About Jefferson Community & Technical College

• Public community college
• Louisville, Kentucky
• 45+ program options
• 12,000 students

Most loved features

• Two-way texting
• No-code forms and landing pages
• Event scheduling and communication
• Personalized multi-channel communication

Since implementing Element451

• Practical Nursing Program enrollment has risen 133% (Downtown campus) and 50% (Carrollton campus).
• Better recruitment process and more qualified students has boosted NCLEX nursing exam pass rate from 50-70% to 100% at both campuses.
• All of this has been done with a team of one.

Jefferson Community & Technical College (JCTC) is a public community college in Louisville, Kentucky. JCTC serves about 12,000 students across six campuses in Louisville and surrounding areas, and offers over a variety of program options, including associate degrees, certificates, and apprenticeships.

After stepping into the Practical Nursing Program Coordinator role at JCTC, Amanda Miller embarked on a transformative journey to revitalize and enhance the program.

Miller inherited a program that faced numerous difficulties. Low retention rates and a pass rate hovering between 50-70% on the NCLEX nursing exam (compared to state average of 85-89%) demanded immediate attention. Determined to effect positive change, Miller recognized the need for drastic changes to improve student outcomes.

Early Challenges For A Team of One

Shortly before implementing Element451, Miller found herself managing the program single-handedly. After securing a grant and obtaining Element451, Miller dove right in and began leveraging the platform’s student engagement capabilities and multi-channel automation to make her department of one feel like a team of 10.

As soon as Miller gained access to Element451, she embraced a hands-on approach to the platform. Recognizing her preference for practical learning, the Element451 customer success team accommodated Miller's learning style, guiding her through the platform's features and explaining how certain capabilities could align with the program’s goals. 

Due to the no-code aspect and the drag-and-drop functionality found throughout Element451’s email, landing page, microsite, application builder, and more, Miller quickly became proficient and began leveraging Element451's capabilities to advance the nursing program's objectives.

Transforming the Program and Student Engagement

A key aspect of the program's transformation was a comprehensive logistical overhaul. Previously admitting students twice a year, the program transitioned to an annual admission, aligning with the constraints of short summer classes. 

Since the practical nursing program has certain requirements for admission, such as attending pre-admission conferences, Miller utilized Element451 to track student’s progress and keep them on the right track.

Miller also saw an opportunity to utilize Element451 to engage prospective students and diversify their understanding of nursing career paths beyond the traditional RN route.

Miller creatively employed Element451 to captivate student interest and ensure effective communication about the program changes and deadlines. Through the implementation of captivating outreach tactics integrated with QR codes generated by Element451, she successfully motivated students to scan the codes at college fairs or around campus and effortlessly access crucial program details. 

As students accessed and filled out forms, automated data entry into the Element451 CRM streamlined the creation of individual person profiles.

Effortlessly Expanding Outreach and Increasing Enrollment

Element451 played a pivotal role in expanding outreach efforts and streamlining admissions processes for JCTC. Recognizing the need to adapt recruitment strategies to better align with modern day student preferences, Miller embraced Element451's unlimited two-way text messaging functionality. 

This departure from traditional email-based communication allowed her to reach students more effectively on their own time and in their preferred formats.

Miller utilized the platform’s Events module to organize pre-admission conferences, keeping track of attendee information and ensuring targeted follow-ups. The ability to communicate directly through text messages also empowered Miller to make rapid adjustments to schedules, room changes, and urgent requests and ensure students stayed informed in real-time.

“If there's something I need, like if I want to survey them for something or have them fill out forms, I’m able to do that and send them a notice by text,” explained Miller.

The Foundation for Success: Surpassing Enrollment Goals

The program's success was evident in the enrollment numbers, surpassing previous limits. Admission at the downtown campus rose 133% from 30 to 70 students, and the Carrollton satellite campus welcomed 30 new students, a 50% increase from the previous class.

Not only did enrollment rise, but the increase in qualified students enrolling at JCTC positively affected the NCLEX exam pass rate; the practical nursing program now boasts a 100% pass rate for both campuses. Additionally, Miller's team has now grown to include five dedicated members, with plans to hire one more in the near future. 

Continued Growth with Element451

Miller envisions broadening the scope of Element451's capabilities to undergo more robust student tracking, expand her outreach efforts to high school students, and conduct more surveys for pre- and post-enrollment data, enabling her to gather valuable insights, enhance communication, and engage with a wider audience of prospective students.