Wayne State University (WSU), located in Detroit, MI, is a large, urban research institution with nearly 27,000 students and comprised of 13 different schools and colleges. With 90 percent of students coming from within a 30-mile radius of the university, Wayne’s undergraduate enrollment management (EM) team spent early 2020 focused on preparing to welcome thousands of admitted students to large group events on campus and daily campus visits and tours at our Welcome Center. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Detroit and to ensure the safety of staff and students, WSU decided to transition to completely remote services for all upcoming admissions activities, yield, and melt programming, as well as incoming student orientation.

Digital yield, or leveraging technology to affect yield, relies on an institution transitioning its customary programming into a dynamic and inclusive digital experience for its admitted students and their families. More than a simple informational website, digital yield acts as a marketing tool encompassing a closed social network with event hosting capabilities to create faster and stronger connections between students and institutions. Closed social networks appeal to Gen Z specifically because they allow students to engage in a safe virtual environment with highly trusted information coming directly from peers. Gen Z, who spends an average of at least 7 hours a day online, is not only comfortable in a virtual environment, but has come to expect sophisticated and instantly accessible digital resources.

To meet students where they are, WSU partnered with Wisr to develop the Wiser Warriors Network. Leveraging best practices and with one staff member giving 15-20 percent of her time, WSU launched a network in which all admitted students matched with current student peer mentors and to provide an engaging online community. The WSU EM team saw strong student adoption early, with over 2,000 community joins and 81% of participating students actively consuming content. The WSU EM team hosted over 100 virtual information sessions and events, answered hundreds of student questions, and connected over 400 students in one-to-one chats.

A regression analysis on the individual activities of students shows a strong correlation between overall community engagement and the proactive discussions and chats initiated by student ambassadors. Interestingly, the same correlation was not found for staff-initiated engagements. This indicates that active student ambassadors can build a community-oriented “flywheel effect” when proactively positioned as community leaders. The outcome was enrolling 91.1% of students who had a direct virtual connection with a student ambassador.

In this session, there will be a detailed discussion of how to design an effective digital yield and melt prevention program, how to train and leverage student ambassadors effectively online, and the metrics that matter most.

Submission ID:

13508

Presenter(s):

Kate Dyki Wayne State University

Dawn Medley  Wayne State University

Christine Vienna Knific Wisr