Texas State Technical College (TSTC), a pioneering institution dedicated to advancing technical education and ensuring job placement for its graduates, operates across multiple campuses in Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area. With a mission centered around career intentionality and industry responsiveness, TSTC sought to enhance its enrollment processes and student engagement strategies. This initiative led their Chief Marketing Officer, Michael Bettersworth, to adopt Element451, an AI-powered CRM platform tailored for higher education.

The Challenge: Streamlining a Complex Enrollment Process

TSTC faced significant challenges with its previous systems. The transition from an older Salesforce implementation to a new Workday Student ERP highlighted usability issues that hampered the application experience. The existing application process was cumbersome, causing a high abandonment rate and failing to support TSTC's consultative admissions approach. The need for a more flexible, user-friendly application system became imperative to drive growth and align with the college’s strategic goals.

The Solution: Implementing Element451 for Enhanced Engagement

TSTC conducted a thorough review of potential CRM solutions, emphasizing the need for simplicity, flexibility, and alignment with their institutional values. Element451 stood out for its transparency and higher education focus. The implementation process was highly collaborative, involving detailed discovery documents and clear prioritization of use cases through the MoSCoW method.

Key Features and Benefits:

• User-Friendly Applications: The new application system significantly reduced complexity, leading to a drastic improvement in conversion rates.
• AI-Powered Agents: AI Agents for Students automated responses to frequently asked questions, immediately reducing the burden on the enrollment team.
• Personalized Communication Plans: Personalized communication strategies were developed to engage prospects effectively and provide relevant information at the right time.

A Model for Modernizing Enrollment Processes

TSTC's partnership with Element451 exemplifies how institutions can leverage AI-driven CRM solutions to overcome enrollment challenges. By focusing on user experience, automation, and personalized communication, TSTC not only improved its application metrics but also enhanced its overall engagement with prospective students. This case serves as a model for other institutions aiming to modernize their enrollment processes and better serve their student populations.