Trust and Transformation with Salesforce.org Education Cloud

By: Linda Adams, Project Manager, Arkus, Inc.

This year’s Dreamforce Education Cloud Keynote showcased how higher ed institutions around the globe are using Salesforce to build trust and transform the student experience. Most notably, leading institutions are using education technology in a way that is continuous, proactive, and personalized.

With today’s students representing a wider range of backgrounds, goals, and ages than ever before, these institutions need a transformative tool that allows them to match the level of digital customer experience these students are used to. Fortunately, Education Cloud and the Higher Education Data Architecture (HEDA) has allowed over 800 of these organizations to achieve their goals of a modern, connected student experience.

To help us get a better sense of just how powerful Education Cloud has been in the higher ed space, this Keynote featured two innovative Trailblazers who are using Salesforce to reimagine the student experience. The first of these Trailblazers, University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, has combined HEDA, Salesforce Advisor Link (SAL), and Communities to make Salesforce the heart of their student success mission. Dean Allan Stam and Director of IT Scott Adams spoke to the flexibility of Salesforce as a central data platform used for all prospect and student communication and engagement. Even better, they found that previously siloed staff departments were able to recognize all they had in common thanks to a trusted, central source of data.

Combining Einstein with all this data, the University of Virginia has even begun predicting the likelihood of enrollment based on factors such as attending their famous Batten Chili Cook-off. Using SAL and Community Cloud, the university has also been able to better connect staff and students, and keep learners engaged throughout their time at UVA. With SAL features such as success teams, a unified advising record, and advising notes, staff are able to trust and easily access all the information they may need. Joined with HEDA, advisors can see student job seekers side by side with potential career opportunities. The Batten school has also created a community where students can easily customize their bio, book appointments, and log support cases. Because advisors are able to see all this data in one place, they now have a 360-degree view of each student. By identifying the most prevalent topics and issues among advisees using reports and dashboards, they can also improve the student experience by allocating resources appropriately.

Another incredible Trailblazer is the Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD), focused on improving outcomes for high school graduates. Joe May, Chancellor of DCCCD, and Mark Flanagan, Director, IT, Innovation, and Solutions for the Dallas County Promise, spoke about using Education Cloud to guide students and their parents through the process of applying, beginning, and excelling in college. By providing more accessible and actionable data, Salesforce has helped DCCCD dedicate more time to students rather than administrative tasks. By using analytics to identify students who may benefit most from support, they are able to identify and address roadblocks and help students succeed faster than ever before. Taking these tools to the next level, DCCCD has also begun utilizing blockchain technology to allow for a secure, trusted, and unified record for students.

As a recent graduate myself, I am excited that the next generation of learners will have such a connected student experience. By allowing students to schedule an advising appointment with the ease of clicking a button on their phone, these institutions are making sure that their resources are easily accessible. By using analytics tools, they can identify the students that may benefit from additional attention. And most importantly, by seeing a single 360 degree view of the student, they can help guide these learners both throughout their education and beyond. It’s fascinating to imagine how my college experience would have been different had these tools been available, and I look forward to seeing more Education Cloud Trailblazers in higher education.

Now, without further ado, watch the complete Education Cloud keynote video and relive the excitement from Dreamforce!

Arkus is a Salesforce.org Premium Partner that helps nonprofits and education institutions succeed with Nonprofit Cloud and Education Cloud.

About the Author
Linda Adams is a recent college graduate and is now a Project Manager at Arkus, Inc. After discovering Salesforce in the summer after her junior year of college, she attended Dreamforce as part of the Trailhead for Students program. She is now an 8x certified consultant helping nonprofit organizations achieve their goals using Salesforce.