Salesforce

Student Lifecycle Transformation

Introducing Mason’s new Executive Director of Salesforce, Matt Schaefer

Tierra Easter — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 19:28:09 +0000

Introducing Mason’s new Executive Director of Salesforce, Matt Schaefer Tierra Easter Mon, 11/20/2023 - 14:28

As the implementation of Salesforce continues to take shape at Mason, we sat down with Executive Director, Matt Schaefer, to delve into his professional journey, goals for the role, and exciting plans for the university's Salesforce initiative. Matt brings a wealth of experience, having navigated the realms of IT recruitment, leadership, and consultancy in the Salesforce domain. Read on to find out more about Matt's vision for enhancing Mason's student experience through Salesforce and his role in establishing a Salesforce Center of Excellence.

Hi Matt, welcome to Mason! What goals would you like to achieve as you embark on your role as Executive Director (E.D.) of Salesforce?

My goals fall into two categories. First, I plan to help Mason achieve its goal of transforming the student lifecycle via Salesforce. We have a really strong team with the skills and drive to make our application and student experience the best out there. My second goal is to help Mason create a Salesforce Center of Excellence, which will serve as a framework for managing our existing Salesforce platforms, as well as our upcoming Salesforce platform.

Tell us more about the Salesforce Center of Excellence (CoE). What is its primary objective? What specific needs does it aim to address?

The Salesforce CoE determines how we collect and prioritize new ideas around Salesforce, how we create, test, and launch these improvements, and, most importantly, how we make sure everyone in our university community is on board and comfortable with these changes. Plus, it's a space where we can continuously learn and adapt, ensuring that our Salesforce solutions always meet the evolving needs of our university.

Can you describe the structure and organization of the Salesforce CoE? For example, how is it composed and who are the key team members?

The Salesforce CoE brings together a mix of technical and non-technical experts from around the university. It is composed of executive team members, product owners (sometimes product managers), scrum masters, business analysts, developers, testers, QA analysts, and team members responsible for change management (trainers, instructional designers, etc.). Not all roles listed are currently involved but will be as the team evolves. By the end of the Salesforce implementation, this group will be ready to serve existing and new business units utilizing the new platform.

Is there any way that Mason faculty and staff can get involved with or seek support from the Salesforce CoE?

At the moment, the Salesforce CoE is primarily focused on Enrollment Management, as they are the primary users of our current Salesforce orgs. As stated above, this will expand greatly after the implementation of Salesforce. If you have a question for the Salesforce CoE, you can email salesfor@gmu.edu and I’ll be happy to respond.

Great! Speaking of faculty and staff, can you talk about how you plan to collaborate with units and stakeholders across the university to ensure the effective implementation of the Salesforce platform?

Our main method for ensuring this collaboration is establishing executive level and team level groups comprised of key members from various units across campus. These team members represent their areas and work together to figure out requirements, make decisions, and work directly with our implementation partner to ensure what is being built really meets student needs

We’re so happy to have you as part of our Mason community. What led you to the university and the role as E.D. of Salesforce?

I started out in IT recruitment, but my career took a significant turn towards higher education in 2004 when I joined Laureate Education—a higher education company that managed a network of universities both locally and internationally, with a blend of online and traditional campuses. My role started in central enrollment operations, but quickly shifted to our central IT team where I held leadership roles responsible for the successful rollout and ongoing support of CRM platforms to many of these schools. After 16 years at Laureate, I shifted gears to Salesforce consulting, where I held leadership and program management roles. This brings us to current day, where I have been serving Mason as Interim Executive Director of CRM since January 2023.

What excites you the most about working at Mason? What are you most looking forward to as you journey into this new role?

The potential to do great things here is high. Since joining in January, I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with so many individuals who are deeply committed to enhancing the student experience. They're not just focused on the here and now; they're also keenly aware of the need to revolutionize this experience using Salesforce. If we can make our students’ journeys easier by providing faster access to the tools and resources they need to succeed, I believe we’re not only doing immediate good for our students, but also long-term good for the communities our students intend to serve when they graduate.

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To learn more about Salesforce at Mason, visit our Salesforce initiative webpage. If you have questions, check out our Salesforce FAQs complete the Salesforce Stakeholder Engagement Form, or contact the Salesforce Project Management Office at salesfor@gmu.edu.

Topics

Student Lifecycle Transformation

Provost Newsletter

Goodbye 'Mason Shuffle': Transforming the student journey at Mason

P Shepherd — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 21:38:18 +0000

Goodbye 'Mason Shuffle': Transforming the student journey at Mason P Shepherd Wed, 11/08/2023 - 16:38

In This Story

David Burge, MSE

Kenneth Walsh, PhD

George Mason University is embarking on an endeavor to optimize every aspect of the student journey, from recruitment and admissions to advising and alumni engagement. The student lifecycle transformation is a university-wide initiative, aligned with Mason's strategic direction. The overarching aim is to deliver a unique and distinctive student experience that fosters lifelong engagement.

"We began this transformation with one goal in mind: to make the entire student journey smoother, more personalized, and responsive, from the moment students first consider Mason to the day they graduate and beyond,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management David Burge.

The student lifecycle transformation embraces various projects, with Salesforce—a powerful Customer Relationship Management platform—as its core. Salesforce serves as the key tool driving the shift in Mason's approach to student engagement, keeping track of the entire lifecycle and interactions that occur during a student’s time at Mason, ensuring that each student receives the personalized support they need.

