How Conversation Intelligence Supports DEI Initiatives in Higher Ed

The role of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives has come under scrutiny this year, prompting a series of executive actions meant to eliminate them from colleges and universities. 

DEI efforts have been essential in improving access to higher education for historically underrepresented groups. Without them, campuses across the country risk becoming less inclusive and less representative of the communities they serve.

Some institutions have already shut down their DEI departments in response to the new executive orders, while others have rebranded programs to continue supporting students without losing federal funding.

Conversation Intelligence can help higher education institutions create more inclusive, accessible, and equitable communication strategies, building on decades of progress toward diversity and equal opportunity.

Bridging DEI Initiatives and Communication Equity

DEI efforts aim to ensure that every student has equal access to information, opportunities, and support at each step of the academic journey. Yet without communication equity, even the strongest DEI initiative can fall short. 

Miscommunication, inconsistent outreach, or over-reliance on a single channel can unintentionally exclude students facing language barriers, limited internet access, or complex schedules. When students feel their needs aren’t being met, they’re more likely to disengage or even abandon their studies. 

Conversation Intelligence Platforms like Mongoose can help higher education institutions bridge the gap and build more inclusive, empathetic student communication strategies. The Conversation Hub empowers campus staff to deliver personalized, multilingual, and accessible outreach across multiple channels, including Text, Chat, and WhatsApp. 

Meanwhile, the Intelligence Hub provides counselors and advisors with actionable insights – such as emotion, sentiment, and conversation resolution – that can inform and improve DEI initiatives.

For example, institutions can use Mongoose to:

• Send Smart Messages that support equitable access to financial aid or mental health resources, especially for low-income students and student parents
• Apply AI-driven sentiment and topic analysis to detect when students from underrepresented groups express feelings of isolation or disengagement
• Leverage conversation data to measure inclusivity across student segments and adjust outreach to better meet their needs

Integrating Conversation Intelligence into DEI initiatives comes easily with Mongoose. On the technical side, the platform offers secure integrations with popular CRMs and SIS like Salesforce, Slate, Ellucian, Blackbaud, and Workday. 

On the user side, Mongoose features an intuitive dashboard that makes it easy for teams to prioritize timely, empathetic, data-informed communication and keep track of results.

Inclusive Communication in Action

Lake Land College

With a mission to make higher education affordable and accessible for its diverse student body, Lake Land College knew impersonal, one-size-fits-all messages wouldn’t get them there. 

By using Mongoose’s Smart Messages, multilingual outreach, and advanced segmentation, the college delivered personalized, two-way conversations and created a more inclusive campus.

As a result, their TRIO program participation tripled, targeted follow-ups increased enrollment in programs and extracurricular activities, and real-time financial aid texts improved deadline responses and scholarship access.

“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, LAKE LAND COLLEGE

Northwestern Oklahoma State University 

Serving a diverse student population across rural communities demanded more time and resources than NWOSU’s small yet dedicated team could provide.

That’s why the institution turned to Mongoose’s AI-powered chatbot and live chat tools to deliver personalized, around-the-clock student support throughout the academic journey and increase student success and retention. 

Now, NWOSU connects with up to 8,000 students annually through chat alone, while the LASSO Center, their one-stop hub for persistence and academic coaching, can follow up more efficiently when human intervention is needed.

McLennan Community College 

For over 50 years, MCC has worked to lower financial and systemic barriers, supporting students from diverse backgrounds. Mongoose’s Chat and Text tools enabled the institution to drive real-time student engagement and support across 28 departments, including their Success Coaching and First Generation Programs. 

In 2024, MCC achieved a 12% response rate while reaching over 8,000 students with enrollment reminders. Encouraged by these results, MCC planned to expand its use of the platform to connect with international students and prospects via WhatsApp.

Support Diverse Campus Communities with Mongoose

Despite increasing policy pressures to halt DEI activities, the majority of universities and colleges remain committed to supporting students who face systemic barriers to access and academic success. Mongoose helps these institutions to strengthen their DEI initiatives through scalable, data-informed, and inclusive student communications.

Book a demo and learn how our Conversation Intelligence tools can help your institution break engagement barriers, amplify underrepresented student voices, and foster equitable experiences across campus. 

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