Smart Solutions for Student Success: Leveraging Data and Automation to Enhance Student Engagement

(Connections for Improving the Student Experience)

Provided Presentation Description:

This presentation will showcase how Queensborough Community College’s ASAP program utilizes experience management platforms such as Qualtrics surveys, workflows, Power Automate and more to bridge various departments and streamline the student experience. QCC ASAP Associate Director of Data Management and Program Strategy Angela Mc Aleese and QCC ASAP Engagement Specialist Rachel Jerome will dive into how data- driven communication processes collect both quantitative and qualitative information about new students to understand their unique needs better. The program sends targeted messages and instructions related to financial aid, bursar and other essential processes through automated communication workflows, ensuring a personalized and unified experience. Learn how advisors collaborate with engagement staff to track student progress in real time and how all data is seamlessly integrated into a live spreadsheet for ongoing updates and status monitoring. This session will provide insights on creating efficient, yet personalized, engagement strategies that improve the student journey and foster deeper connections across departments.

Presenters:

Rachel Jerome, ASAP Program Specialist for Student Engagement

Angela Mc Aleese, Associate Director of Data Management and Program Strategy

Both of ASAP Program, Queensborough Community College

Notes:

The presenters demonstrated an in-depth understanding of their processes, showcasing how they leverage data and automation using tools such as Qualtrics, ChatGPT, and Power Automate to streamline and improve their efforts, enhancing efficiency and student engagement. Their idea to automate focus on defining student engagement philosophy, challenges, evaluate data needs, automate with intention and streamlining solutions. 

Tools Used:

Qualtrics - Refer to as Experience Management Platform that handles data collection (survey). ASAP program on-boarding student data processes. 

​ChatGPT - Generating communication emails and prompts for needed information. This is also used for tuning such as defining a certain tone, persuading certain call to action, to guide the focus of messaging. 

Power Automate - Perform mail merges, mail templates, extracting/parsing data from excel, etc.