A Guide to Utilizing the Salesforce Customer Portal in Academia

Educational institutions have undergone significant changes over the years. Entering the early 2000s, these institutions gradually embraced technology by introducing advanced computer labs that allowed students to use and benefit from the Internet. As the use of personal devices became commonplace and internet access more affordable, schools integrated technology directly into classroom settings.

By 2020, the necessity to shift entirely to online schooling emerged. Although virtual classrooms existed for over a decade, transitioning the full infrastructure to the web posed major challenges due to uneven internet accessibility and quality across different areas.

Despite adapting to new learning methodologies, significant administrative challenges remained.

Schools struggled with issues like conducting graduations, engaging alumni, organizing events, and sustaining clubs. While managing classroom activities was feasible, providing a comprehensive educational experience involved much more.

Many of these issues have been addressed, yet opportunities remain to refine these processes to allow educational institutions to stay ahead rather than constantly catching up to a rapidly evolving landscape.

This is the role the Salesforce Customer Portal aims to fill. The Salesforce Education Cloud provides a robust platform with a well-structured framework to support all involved parties.

It allows for detailed mapping of relationships within each educational segment, facilitating effective intersections as needed. Let's delve deeper into this.

From the Student's Point of View

The student serves as the central node, linked to parents, tutors, program advisors, academic advisors, and resident assistants. Additionally, the student has connections with their former academic institutions, club memberships, courses enrolled, and internships.

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From the Institute’s Perspective

A school comprises various majors, which are subdivided into core courses, minors, and electives. Each category further breaks down into specific courses based on the academic year.

The school can organize this entire structure with the Salesforce Customer Portal.

Now, let's examine the workflow from the student's perspective:

1. Applying for a Course

The process begins with the student creating an application account. The student must then populate their profile by filling in necessary details such as personal information, contact data, and educational background. This step also involves uploading official documents from previous schools, recommendation letters, and selecting the desired course. Additionally, the application requires payment of a fee through an integrated payment gateway.

After submission, the application undergoes a review. During this phase, the reviewing body may arrange an interview with the candidate, which can be conducted either in person or online. Using the portal, you can offer a feature to facilitate scheduling this interview. The applicant will be notified via email to check their application portal for an interview invitation or a booking link. Following the interview, the application continues to be reviewed for any further checks before a final decision is made to either accept or reject it.

If the application is accepted, the applicant receives an email prompting them to view the decision in their application portal, which includes an offer letter. Upon accepting the offer, the applicant's account transitions to a student account, enabling access to essential functions such as class registration and fee payment.

2. Student Account Management

Once the admission is confirmed, their status in the CRM system is updated, granting them enhanced access as a student rather than a guest or applicant. This new status allows them to view and manage course details, including selecting minors, electives, and other class requirements based on credit and semester specifications. Following class selection, students can proceed to pay for the upcoming term.

Furthermore, schools typically mandate certain health prerequisites, such as basic health screenings and vaccinations. Students can upload their vaccination certificates to the portal for school verification.

This setup describes the foundational interactions within the student portal. Beyond these basic features, Salesforce for schools expands to include event management capabilities. For instance, students can access details about school events, such as field trips, directly from their accounts and register for them online.

Additionally, the portal facilitates the management of various school clubs, such as music, dance, and games. Students can join clubs, participate in meetings, and attend club-related events through the portal.

The student account serves as a comprehensive hub for all course-related information and support, including extracurricular activities. Through this centralized platform, students can also manage details related to student housing, meal plans, and financial accounts.

3. Miscellaneous Functions

The Salesforce customer portal provides an array of additional functionalities to enhance the educational experience:

• ID Card Management: Students can manage their identification details.

• Attendance Tracking: The system allows for monitoring and recording of student attendance.

• Medical Information: Students can log and track medical interactions and details within the school’s in-house medical system.

• Academic Performance: Management of assignments and test scores is streamlined through the platform.

• Scholarship Coordination: Students can access information about external scholarships and manage applications.

• Internship Management: The portal facilitates the organization and tracking of internship opportunities and experiences.

4. Alumnus Account

Upon graduation, students transition from a student account to an alumnus account. This change reflects the need for a different type of interaction with the institution and its community:

• The alumnus account serves as a hub for graduates to stay connected with the college and fellow alumni.
• It allows alumni to contribute back to the institution through donations and provides a network for professional and personal connections.
• The school leverages the portal to offer industry links and facilitate connections among alumni willing to engage and support one another.

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Conclusion

The Salesforce customer portal is a comprehensive tool for educational institutes, allowing them to manage all interactions with students from application to graduation and even after that. This system ensures a seamless, digitalized educational journey from enrollment to evaluating the effectiveness of learning outcomes. CRMJetty offers customized portals designed to meet the needs of different industries like education, nonprofits, insurance, etc. Connect with our team to know more about industry specific Salesforce portals at [email protected].