Live from NCCCS Conference: How Wayne Community College Boosted Enrollment by 11% with Smart Integration

About the Episode:  

In this episode of In Your Element, recorded live at the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) Conference, Daniella interviews Kelly Sinicola, VP of Solutions Engineering and Integrations at Element451, and Jennifer Mayo, Director of Admissions and Records at Wayne Community College. They discuss the benefits of integrating the College Foundation of North Carolina (CFNC) application with Element451, highlighting how it streamlines admissions processes, reduces data duplication, and saves time for admissions teams. Jennifer shares Wayne's impressive enrollment growth and how the integration has simplified their workflows, allowing them to focus more on serving students.

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Key Takeaways:

• CFNC Integration Explained: CFNC is North Carolina's statewide application system, and integrating it with Element451 centralizes student data, making it easier for teams to manage admissions processes.
• Saving Time and Eliminating Duplication: Wayne Community College transitioned from manually handling applications to using Element451's automated processes, reducing errors, and avoiding duplicated data entries.
• Increased Enrollment: After one year of using the integration, Wayne saw significant gains in enrollment, with a 6% increase in the spring and 11% in the summer.
• Flexibility Across States: While CFNC is specific to North Carolina, the integration model can be applied in other states using similar systems like Common App, Apply Idaho, and Apply Texas.
• Streamlined Transcript Handling: The integration automatically matches applications with transcripts, reducing manual work for staff and ensuring more accurate student profiles.

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Calls to Action:

• Explore Integrations: Learn more about how Element451 can streamline your institution's admissions process by exploring their various state-based integrations.
• Follow the Show: Don’t miss out on future episodes—subscribe to *In Your Element* for more insights into how technology can transform higher education.
• Connect with Element451: Interested in implementing similar solutions at your institution? Visit Element451’s website to schedule a demo and see how it can work for you.
• Share Your Thoughts: Were you inspired by Wayne Community College’s success story? Join the conversation on social media and share your own experiences with CFNC or other application systems.

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CFNC Integration: A Game-Changer for Wayne Community College

Wayne Community College began using the CFNC integration with Element 451 a year ago and has already seen transformative results. This integration brings CFNC applications directly into the CRM, where data can be verified, matched with transcripts, and seamlessly moved into Colleague (Ellucian), the college’s student information system.

"CFNC integration has been one of the best decisions we’ve made," Jennifer said. "It gives us cleaner data and takes so much of the manual work off our plates."

By providing a "pause point," Wayne can review applications to ensure they are legitimate before advancing them to the SIS. The system also automatically matches incoming applications with existing student profiles in Element, preventing duplicates and ensuring a smooth process for both the college and the student.

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Results that Speak for Themselves

Since implementing the CFNC integration, Wayne Community College has experienced:

• 6% FTE increase in Spring 2023
• 11% FTE increase in Summer 2023
• Anticipated growth for Fall 2023

The automated workflows have also reduced the time spent manually processing applications and improved Wayne’s ability to engage students early and effectively.

"We’re seeing the difference in our numbers—and it’s fantastic," Jennifer shared.

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Addressing Challenges with Innovation

Jennifer highlighted how workflows within Element 451 are helping solve unique challenges, such as verifying applications intended for Wayne County Community College in Michigan and serving military students.

• Automatic Filtering for Out-of-State Applications: If a student’s home state is Michigan, a workflow automatically emails the applicant to confirm their intent to apply to Wayne in North Carolina.
• Military Students: Workflows identify military applicants and route them to the correct advisors for specialized support.

"The automation is incredible. It saves so much time and ensures students get what they need without delay," Jennifer said.

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Collaboration in Action

Kelly emphasized that the CFNC integration has matured into a robust, reliable solution thanks to feedback from partners like Wayne. The team’s ability to troubleshoot, adapt, and grow together has made the process seamless.

"Our goal is to make these integrations as powerful and flexible as possible, and that means listening to our partners and improving every step of the way," Kelly explained.

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Expanding the Vision: What’s Next for Wayne

With the success of the CFNC integration, Wayne Community College is now looking to further expand its use of Element 451. Future plans include:

• Early Alerts: Using Element to flag at-risk students and provide support earlier in the academic journey.
• Faculty Engagement: Integrating faculty into the system for course-level communication and outreach.
• Enhanced Course and Section Data: Allowing faculty to directly communicate with students in their classes via Element, fostering stronger connections and timely interventions.

"We’re just scratching the surface of what Element can do," Jennifer said. "The possibilities are endless."

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Connect With Our Co-Hosts:

Daniella Nordin

Brendan Henkel

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About The Enrollify Podcast Network: In Your Element is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you’ll like other Enrollify shows too!  

Some of our favorites include Visionary Voices: The College President’s Playbook and Higher Ed Pulse. 

Enrollify is produced by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com.

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Element451 is hosting the AI Engage Summit on Oct 29 and 30. Register now for this free, virtual event.The future of higher ed is being redefined by the transformative power of AI. The AI Engage Summit brings together higher ed leaders,  innovators, and many of your favorite Enrollify creators to explore AI’s impact on student engagement, enrollment marketing, and institutional success.

Experience firsthand how AI is improving content personalization at scale, impacting strategic decision-making, and intuitively automating the mundane tasks that consume our time. The schedule is packed with real examples and case studies, so you leave knowing how to harness AI to drive meaningful change at your institution.

Whether you’re looking to enhance student outcomes, optimize enrollment marketing, or simply stay ahead of the curve, the AI Engage Summit is your gateway to the next level of higher education innovation. Registration is free, save your spot today.