University of Rhode Island.
The University of Rhode Island, like so many other institutions, was looking to expand their current undergrad-focused instance of Slate to include online and graduate programs.
The Challenge
Project creep and internal bandwidth were top of mind as they embarked on the expansion. Their Slate expertise ranged from under one year to super-users with experience at more than one institution. However, they needed external support to launch URI Online (URIO), an online learning offering supporting undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs.
The primary goal was to not only implement Slate for their current programmatic needs, but prepare them for future growth! Waybetter Marketing was up to the challenge to help drive enrollment by strategically leveraging Slate.
The Better Way
Step One
During the discovery phase, Waybetter met with URI leadership, which included academic program leaders as well as the undergraduate Slate team.
Immediately on-the-spot, Waybetter answered questions, addressed concerns, and provided quick wins, in addition to diving deep into thoughtful discussion about the successes and challenges the URI team was facing with the launch of URIO.
Project goals and timelines were defined, and a weekly meeting was scheduled with the core team.
Step Two
The URIO RFI form and application were built with careful consideration for the necessary logic and filters. At this time, the necessary automated messages were also configured which were triggered based on student interaction.
Step Three
In order to deliver custom information to admitted and accepted students, dynamic portal pages were constructed. In addition to coordinating with the core team, we also worked with members of the marketing and communication department to ensure consistent use of brand elements and content, as well as the inclusion of necessary tracking pixels for reporting and other marketing purposes.
Step Four
A final overview, instruction manual, and a recorded training session were provided to empower the leadership to make any necessary future updates and prepare for the growth of the online and graduate programs at URI.
The completion of the project left the institution in an optimal position to leverage Slate to drive enrollment for their new online programs.
Results
URIO successfully launched 11 new programs, with leads from the RFI going directly into Slate. With Waybetter’s technical and strategic expertise, we were able to work quickly to launch URIO within their shared Slate instance and expedite the implementation process.
What we accomplished:
- Developed the RFI page
- Built the application for admission
- Configured application materials checklist & appropriate workflow logic
- Created dynamic applicant portal pages
- Prepared comprehensive instruction manual & recorded training sessions