Austin Community College District (ACC) continues to refine its new student onboarding process for new students.
In April, ACC launched the Salesforce Customer Relations Management (CRM) system to provide new students for all admissions units a single point of entry to request information and apply.
Since then, the college has taken additional steps to enhance the program. These updates include:
New Student Orientation
On June 1, ACC launched a new student orientation program for traditional credit students. As part of the program, ACC hosts 14 orientation sessions per week, including morning, evening, and Saturday times. New students who have completed the application process and are ready to register are asked to schedule an appointment to attend a session. Currently, all sessions are offered online via Zoom. The session will transition to a blend of online and in-person options beginning this summer.
“Orientation for our new students provides a gateway to success by connecting students to instructional and student affairs resources,” says David Zuniga, ACC director of Recruitment Services. “It converts uncertainty and anxiety to knowledge and confidence.“
The new orientation program provides information to students about ACC’s Areas of Study and student services. Students also get support with registration.
Students work together in group advising sessions led by master advisors. They review their best schedules and register for at least one or two classes to be sure they know how to access the Self Service portal and successfully register. As a new entry advising team is hired and trained, master advisors will turn over the group advising to entry advisors so master advisors can focus on individualized holistic advising, case management, and persistence.
Students who transfer into ACC with 12 or more credits, or who have prior degrees, will be presented with an option to complete an asynchronous orientation.
New Webpages & Enrollment Steps
The college’s Admissions webpage was refined to include the three primary steps for enrollment:
- Prepare
- Apply
- Attend orientation, register, and pay
A new webpage for recruitment was developed to provide detailed information about getting started at ACC and ways to meet with a recruiter. Options include:
- Meet your recruiter
- Visit a campus (virtually, and soon in-person)
- Invite a recruiter to speak with the community and prospective students about ACC’s exceptional college experience
“These new steps help prepare ACC’s prospective students for success throughout their college journey,” says Dr. Melissa Curtis, ACC associate vice president of Enrollment Management. “They are also preparing ACC as we emerge from the virtual environment to serve our community in new and exciting ways.”
The Chancellor’s priorities for last year and the upcoming year emphasize the value of strategic enrollment management that is focused on equity, inclusion, and an engaging student experience. The project continues to be a cross-college collaboration with support from Student Affairs, IT, Instruction, and the Office of Communications & Marketing.
For more information about new student enrollment, you are invited to attend a 30-minute workshop on the New Riverbat Flight Path.
- June 25 – 2:00 pm
- July 9 – 2:00 pm
- July 21 – 2:00 pm
- August 4 – 2:00 pm