Background

Seattle University was tasked with the design and build out of Slate for Student Success to bolster internal processes for current students while streamlining the general experience. Previously on multiple systems, the institution sought counsel on how to consolidate their technology stack into a simplified system while maintaining (and exceeding) feature parity. Already leveraging Technolutions Slate for recruitment and admissions processes, SU opted to procure an additional database to support student success efforts. The University approached RHB to lead internal process conversations and provide a technical roadmap for strategic implementation. At the onset of the engagement, SU intended on taking on a significant portion of the lift for the build themselves. Ultimately, RHB provided a significant component of the build while simultaneously supporting SU in the design of a systems management and governance model that would inform future success across the organization.

Challenge

The University’s existing processes for supporting current students created an inconsistent experience and were managed across multiple platforms. RHB needed to combine expertise from our Enrollment Management and Slate and Related Technology practices to provide a starting point for internal conversations, convening campus stakeholders and aligning toward goals that supported the institution’s strategic plan. Continuing, the institution would need to make decisions on implementation configuration, as staffing was largely dedicated to support of the admissions environment, limiting bandwidth toward a rapid implementation.

“Our RHB team called us into coherence and to excellence at the confluence of CRM technology and the human experience.”

—James Miller, Associate Provost and Dean of Admission

Solution

Upon completion of the onsite stakeholder sessions and technology ecosystem analysis, RHB laid a path forward toward successful implementation of Technolutions Slate for Student Success. Importantly for these engagements, RHB aided the University in thinking creatively about how to flex the system while maintaining best practice in configuration techniques, as there are no “student success” modules within the platform. With a core focus on data integrations (the crux of a successful student success implementation), advising processes and record management, RHB was able to guide a strategic and thoughtful implementation that met the needs of the team and, ultimately, the institution.

Results

The development of database infrastructure necessary to support student success initiatives at SU led to the streamlining of internal systems and processes into a centralized CRM solution that was intuitively designed for staff. Seattle University was able to migrate away from disparate systems and assess the student experience consistently across the organization. James Miller, Associate Provost and Dean of Admission, summed up multiple engagements well. “Our RHB team called us into coherence and to excellence at the confluence of CRM technology and the human experience.”