Piloting the Use of Technology to Provide Better Support to Students Throughout Their Life Cycle

For many years, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has struggled to track and service students in a way that avoids duplication of effort, the utilization of disparate systems, and manual tracking. Improving the efficiency of these processes and implementing new tools is saving time, frustration, and leading to better customer service for WPI students. This paper will explore the path to tools that are now being implemented as part of a collaborative pilot that was driven by needs and not tools. It will include the processes that needed to be developed to define the desired engagement targets, the challenges faced, and the next steps to continue to increase effectiveness. These tools are being implemented in a cohesive way throughout the lifecycle. The student’s journey from interest to graduation and beyond are now being tracked, monitored, and acted upon. While this pilot was initially implemented for efficiency and effectiveness, the future should allow for increased optimization of forecasting as well.