Utah State University is stepping into the future of student engagement with the initial rollout of its OneUSU CRM system, as per USU Today. The first phase of the CRM, which employs Salesforce, focuses primarily on refining the undergraduate enrollment process. It boasts tools like the Salesforce Marketing Cloud for tailoring communications and Blackthorn Events for simplifying event sign-ups and tracking. Officially, the onslaught of modernization is intended to accelerate and customize how the university courts prospective students.
USU isn't merely slapping on a high-tech Band-Aid to its enrollment issues. Instead, the Central IT crew is deep into concocting links with the Student Information System, which is crucial for Phase 2, a creature called the Learner Portal set to debut in January 2026. This online space promises to reshape the application experience from start to finish. Ian Anderson, the Executive Director of Enrollment Strategy & Innovation at USU, told USU Today, "This is a big step in unifying how we communicate with prospective students. We’ll be more strategic, more consistent and better able to measure what works."
It's not just a new fancy digital tool. The OneUSU CRM represents a consolidation of multiple platforms, aiming to smooth out the usually fragmented staff workflow and student experience. "Today’s students expect genuinely personalized experiences, and Salesforce allows us to deliver exactly that," said Lindsay Farnworth, USU's Director of Enrollment Systems & Data, as obtained by USU Today. Stretching beyond the confines of enrollment marketing, this CRM is set to seep into various other departments like Orientation, Advising, Financial Aid, and University Advancement.
Acting as a central nervous system for campus communication, the OneUSU CRM promises transparency and a cohesive view of a student's life cycle. University Advancement, like a kid in a sped-up growth spurt, is already starting its CRM phase faster than anyone expected. With the students' entire journey visible on a single screen, Ryan Jensen, the Director of Enrollment Marketing, anticipates more informed actions when he shared with USU Today: "They’ll get the information they need when they need it, and we’ll have a clearer view of their journey so we can take more meaningful action."
