The effort is part of a larger strategic plan at Ivy Tech called "Accelerating Greatness", which aims to improve the experience of the nearly 200,000 students it serves annually. Blackboard Student Services will assist in the management of inbound communications from students to support the entire student lifecycle, including enrollment and financial aid, admissions, registration, student accounts, and learning support.


"We have seen substantial growth in enrollments over the past few years and recognized how critical it was to focus on maintaining the highest levels of satisfaction with the services we deliver to students", said Ivy Tech President Thomas J. Snyder. "Engaging Blackboard Student Services enables us to make improvements that deliver an immediate, engaging, and personalized services experience to our students through a virtual center, while allowing our current staff to work more closely with students on campus."


By applying technology and automation to build strong relationships with prospective students, Blackboard will help Ivy Tech inform, engage, and direct them through the enrollment process - and keep them retained following matriculation. Blackboard Student Services will also provide a self-service portal to give Ivy Tech students on-demand access to key admissions, financial aid, and student-account information and other support services.


"With new technology, operational improvements, and caring staff armed with expertise that reflects the goals of Ivy Tech, we aim to drive increased graduation rates, retention, and overall student success", said Craig Chanoff, general manager for Blackboard Student Services. "We're excited to help Ivy Tech realize its vision of 'Changing Lives' and 'Making Indiana Great' by providing the highest levels of student engagement and support from admissions and enrollment through graduation."