The Danville Area Community College Board of Trustees has approved an investment in the Ellucian Customer Relationship Management Advise system, designed to improve student retention. DACC Vice-President for Student Services Stacy Ehmen says this will intergrate systems that different departments already have, so that if a student has a problem jeopardizing their daily life as well as their enrollment, everyone involved in that student’s life will know about it, before it’s too late.
AUDIO: We have a lot of good systems in place, but they all don’t communicate with each other. This will allow this to happen, and put the information in the hands of the staff that can help the students immediately, instead of after the fact or when it’s too late. Every student will kind of have a team identified for them. It could be because they are an athlete or a veteran, or in the Trio program. Those staff members will get the alert immediately, and be able to implement strategies, or whatever help they need.
DACC president Dr. Stephen Nacco says sometimes students are in horrible home situations, but are trying so hard to get their lives going and get their education going. He says this system can help everyone involved to be proactive.
AUDIO: This system will allow us to integrate everything we need to support students. And the whole wrap-around, from academics, to just their lives, keeping them here. Because COVID, but even pre-COVID, we have students who have very difficult lives. And they want to succeed, but they need somebody here to connect with them.
Ehmen says the initial investment in this program to get it going is about $130,000; with about $60,000 to $65,000 for annual updates. But it can pay off, she says, when it comes to keeping students enrolled, and they’re hoping for some assistance with the expense.
AUDIO: We’re trying to talk to some of our partners, and the Foundation might have identified some funds. Students that are in non-traditional programs will be highlighted, students from underrepresented groups will be highlighted. We’re talking to our Trio program, which is a grant program; and maybe Vermilion County Works one day, I hope to propose that to them too.
The entire Ellucian CRM Advise system will likely be up and running at DACC by the fall of 2022 semester.
