Defiance College Cuts No-Shows in Half, Achieves 100% Housing Form Compliance with Mongoose

Two female students walking and talking outside a historic brick university building

Defiance College transformed its student communication strategy by implementing Mongoose’s Conversation Intelligence Platform. By shifting away from siloed emails and voicemails to real-time text messaging and smart segmentation, Defiance cut no-show rates in half, achieved full housing form compliance, and improved cross-department collaboration, all while fostering a more personalized, student-centered culture.

50% reduction in conduct meeting no-shows
100% compliance with housing forms
Campus-wide usage across 7+ departments
Shared inboxes and segmentation improved efficiency
Improved summer melt forecasting and planning
Manual opt-ins ensure high-quality student engagement
Texting adopted as primary communication channel
Personalized messages help students feel connected

Creating a Connected Campus Through Conversation

Defiance College, a private four-year liberal arts institution in Ohio, is known for offering students a high-touch, personalized education experience. But behind the scenes, teams were struggling to reach students through email, resulting in missed conduct meetings, unsubmitted housing forms, and communication silos across campus.

That changed in Fall 2019, when Defiance adopted Mongoose to power its campus-wide communication strategy. What began as a tool for the Admissions Office quickly expanded across Student Affairs, Residence Life, Housing, and more.

The impact? Immediate and measurable.

Before Mongoose: Silos, No-Shows, and Communication Gaps

Prior to using Mongoose, student-facing departments relied heavily on email and phone calls. These methods were inefficient, easily missed by students, and difficult to track. Staff found themselves repeating messages or fielding frustrated calls from students who simply hadn’t seen the original outreach.

Critical reminders, such as housing sign-ups, conduct meetings, or registration deadlines, often slipped through the cracks. There was no unified platform for teams to collaborate on outreach or to see which students had been contacted and when.

Solution: Real-Time Engagement with Mongoose

Defiance upgraded to an enterprise Mongoose license just ahead of the COVID-19 shutdown. That decision proved crucial.

Using the Mongoose Conversation Intelligence Platform, departments across campus began texting students directly—delivering the right message at the right time. Teams leveraged smart segmentation to tailor outreach by hall, class year, and enrollment status. Shared inboxes and scheduled messages ensured students received timely responses without overwhelming staff.

We get fewer than six opt-outs a year, and most of them are by mistake.
Lisa Marsalek, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at Defiance College

Results That Matter: Fewer No-Shows, 100% Housing Compliance

Reduced No-Shows

Conduct meeting no-show rates dropped from 50% to nearly zero. The formula? A formal email, calendar invite, and a well-timed text reminder.

Housing Form Completion: 100%

Thanks to automated text nudges, Defiance now tracks and ensures housing assignments and roommate agreements are completed on time.

Housing form completion is no longer a guessing game. We reach 100% compliance because we can track and follow up quickly.
Noel Barrera, Assistant Director of Housing Operations at DEFIANCE

Mongoose Across Campus: One Platform, Many Teams

Mongoose is now embedded in the daily operations of:

Residence Life and Housing
Student Conduct and Student Affairs
Academic Support Services
Student Accounts
Registrar and Career Services
Admissions and Enrollment

From birthday greetings to move-in day logistics, each department uses Mongoose to connect more meaningfully with students.

Planning Ahead, With Confidence

Improved visibility and communication has allowed Defiance to plan ahead for housing, enrollment, and resource allocation. Staff know who is returning before the semester ends, eliminating last-minute summer melt surprises.

We don’t get surprised over the summer anymore. We know who’s coming back before spring ends.
Lisa Marsalek

The Mongoose Difference

Smart Segments: Personalize outreach by hall, class year, or cohort
Shared Inboxes: Promote team collaboration and reduce message fatigue
Scheduled Messages: Automate nudges and reminders
Manual Opt-Ins: Ensure genuine student buy-in
One-to-One and Broadcast Messaging: Balance efficiency with empathy

Texting is now our primary communication tool. It’s integrated into everything we do—from move-in to graduation.
Noel Barrera

What’s Next?

Defiance College is expanding its use of Mongoose to support proactive outreach in Academic Support and new workflow touch points throughout the year. The goal? Streamlined communication that supports every student’s success, no matter where they are on their journey.