Challenges

Prior to implementing CampusGroups (CG) in 2020, KAUST had a legacy student life community platform that was abandoned by administrators and staff. The main challenges with the previous system were:

Unengaging and Complicated Interface

The previous system was not interactive and complicated. Students and staff got tired and bored and just stopped using it.

Little Room for Customization

As a small research-based graduate university, KAUST needed a portal that could adapt to their needs specifically.

Lack of Automation

The legacy platform was very manual and lacked analytics and reporting capabilities

Solutions

KAUST needed a unified and user-friendly portal solution available on the web and mobile. According to Frances Field, who formerly served as KAUST’s Student Engagement Specialist, “CG provides all the solutions we need in one highly-automated and easy-to-use system". These include:

1. Highly Customizable Platform

KAUST’s homepage “Campus Connect” was built to meet KAUST’s needs specifically. Photos and buttons are changed based on the time of year and what’s happening on campus.

2.Multiple Engagement Tools

KAUST’s campus app does all the day-to-day stuff for students. The activity feed, chat, events management tools, and career center are go-to features. The dedicated Commencement and Orientation apps also enhance the student experience, as does gamification.

3. Automated Workflows and Robust Tracking and Reporting Features

CG has automated key processes, with data feeding into an analytics and reporting dashboard in real time. The most popular workflows are tracks and checklists, event registration and check-in.