of Financial Wellness CenterWe specialize in deepening students’ understanding of the role of finance in their lives and helping them make informed and wise decisions about money, by providing the right information to the right students at the right time. We aim to improve the way we support you.
“Each student’s journey to financial wellness is unique and shaped by their needs, circumstances, goals, and aspirations,” explained Gabriel McAllister, director of the Financial Wellness Center. “It is clear that a one-size-fits-all approach to financial counseling is not enough and our students require unique guidance and support tailored to their individual circumstances.”
To achieve this and prepare for increased student numbers, the center is evaluating its processes and exploring how technology can support staff in providing experiences tailored to students’ needs and interests.
The center is partnering with University Information Technology to pilot the use of Salesforce as a customer relationship management platform. Because of the way the system is set up, each student’s personalized learning begins with a profile that includes demographic information, eliminating the need to ask redundant questions at every visit. The student profile also serves as a repository for staff to add case notes from her one-on-one counseling sessions, view notes from previous sessions, and provides information about each student’s long-term experience at the University. Provides a comprehensive understanding of progress.
Additionally, staff can profile students’ interests, such as investing, saving, and budgeting. The technology then uses this information to invite students to workshops related to their interests, increasing engagement and support.
Additionally, the platform allows centers to send automated communications to students. For example, if a student misses a counseling session, they will receive an email asking them to reschedule. This feature enhances the center’s ability to maintain consistent communication with students, ensuring they stay informed and engaged.
This initial effort focuses on updating the Financial Wellness Center’s case management processes and implementing customized and automated follow-up communications to help students work toward their financial goals But it also provides an opportunity to prepare for future expansion into other student affairs departments. In collaboration with various departments within UIT, Student Affairs will use this test case to learn and plan how to create the most seamless experience for students.
“As we look to incorporate this into more departments, we envision organizing a lot of information, resources, invitations, follow-up and connections from different offices,” Student Affairs Strategic Initiative said Special Assistant Annalisa Purser. “We want to actively provide students with personalized information and experiences to support their individual student lives.”
