Training – Page 2 – R&Y Network

How to Define Your Audience

Audience Parameters Following are the four audience parameters we need in order to process your email requests in Basecamp. Be as specific as possible in your request, avoiding the use of "all," since this doesn't give us enough information. 1. Current Student Status As a rule, you can only send emails to students in your college's interest area who have the following status: Inquiries - students who have expressed an interest in Illinois and your college's interest area Admits - students who have been admitted to Illinois but haven't yet accepted their offer to attend Accepts - students who have accepted [...]

Chris Axtman-Barker2022-03-10T12:53:21-06:00Training|

Data Request Policy

Colleges and units may submit a data request to obtain information regarding audiences or general student trends. Data Request Restrictions Requested data should be about the college or academic unit's audience, or general student trends Requested data and reports will be presented in Tableau or in a live Slate report Data will not be exported from Slate unless absolutely necessary. This protects student data and ensures information is as recent as possible. Data Request Requirements The data request must be submitted within Basecamp (OUA's project management platform) and assigned to OUAContact@illinois.edu. Each request will be reviewed for the following requirements: Complete [...]

Chris Axtman-Barker2022-03-10T12:53:08-06:00Training|

College/Unit Marketing and Communication Plan Policy

Marketing Plan Requirements Before each admissions cycle, colleges and other strategic partners are required to submit a comprehensive marketing plan to OUAContact@illinois.edu by August 1. Marketing plans are shared with the R&Y Network and reviewed by Enrollment Management. Not only does this allow for transparency, but it also optimizes coordination of activity. Communication Plan Requirements Before each admissions cycle, colleges and other strategic partners are required to submit a communications plan to OUAContact@illinois.edu by August 1. The communication plan should include all of the upcoming cycle's emails, mailings, event invitations, and other communications projects for both the college and any departments [...]

Chris Axtman-Barker2022-03-10T12:52:45-06:00Training|

How to Add an Email to Slate

In Slate, go to Deliver (megaphone icon), then Mailings. On the right, select the folder/subfolder where your email belongs. Units are categorized by college or department. Select New Mailing. (In some cases, you may want to make a copy of an already-existing email. To do so, select the email, then Copy Mailing. Be sure to uncheck "Copy Query" in the resulting pop-up box.) Name should be the subject line of the email. Folder should be the folder/subfolder you're entering the email into. User should stay you. Realm should be the college/dept. Method should stay Email. Opt Out should be No Unsubscribe. UTM Tracking should stay Disabled. Select Save. [...]

Chris Axtman-Barker2022-03-10T12:52:05-06:00Training|

How to Add an Email Request to Basecamp

In Basecamp, go to the project called "Communications | Your College." In the To-Do List, name the to-do to match the subject line of your email. Add your OUA Contact Person to the Assigned to section. Add the date you want the email to be sent in the Due on section. Be sure to select A specific day ("Runs for multiple days" doesn't show up on our assignment list, which may cause delays in processing the email). We recommend adding all email requests to Basecamp two weeks before the send date. We require a lead time of three days for email processing. Your OUA Contact Person will [...]

Chris Axtman-Barker2022-03-10T12:51:51-06:00Training|

Program Explorer Edit Policy

What is the Program Explorer? The Program Explorer is an interface on the Admissions website that allows users to explore undergraduate majors. What information is editable within the Program Explorer? College staff may request an edit to the following information: Description –Descriptions are carefully crafted to be informative and understandable for those who do not yet have a high school degree. Please consider these factors when submitting an edit suggestion. If an edit is submitted by a department, it will be sent to the applicable college/unit's communication and recruitment representatives for approval. Career options Related majors – This section is designed [...]

Chris Axtman-Barker2022-03-10T12:51:24-06:00Training|

Email Send Policy

Email Requirements All emails to inquiries or admitted students must be sent via Slate, and in coordination Enrollment Management. This ensures that student statuses are accurate, reduces the risk of emails being filtered as spam, and enables centralized metrics and functional tracking. An email from an academic unit must be about the academic unit, it's subject area, relevant interests, or majors. Broad campus topics such as application dates and deadlines, visiting (in general), living on campus, etc. are covered by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions and should be avoided by academic units. Email Send Request Requirements The email send request must [...]

Chris Axtman-Barker2022-03-10T12:51:07-06:00Training|

Text Messaging Policy

Texting Requirements All text messages should be sent via Slate, in cooperation with the Office of Enrollment Management. This ensures that student statuses are up to date, reduces the risk of texts being filtered as spam, and enables centralized metrics and functional tracking. The unit sending the text message must have staff online for at least two hours after sending a text message to handle responses. Communication expectations with text messages are immediate, unlike email. You must have consent to text the people on your list. When a student or parent fills out an inquiry form, they have the option to [...]

Chris Axtman-Barker2022-03-10T12:50:56-06:00Training|

How To Edit Major Information on the Admissions Website

Program Explorer We present our programs of study through an interface called Program Explorer. This tool allows students to see what we offer and learn more about each program of interest. Some of the program information comes directly from data sources, however some information is provided by the college. You can read more about this within our policy for editing major information within the Program Explorer. If you have a program that needs editing, please submit a request. Submit edit

Doug Burgett2022-03-10T12:50:43-06:00Training|

10 Tips for Creating Effective Emails

1. Define your purpose. You should always have a clearly defined purpose for your emails so that you can keep your content focused on that purpose. If you don’t have a clearly defined purpose, you should probably revisit whether the email is necessary. 2. Know your audience. For starters, Gen Zers (categorized as 19 years of age and under) know how to educate themselves and find information. They’re driven workers who want to make a difference in the world, and they prefer to communicate with images. 3. Consider your subject line. Some writers overlook subject lines entirely, while others agonize [...]

Doug Burgett2022-03-10T12:50:04-06:00Training|