlock the full power of the platform.”

For CCBC, Element451 wasn’t just a technology purchase. It was a strategic inflection point—fueling growth, improving the student experience, and transforming how the college operates.

“It’s not about the tool,” said Benedict. “It’s about how you use it to reimagine what’s possible.”