How Stony Brook University Leveraged Virtual Events to Connect with Students
About Stony Brook University
Stony Brook is one of America’s most dynamic public universities. A center of academic excellence, Stony Brook is an internationally recognized research institution that offers all students a world-class education. Stony Brook is a large, 4-year, public university located in a large town in a suburban setting and is primarily a residential campus. It offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.
The Challenge
Like many large institutions, Stony Brook University needs to do the work to ensure students feel a connection to campus. Understanding that students have choices with respect to where to pursue their post-secondary education, the team at Stony Brook knew they needed to ensure that all admitted students had every opportunity to engage, be informed, and make a good choice.
The Solution
In order to ensure every admitted student had the opportunity to see everything Stony Brook University had to offer, the admissions team developed a comprehensive online yield program (in addition to traditional direct outreach, campus events, and more) leveraging webcasting and live chat.
The content focused on two main areas:
- Students Enrolling From Out-of-State – These dedicated webcasts included a focus on international students, a special “everything you need to know about living on campus” presentation and showcases of the benefits of living on Long Island
- Unique Audiences and Key Influencers – These dedicated webcasts included content for parents focused on financial aid and campus safety, unique programs like Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, the Honors Program and scholarships as well as an orientation preview
This series started in November and ran through June, filling the gaps between early applications and enrollment. Additionally, many presentations were recorded once and re-broadcast (we call it “Simulive”) for new audiences. This tactic ensured that students were able to consume live content without asking the admissions staff or campus community to re-do work over and over.
Additionally, Stony Brook simulcast their April admitted student event to Facebook Live to concurrently engage parents and students across multiple platforms.
The Results
The 10-event series, running from November 2018 through May 2019, reached nearly 1300 students on the Conduit platform. One event, held in mid-April, hosted more than 500 attendees in Conduit, while also reaching 2,700 students and parents via the Facebook Live simulcast. Nearly a quarter of SBU’s entering class engaged in a virtual event.
Stony Brook’s recruitment strategy includes a combination of traditional outreach with activity on online channels, including webcasting and social media streaming. These help fill the cracks between deadlines, face-to-face visits and legacy communication channels.
“Our team understands that it is important to provide as many opportunities for prospective students to learn more and engage as possible, in both face-to-face and virtual environments. We continue to seek ways to innovate to ensure students understand the value of an education from Stony Brook University to their future.”
— Stefan Hyman
Assistant Provost for Enrollment Strategies, Communications and Analytics
Enrollment and Retention Management
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