Mason will begin by adopting two important tools within Salesforce: Student Success and Recruitment and Admissions. The implementation of Student Success will allow Mason to identify and address each student’s unique needs, providing tailored support for their academic goals. Additionally, Recruitment and Admissions will enhance efficiency and responsiveness to prospective students.

“The adoption of Salesforce,” according to Interim Provost Kenneth Walsh, “will empower us to be more responsive and efficient in our interactions with both prospective and current students. We aren’t just investing in technology; we’re investing in the overall Mason experience.”

With Salesforce, Mason can centralize its efforts to foster collaboration and teamwork among offices that directly support students. The platform will unite data sources to create a holistic view of each student, offering a seamless experience and reducing the inefficiencies associated with the “Mason Shuffle,” a term familiar to students who have spent time seeking answers scattered across different offices and systems.

“As a staff member, I've witnessed the administrative hurdles and time wasted attempting to synchronize data between multiple systems. We're here to support our students, and a consolidated platform empowers us to do so more effectively, ensuring their needs are met,” said Kevin Brown, Salesforce administrator in the Costello College of Business.

Undergraduate and graduate students alike will benefit from this transformation. As an example, Salesforce will enable the university to offer personalized communication and support, catering to individual student needs. A user-friendly portal will provide students with easy access to essential information and services, and integrated tools like appointment scheduling and real-time communication will simplify their engagement with advisors and faculty.

By streamlining the admissions process, prospective students will find applying to Mason more accessible and transparent. Support services—including academic advising, counseling, and career support—will see substantial improvements, offering students comprehensive assistance throughout their academic journey. Technology integration will provide easier access to student information, learning resources, and administrative services.

But the transformation is not only about improving the student experience; it's also about streamlining operations and saving valuable resources. By consolidating various processes and systems into one unified system, Mason aims to optimize efficiency and allocate resources more effectively.

As the student lifecycle transformation takes shape, it underscores the university's dedication to empowering its students every step of the way. Mason students can look forward to a future where their journey is characterized by clarity, consistency, and unwavering support, making their university experience truly “distinctive and inclusive.”

“We want to create an environment where our students feel empowered and supported throughout their entire journey at Mason,” said Burge. “This transformation represents a commitment to providing an exceptional experience that transcends the traditional model of higher education.”

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Questions? Check out the Salesforce FAQs, complete the Salesforce Stakeholder Engagement Form, or contact the Salesforce Project Management Office at salesfor@gmu.edu.

As a Salesforce-first institution, we are dedicated to ensuring that Salesforce aligns with the technological needs of our university. Units interested in acquiring technology solutions should consider how Salesforce can support business needs. Contact the Salesforce Project Management Office for a collaborative discussion tailored to your unit’s requirements.

Topics

Student Lifecycle Transformation

Provost Newsletter

Faculty and Staff News

Strategic Direction

One year in: Mason's Salesforce journey

Tierra Easter — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:22:15 +0000

One year in: Mason's Salesforce journey Tierra Easter Wed, 10/25/2023 - 12:22

One year ago, we announced Mason's commitment to implement Salesforce as the system of engagement for the student journey. As we reflect on the remarkable progress made in the past year, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated community for their unwavering support and contributions. To commemorate the past year, here is an overview of significant milestones and accomplishments thus far:

Project Kickoff and Establishing Structure

To ensure a smooth transition, Mason formed the Salesforce Executive Committee (SEC), a team dedicated to steering the new initiative.
The Office of the Provost and ITS worked in collaboration to create the Salesforce Project Management Office (PMO) and Team to provide structured oversight, coordination, and support for the successful implementation of the Salesforce project.
The PMO scoped the initial phase of the project to begin with Mason's advising/coaching function and student recruitment/admissions function.

Charting the Path Forward for Advising/Coaching and Admissions

The PMO consulted with the admissions and advising/coaching communities to identify their needed requirements for the new tool.
Drawing inspiration from other universities, Mason hosted various Salesforce demonstrations and learned valuable insights from their experiences.
The PMO developed and released a Request for Proposal (RFP) to secure an implementation partner to assist Mason in planning, customizing, and deploying the new Salesforce platform.

Knowledge Dissemination

A series of Salesforce presentations were conducted to inform impacted units and share our vision for the implementation.
The PMO developed a comprehensive Stakeholder Engagement Plan that included the formation of working groups and a robust Unit Liaisons Network.
Committed to transparent communication, the PMO developed presentations, a list of FAQs, recorded sessions, commenced regular project update emails, and created the stakeholder engagement form, ensuring that information was readily available to the university community.
To centralize project-related information and updates, the PMO established the Salesforce project page. This platform is the go-to source on the Salesforce implementation at Mason.

Looking back over the past year, Mason's intention to shift to Salesforce stands out as a testament to collaborative effort and vision. People from around the university have contributed, from UL to the Provost's office to ITS to undergrad and grad faculty and staff. As the journey progresses, the focus remains clear: elevate the student experience and position Mason at the cutting edge of academic innovation. Stay tuned for forthcoming updates on the project as we continue into the next phases of implementation!

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Questions? Check out the Salesforce FAQs, complete the Salesforce Stakeholder Engagement Form, or contact the project team at salesfor@gmu.edu.

Topics