Lake Land College Increases Student Engagement and Participation with Mongoose

Overview

Lake Land College, a two-year public institution in Illinois, serves a diverse student body with a mission of providing affordable, accessible higher education. To support this mission, the college sought to enhance its communication strategies with prospective and current students.

Since adopting Mongoose in 2021, Lake Land College has transformed how it engages students across various departments, resulting in increased enrollment and participation in key programs. The college’s strategy focused on personalized communication to increase student engagement and improve the overall student experience.

The Challenge: Making Student Communication More Meaningful

Before implementing Mongoose, Lake Land College faced challenges typical of many higher ed institutions—traditional communication channels like mass emails and static texts failed to create meaningful interactions. This was particularly true for adult learners, TRIO program participants, and multilingual populations.

Key challenges included:

• Difficulty reaching and engaging college students, especially adult learners.
• Inefficient messaging workflows without segmentation or personalization.
• Compliance risks tied to traditional texting methods.
• Limited multilingual communication options to meet diverse student needs.

Lake Land needed a more dynamic communication approach that could foster active learning through direct, timely interactions.

The Solution: Personalized, Two-Way Conversations at Scale

Lake Land College adopted Mongoose’s Conversation Intelligence Platform to shift from one-way announcements to personalized, collaborative learning interactions.

With Mongoose’s platform, the college:

• Transitioned from mass blasts to authentic two-way conversations.
• Utilized smart messaging and automated replies to streamline outreach.
• Supported multilingual messaging in Haitian Creole, French, and Spanish to enhance student involvement.
• Ensured communication compliance across all departments.

“Mongoose is incredibly user-friendly, even for non-techie users. It enables us to segment students and communicate in a more targeted way, which has been particularly effective for our adult education and TRIO programs.”

Peighton Hinote, Coordinator for Student Communication and Initiatives

The Results: Significant Gains in Student Participation and Outreach

1. TRIO Program Participation Tripled

A five-month campaign using traditional texts yielded a 2% participation rate. After leveraging Smart Messages and targeted outreach via Mongoose, a two-month campaign achieved a 6% participation rate—a 200% improvement in engagement metrics.

2. Multilingual Messaging Boosted Student Satisfaction

By segmenting students based on language, Lake Land College delivered personalized communication, supporting the diverse campus community and creating a more inclusive learning environment.

3. Targeted Messaging Increased Program Conversions

Lake Land’s strategic follow-up with students based on event attendance and interest helped boost enrollment in specific learning opportunities and extracurricular initiatives.

4. Real-Time Interaction Improved Financial Aid Processes

The Financial Aid office used Mongoose’s platform for real-time scholarship updates, ensuring students received critical deadlines promptly—supporting their academic success and well-being.

Pro Tip: Curious about how to have conversations that drive enrollment, improve retention, and grow giving? Learn more in The State of Higher Ed Messaging Benchmark Report for 4-Year Institutions.

The Mongoose Difference

• Two-Way, Real-Time Conversations: Immediate engagement with staff, enhancing trust and connection.
• Advanced Segmentation: Tailored messaging by language, program interest, and enrollment status to drive student action.
• Ease of Use: Quick platform adoption by staff across multiple departments.
• Built-In Compliance: Ensured safe, regulation-compliant communication processes.

“Instead of just sending out information, we’re able to engage students in real conversations. This capability is invaluable for building trust and connection.”

Peighton Hinote

Future Plans: Scaling Success Even Further

Looking ahead, Lake Land College plans to:

• Integrate Mongoose with Ellucian CRM Recruit to enhance prospective student outreach and increase engagement.
• Expand the use of WhatsApp to improve communication with international students.
• Launch Mongoose Chat across more departments to support student learning and inquiry management.

These efforts are designed to further support student retention and strengthen Lake Land’s campus community.

Conclusion

Mongoose has been a game-changer for Lake Land College’s student engagement strategies. By fostering real, personalized interactions, the college improved enrollment, enhanced participation in key programs, and strengthened connections with students across the institution.

“We appreciate how Mongoose adapts to our needs and continuously improves. It’s an essential tool for our student communication strategy, and we would recommend it to anyone looking to enhance their outreach and engagement.”

Peighton Hinote

Through a strong focus on personal interaction and strategic communication, Lake Land College continues to create high-impact learning experiences that contribute to student success.

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Lake Land College increased student engagement and participation with Mongoose.

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