Mason’s Salesforce project becomes Patriot Connect

P Shepherd — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 18:27:32 +0000

Mason’s Salesforce project becomes Patriot Connect P Shepherd Sun, 03/17/2024 - 14:27

George Mason University’s Student Lifecycle Transformation initiative, formerly known as “The Salesforce Project,” recently unveiled its new identity and has re-introduced itself as Patriot Connect. This is more than just a program name; Patriot Connect reflects a commitment to student engagement, campus community, and a unified university experience. The name change also represents the student engagement platform that Mason students, faculty, and staff will soon be logging into for student services such as advising and coaching.

Because students are at the center of everything Mason does, it was critically important to gather their input in determining a new name. Throughout January and February, students and project stakeholders participated in surveys and interviews, with approximately 240 voices contributing to the collective decision-making process.

Defining and renaming the program’s identity is more than a formality—it sets the foundation for success as the program moves into implementation. This shift to Patriot Connect will soon be reflected across all communication channels and resources, including the Patriot Connect webpage, stakeholder update emails, and other communications and resources. The evolution to Patriot Connect also marks the beginning of a new era in student engagement at George Mason University.

Patriot Connect is the epitome of what we’re after at Mason—a sense of belonging and connectivity—to each other, to the people who are here to support students, and to the Mason community. It's more than a name; it’s the way we seek to serve and support students in reaching their goals and thriving at Mason. Cultivating connections within our community and empowering students to access essential student support services lies at the heart of the project. I am delighted for our community to engage in Patriot Connect as a space to amplify Mason’s commitment to fostering meaningful connections to support services.

Sally Lorentson, Assistant Vice President, University Life

Questions? Visit the Patriot Connect webpage, check out the FAQs, complete the Stakeholder Engagement Form, or contact the Patriot Connect program management team.

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Provost Newsletter

Provost's Office

Patriot Connect

Charting the course for success: Building the roadmap to Mason’s future with Salesforce Education Cloud

P Shepherd — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 16:08:07 +0000

Charting the course for success: Building the roadmap to Mason’s future with Salesforce Education Cloud P Shepherd Fri, 02/16/2024 - 11:08

Picture this: you’re planning a cross-country road trip and you need to know where you’re kicking off your journey before mapping out the best route forward.

As the team responsible for the strategy and management of project activities, the Salesforce Project Management Office (PMO) is doing something similar to prepare for George Mason University’s journey to Salesforce Education Cloud. Project members are looking closely at how Mason currently uses technology to interact with students to pave the way for a smooth transition to a new system, which will transform how Mason connects with students in the future.

Much like using a compass to stay on course during a journey, the Salesforce PMO has enlisted the expertise of unit liaisons and teams across the university to serve as project guides. Individuals were selected by their leadership to represent user communities at Mason impacted by the transition to Salesforce Education Cloud, and will serve as the bridge between the Salesforce PMO and university stakeholders.

“As one of several unit liaisons, it is my responsibility to ensure that colleagues within my unit remain informed and actively engaged with the ongoing work of the Salesforce project. This structure allows information to be quickly shared among team members and has led to some of the early successes we’ve realized, especially as they relate to the initial blueprint validation sessions to examine the Salesforce technology landscape, which brings Mason subject matter experts together with our partners at Accenture to provide a high-level overview of how we use and interact with Salesforce from multiple perspectives.”
- Andrew Bunting, Executive Director of Enrollment Services

The group’s current task is to conduct discussion sessions—referred to as “Blueprint Validation” sessions—to capture how units operate and engage with students through their systems, address roadblocks they face, and identify alternate routes for improvement. The insights gathered during these sessions will be instrumental in shaping the roadmap for how Mason will use technology to connect with students in the future.

Unit liaisons will be actively involved as expert guides along the Salesforce PMO’s road to success, driving toward the singular goal of designing an engaging, personalized, and efficient educational journey for every Mason student.

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

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julie warren

Mason’s Salesforce project becomes Patriot Connect

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Charting the course for success: Building the roadmap to Mason’s future with Salesforce Education Cloud

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