Spartan Connect Form
Dean of Students, Director of Student Engagement, Director of Enrollment Management, Director of Student Experience, Director of Financial Aid and Records, Success Navigators
Project Purpose
To support students on the front end of their M State enrollment with student supports that extend beyond financial aid and course registration, including basic needs, mental health, accessibility resources, academic support, etc. (this list is not exhaustive).
Deliverables
- Develop and deploy a Student Intake Form (version 1) spring of 2022.
- Update the form and build it into the college's new customer relationship management system (CRM) to enhance wrap around support service and streamline communications (FY24 soft launch).
- Provide outreach, support and resources to students who complete the form.
- Determine who owns/will lead the maintenance and upkeep of the form as it crosses multiple departments.
Project Scope
In Scope
- Development of the form and questions.
- Deployment of the form to new students.
- Outreach to students based on responses to the form.
- Revise and update the form as needed and when the college's new CRM is implemented (this will change processes of how students are contacted and connected to resources).
Out of Scope
Hiring of additional employees.
Effectiveness Measures
Project Goals
- Increase student success through early access to supports and related information.
Key Performance Indicators/Metrics
- Percentage of new students that complete the form.
- Percentage of students connected with the information or support they seek.
- Percentage of students that the Success Navigators make contact with.
Data Collection and Review for Improvements
- The core team will review and adjust as needed at the end of each semester.
Reporting of Results
- Results will be shared with stakeholders, leadership and Title III grant reporting.
Constraints
- Version 1 - The college's current CRM doesn’t have capability to automate communications; thus, process is manual and dependent on staffing schedules.
- Some areas students request information for has limited or seasonal contracts for employees.
- Version 2 - Timing of CRM build and the time to build the new form and customized communications. Unsure of how the reporting from the new CRM will function in regards to the form; this will be a consideration as the build occurs.
Financial Impact
Increase in student retention, creating tuition, fee and allocation revenue.
Summary of Results
Spring 2022 - The new Student Intake Form was created and deployed to incoming students. The form asks students questions regarding parental status, working status, intention of full/part time academics, food, shelter, financial aid, technology and accessibility resources with the goal of outreach occurring to students prior to the start of fall semester and to have supports in place to positively impact success. Early results show 9 of 10 students responding have at least one need or area they would like additional information.
Summer 2023 - The form was renamed to the Spartan Connect Form and revised to include a Likert scale in order to determine the depth of students' needs. New students receive an acceptance packet directing them to an online new student checklist (www.minnesota.edu/prep-success) with the Spartan Connect Form being one of the steps to complete. M State hired five Success Navigators whose primary role is to assist new students in their onboarding process through their first two semesters at the college. The Success Navigators receive immediate notifications via email when a student submits the form. During high-peek volume times, the outreach priority is determined by the students' needs on the Likert scale. The goal is to connect with students prior to the start of the term in order to have supports in place to positively impact their success. Thus far, over 90% of students who completed the form report at least one need or area they would like additional information.
Future Direction
Integrating the Spartan Connect Form and communications into the college's new customer relationship management system (CRM).
