Strategic Technology & Software Advisors

I. Your AI Strategy and Readiness are crucial to staying competitive, guiding you in harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to improve decision-making, enhance outreach and constituent connections, strengthen teaching and learning, and meet emerging challenges head-on. 

 

II. Your Digital Governance Strategy is where communications meets technology, ensuring both that your website projects your values into the world and that your oversight and management approach for building and evolving content drives efficiency, accessibility, and brand consistency.

 

III. Technology Alignment empowers institutions to break through the competitive noise and foster the deeper connections that  boost engagement, prospect interest, and giving across diverse platforms and audiences. 

 

IV. Your CMS and Its Evolution. As higher education grapples with increasing content complexity, the evolution of the Content Management System (CMS) provides smarter tools to integrate your full suite of data sources (e.g., LMS, SIS, CRM) in service to every on-and off-campus constituency.​

 

AI Strategy and Readiness for Higher Ed

Benefits of an AI Strategy- Artificial Intelligence is transforming the way universities operate, from enhancing academic success to improving administrative efficiencies. An AI strategy ensures institutions are prepared to harness AI's potential while addressing ethical considerations and aligning with their mission.

​

Core Components of an AI Strategy - A robust AI strategy includes clear objectives, stakeholder engagement, investment in data infrastructure, and frameworks for ethical AI use. These components ensure alignment with institutional goals and foster long-term scalability.

Areas for AI Integration - AI can be integrated across multiple campus domains, including personalized learning, enrollment management, research, campus operations, student support services, fundraising, and communications and marketing. This integration maximizes its value  both to academic and operational outcomes.

​

Implementation Plan - Through phased adoption, collaboration with faculty and staff, proper training, and resource allocation, an AI strategy guides success, including helping to clarify where  strategic partnerships with software providers can streamline the deployment of AI solutions.

​

Evaluation & Accountability -  For AI initiatives to live up to their promise for an institution and deliver measurable value, it is essential to  establish metrics for success, monitor progress, and create mechanisms for transparency and accountability to build trust among stakeholders.

Information Discovery & Digital Governance 

 

Intelligent Site Search ensures users can find what they need, regardless of the content's location or format, especially considering the vast volume and complexity of a university’s online ecosystem—spanning academic programs, admissions details, event schedules, and student resources.

 

Advanced search capabilities combine deep analytics and excellent relevance to offer an intuitive user experience. Yet, seventy-five percent of universities are still using a free search solution that is not tailored for higher education and provides far-from-sufficient or applicable analytics. (For those who use Intelligent Site Search, that stat is a reminder of how much better their sites serve visitors compared with the competition.)

 

Engagement Deliverables:

​

• Site search audit (relevance & User experience)

• Recommendation
   

Digital governance, on the other hand, ensures content accuracy, organization, and compliance, enabling search tools to deliver precise and meaningful results. 

​

It involves curating and managing official campus information to maintain consistency, accuracy, and alignment with institutional goals. This process ensures that all digital content is and remains up-to-date, accessible, and reflective of the university's values.
 

Engagement Deliverables: 

​

• Content quality report

• Accessibility report

• Recommendation
   

Communications Technology

Colleges face numerous challenges with communication technology, and meeting those challenges can improve efficiency, personalization, accessibility, and engagement. Many colleges and universities, for example, recognize that they are not fully using the benefits of technology to optimize CRM, , campaign management, student engagement, alumni and donor relations, crisis communications, cross-campus collaborations, and translation.

 

CRM Optimization - Used right, CRMs can streamline personalized communication, integrate seamlessly with existing systems, automate outreach, and provide analytics to improve engagement with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents.

​

Campaign Management - Used right, mass email tools can ensure high deliverability, enable personalized and visually appealing campaigns, comply with regulations, and provide detailed performance metrics for optimization.

​

Multi-language Translation - Used right, today’s translation software can deliver real-time translation, ensure accessibility, maintain cultural sensitivity, and streamline workflows to support and engage diverse, global audiences. 

​

Crisis Communication - Today’s reliable systems for emergency alerts, dedicated crisis pages, and synchronized social media updates can play a fundamental role in ensuring campuses manage crisis communications with the speed, accuracy, and effectiveness campus and family constituencies rightfully expect.

​

Student Engagement & Retention - The sound use of chatbots, feedback mechanisms, and omnichannel communication tools can improve student and employee retention and satisfaction by helping colleges keep students and employees engaged, address concerns promptly, and track institutional follow-up

​

Alumni & Donor Relations- Whether for annual fundraising, campaigns, giving days, or daily management, today’s streamlined tools for managing solicitations and giving, alumni event communication, and donor tracking are essential for strengthening relationships and boosting fundraising success.

​

Collaboration across Departments - Used right, centralized platforms with shared tools, templates, and brand guidelines can ensure consistent messaging and foster collaboration across admissions, advancement, marketing, and student affairs teams.

Engagement Deliverables: 

• Current State report

• Technology solutions and process recommendations

​

Content Management Evolution

As the digital landscape grows increasingly complex, the tools and platforms colleges and universities use to manage their online presence must also evolve to meet rising demands. A web redesign presents a unique opportunity to reassess your institution's content management strategy and address critical questions about the systems you use to build, edit, extend, and strengthen the website and its value.

 

As the CMS landscape continues to change rapidly, today’s array of CMS platforms offer smarter tools to streamline operations, making it easier for teams to manage complex digital ecosystems. For example, today’s CMS’s often include AI-powered features, such as automated tagging, content recommendations, and analytics-driven insights, all of which can save time and improve efficiency. 

 

Engagement Deliverables: 

​

• CMS Audit

• Strategy Recommendation