Albus and Universidad de la Costa: the formula for a smoother course enrollment
In an increasingly digital world, educational institutions are working tirelessly to improve the student experience. Universidad de la Costa is no exception: it took a big step forward by using social media strategically to drive its enrollment process with Albus.
Enrollment challenges in the past
Before Albus, our smart enrollment tool, students faced a series of challenges when they registered. After paying their enrollment fee, they logged in to the university's SIS (SICUC) to complete the process. There, however, they found a system that gave them no clear view of sections and instructors, and no immediate information on delivery modes or course types. That made decisions harder and added extra steps, and some students spent more than 40 minutes completing their enrollment.
Things got even more complicated when every student tried to enroll at the same time. SICUC, built on an outdated programming language, had limited scalability and efficiency, which led to system-wide outages and complaints about the quality of the university's service.
On top of that, the system did not work on mobile devices, so students had to rely solely on their desktop computers to enroll. When they ran into technical problems, they went to campus in person to get help from the administrative staff, which meant standing in long lines to find a solution.
Once the process closed, students had three days to make changes. To do so, they had to contact an academic assistant again to regain access to the system, which added operational complexity, since staff had to walk each student through every change.
Modernizing enrollment…
The student experience has changed dramatically since Albus was rolled out in 2021. One of its standout features is its "Mobile First" approach, designed so students can complete 100% of their enrollment on their mobile devices, for a smooth, hassle-free experience.
Students no longer need a computer: they can now enroll from anywhere, on any device, with complete peace of mind and confidence. Not only can Albus serve thousands of students at once, it also goes further, offering them a smart proposal and an easy-to-understand view of their curricular progress, with clear information on sections, instructors, delivery modes, course types, and more. That lets them make decisions quickly, which takes off a great deal of pressure and makes the process easier.
To make the most of this Mobile First capability, Universidad de la Costa launched an innovative strategy built around mobile devices and social media to promote enrollment among its 11,000 undergraduate students.
1. Making the most of social media
First, the university began actively using its institutional channels, such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and its website, to raise students' awareness of Albus and the improvements made to the enrollment process. Second, these channels became a key tool for announcing when enrollment opened and encouraging students to log in to Albus, reaching them more effectively and conveniently.
During the last enrollment period, 71.4% of students used their mobile devices to enroll, thanks to how practical and convenient the system is.
Getting students to trust Albus enough to complete their entire enrollment on their phones shows that the mobile version works exceptionally well, giving them an accessible and reliable experience.
2. Marketing materials and documentation
The communications team, together with the Planning department, also created video tutorials and documentation on how to use Albus, which were shared with students on social media.
3. Personalized notifications
Another key feature of Albus is how easily it adapts natively to each institution's processes. This let the university set up personalized, automated emails that reached every student to announce the start of enrollment with a direct link to the process, delivering a unique and engaging onboarding experience.
Other results
The results go beyond social media and mobile use: two years after its rollout, Albus has had a major impact on the student experience:
- Course acceptance: students enrolled in 42.6% of the required courses proposed by Albus, and 38% of the sections were accepted without changes.
- Enrollment speed: 30% of students now enroll in under 15 minutes, and another 40% in under 20 minutes, showing how easy the new process is.
Universidad de la Costa has shown that innovation and adaptability are crucial to improving the student experience in the digital age, aligning its processes with new expectations and finding new channels to strengthen the connection between the institution and its students.
Want to learn more about Albus? Visit us at www.foris.ai/en/albus