Streamlined Student Success Update

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The 3S (Streamlined Student Success)  initiative continues to make progress to ensure an exceptional experience for each City Colleges student. Since we launched the 3S initiative last year, our committees have been engaging with internal and external community members, vendors, and partners on each project: Strategic Rebranding, Website Redesign, and CRM.

College Video/Photoshoot Update:

The MarCom Department is working with our vendors to conduct a video and photoshoot at each of our colleges. The goal is to produce photography and video content to support our website redesign and to create advertising that is reflective of our student community.  You may see the team at your college in the coming weeks. Know a student who is interested in taking part in this project? Visit www.ccc.edu/photoshoot.

Rebranding Update:

Our new brand launched this summer, and little by little, you will see the updates in your inbox and across campus. You may also see our new look in the ad campaign that launched in July—on the sides of buses, on billboards, and online.  To learn more about the new brand, visit www.ccc.edu/branding.

Website Update:

It has been one year since we launched the first part of the new website: www.ccc.edu/apply

  • This August, we had an all-time high of 75k visitors.
  • We’ve had close to 500k visitors and 30k prospective student inquiries this year. We also know that about 50% of credit inquiries from the apply page became CCC applicants.

In Progress:

  • We’ve launched a flexible website template to support key initiatives.
  • A new City Colleges of Chicago Foundation site is underway and will launch this fall.
  • A new home for news, events, and student success stories is underway.
  • Next up: college homepages.

We’ve also worked on an overhaul of our full site navigation. Keep an eye out for a survey this fall to share your feedback! 

CRM Update:

Major Milestone Accomplished: CRM Solution Design

After careful analysis of CCC’s requirements for the CRM, our partner Servio has developed a high-level solution design document. This document outlines the approach we will use throughout the project. Servio presented the solution design to a wide range of CCC stakeholders. Additional meetings took place to present the plan and gather feedback from senior leadership at each of the seven colleges.

Over 45 senior leaders from 10 departments and each college reviewed and approved the approach outlined in the Solution Design Document.

CCC also developed a set of Guiding Principles to ensure alignment with all stakeholders throughout the project.

Next Steps:

  • CCC is now planning for the next phase of the project—the build. This phase is where the CRM will begin to take shape.
  • Servio and CCC will develop a detailed project plan based on the Solution Design Document. CCC staff and faculty will have a number of opportunities throughout the build to see demos of new functionality and provide feedback to the project team.
  • We’ve developed a framework for CRM communications governance that we will continue to build and map out.

Marketing Cloud Update:

Our new CRM tool, Marketing Cloud, continues to help us focus and target student communications before the wider CRM roll out, including:

Opt-in text codes and SMS capabilities are starting to roll out. Text “3S” to 42666 to check it out!  These codes will be used on advertising, for recruitment events, and other places to give a quick and easy way to opt in to CCC communications.  Remember to visit www.ccc.edu/3s to give your feedback and learn everything that’s going on with Streamlined Student Success.

Best,  City Colleges of Chicago

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