Blackboard & University of East London

When the University of East London needed to ensure late-arriving students were engaged with the campus community, they turned to ConnectTxt to reach hundreds with critical rst-term information. More than 42 percent responded actively to the outreach, and retention increased by 4 percent. According to Brian Hipkin, the universitys director of student services, ConnectTxt allows us to deliver information precisely, and very speedily, literally into somebodys hand. Students were very grateful for the information and felt that we understood their situation With the retention increase, ConnectTxt more than paid for itself.

CHALLENGE
The University of East London (UEL) is located in the London Borough of Newham and serves 28,000 students on two campuses. Converted from a polytechnic school in 1992, UEL is a widening-participation university and actively seeks to improve access to higher education among challenged populations. Approximately 60 percent of students are from minority ethnic backgrounds, and a signicant portion is economically deprived. According to Brian Hipkin, director of student services, Many of our students are simply unprepared for higher education. They come from educational backgrounds where they havent been that successful, and theyre unfamiliar with the higher education process and bureaucracy, which makes them very vulnerable. In addition, a number of UEL students often apply late in the application cycle, which means they miss out on standard introductions and critical pre-term informational events. Yet early term retention depends on these students having timely, easy access to specic information about nancial aid, class time tables, and study help. We knew what information latearriving students require to be successful, said Hipkin. We just needed a direct and efficient way to deliver this information.

QUICK FACTS
28,000 students Considered a widening participation university Needed to connect with latearriving students to facilitate engagement Relies on ConnectTxt to deliver critical information and create ongoing relationships with vulnerable students Experienced a 4% increase in retention after using ConnectTxt as part of multichannel outreach effort

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SOLUTION
To better communicate with late-arriving students, UEL implemented a multi-channel approach, delivering information through Facebook, YouTube videos, and a web page dedicated to key topics. The university then turned to ConnectTxt to create a bridge between students and these information resources. We compiled the best of the knowledge and experience that staff had for late-arriving students and distilled this information into ten points. These points were put up on special Web page, said Hipkin. Working with ConnectTxt, we created short codesfor example, DEBT or LATEstudents could use to get information on each topic. Each automated reply contained the URL for the appropriate web topic.

ConnectTxt is the specialist. Not only do they listen to feedback, but they completely leave anyone who is a competitor far behind in terms of utility, client relationship, and product development.
Brian Hipkin Director of Student Services University of East London

RESULTS
Communicating the availability of web pages via ConnectTxt allowed UEL to quickly and easily reach late arriving students with information critical to retention. Response to the initial outreach was positive: 42 percent of late-arriving students used one or more of the short codes. ConnectTxt allows us to deliver information precisely, and very speedily, literally into somebodys hand, said Hipkin. Students were very grateful for the information and felt that we understood their situation. They didnt have to feel embarrassed or like they had made a mistake. The university also saw retention increase by 4 percent. With the retention increase, ConnectTxt more than paid for itself. If you keep even just one student from leaving, youve saved roughly three times your outlay for ConnectTxt. ConnectTxt has become a key component in facilitating ongoing dialogue between late-arriving students and the university, crucial to keeping students in school and on target for graduation. With ConnectTxt, we can easily build relationships with students over time, said Hipkin. We can capture phone numbers and proactively text students back in a few days with additional messaging, for example, hope you settled in, or heres a phone number you might need. ConnectTxt allows us to be well connected to our most vulnerable students. By using ConnectTxt, UEL communicated with students via the channel preferred by young adults. Today, texting is absolutely central to the student way of life, and almost everybody in class has a mobile phone, said Hipkin. With ConnectTxt, we are now providing information in the way students want to receive it. ConnectTxt also preserves student dignity around sensitive subjects. Late students are often embarrassed and dont like to ask questions, so its best to use something very discreet. A student having money problems might not want to talk to someone in person, but they dont mind texting the short code debt to nd out about their options. ConnectTxt ensures UEL stays in the vanguard of the latest communication innovations. Other vendors will sell you SMS packages bundled in with other bits of software. All theyre doing is giving you text you can use for outward bound messages. They dont even have the ability to link Twitter with SMS, and they often dont allow emergency messages, said Hipkin. ConnectTxt is the specialist. Not only do they listen to feedback, but they completely leave anyone who is a competitor far behind in terms of utility, client relationship and product development.

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