Ivy Tech Extends Partnership With Blackboard To Drive Enrollment, Retention And Student Success

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, is extending its partnership with Blackboard through 2020 to further support enrollment growth, enhance the student experience and increase retention.

The extension builds on Ivy Tech's successful five-year long partnership with Blackboard's Student Services division, which has seen dramatic results. The community college system first engaged Blackboard in 2012 to launch a one-stop, virtual Student Success Center that could answer students' questions on enrollment, admissions, advising, financial aid, and registration. After seeing substantial improvement in the service experience for students, Ivy Tech deepened its relationship with Blackboard to include comprehensive enrollment management services. Blackboard developed a "closed loop" enrollment operations strategy for Ivy Tech – meaning that students are guided seamlessly from initial expression of interest and throughout their journey to completion. The combination of integrated marketing, advising and support capabilities, coupled with the implementation of a CRM infrastructure, led to an increased application yield of seven percent from 2014 to 2016.

"For the last five years, Blackboard has been an invaluable partner helping Ivy Tech to best serve its student body and prospective students from enrollment to completion," said Jeff Fanter, Senior Vice President for Student Experience and Communications/Marketing at Ivy Tech. "We have exceeded our objectives for our System, and are eager to collaborate with Blackboard to again raise the bar for student success. We have a shared mindset toward continuous innovation and improvement."

In the next phase of this relationship, Ivy Tech will continue to engage Blackboard for support with enrollment management and student services. The community college system is also extending a student success pilot program launched last year, which was designed to improve first-year student retention and support at-risk students. Through the program, a team of Blackboard coaches provides developmental coaching to help first-year students build self-awareness and self-management skills. Students work closely with coaches over the course of the school year to set career, academic, financial and personal goals and to map out strategies for achieving those goals. Next year, the program will expand to include a new cohort of freshmen students.

"Ivy Tech is at the forefront of taking innovative approaches to support student success and we are proud to be a partner in their efforts," said Craig Chanoff, General Manager of Blackboard Education Services. "We look forward to another three years of working with their talented team to enroll, retain and graduate more students."

For more information on Blackboard Student Services, visit http://www.blackboard.com/sites/student-services/.

About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is the state's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

About Blackboard
Our mission is to partner with the global education community to enable learner and institutional success, leveraging innovative technologies and services. With an unmatched understanding of the world of the learner, the most comprehensive student-success solutions, and the greatest capacity for innovation, Blackboard is education's partner in change.

CONTACT
Shawnee Cohn, Blackboard
202-303-9053, [email protected]

SOURCE Blackboard

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