Overview

In my role with Drexel University's Housing and Residence Life Department, I focused on revitalizing our internal and external, student-facing communications to align more closely with Drexel’s branding while enhancing clarity, engagement, and accessibility. The primary goal was to reimagine our content to better support incoming students—primarily first-year students as we were in the midst of an application cycle—and their families, many of whom were new to the college experience. I aimed to make these communications feel welcoming and exciting while ensuring they provided essential information in a straightforward, functional way.

I worked closely with the Director of Housing and Residence Life, the Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications, and the Assistant Director of Residential Education to develop a comprehensive content strategy that would guide our communications for the upcoming academic year. This strategy included a series of initiatives to streamline our communications, including the creation of a comprehensive FAQ document, a series of email templates, and a new website landing page. Ultimately, each of these initiatives sought to reduce the frequency of repeat questions and ensure students received reliable, standardized information, helping them feel confident navigating the resources available to them. In this, I also sought to relieve the shared staff burden of tending to these inquiries, which often stymied other projects.

Initiatives

Internal and External Presentations

To create an engaging and informative experience for incoming students and their families, I revamped the presentation materials used by Drexel University's Housing and Residence Life Department. Recognizing that many of these students were experiencing Drexel and college life for the first time, I focused on aligning presentations with Drexel’s brand identity while enhancing visual appeal and clarity. Presentations were reorganized to emphasize the most frequently asked questions and essential information, with a storytelling approach that highlighted Drexel’s community and support systems. By using a more dynamic layout and interactive elements, the presentations became not only informative but also more enjoyable and accessible to students and families unfamiliar with university processes.

Instructional Videos

One of the major projects I initiated was a series of instructional videos focused on demystifying critical housing processes, such as the roommate matching and room selection processes. I analyzed student inquiries and common pain points by reviewing calls and emails, which allowed me to tailor video content to address the specific areas where students encountered confusion. A lot of student confusion stemmed from the multi-part nature of the housing application cycle. They believed housing was a one-step process and many students were unaware of the next two important steps. These videos featured detailed visuals and step-by-step guidance, aimed at reducing the number of recurring questions received. I also incorporated graphics that directed students toward readily available resources, such as the housing website and contact information, encouraging proactive problem-solving. These videos were integrated into the housing portal and application, making them easily accessible during the 2024-2025 housing application cycle. They are also currently available on our First Year Housing guide.

Housing Portal

The housing portal is the central platform for all housing-related processes and is a major student hub. It serves as the avenue where students apply for housing and dining, seek exemptions, find roommates (etc). As such it also serves as a touch point in student confusion. In my efforts to improve student accessibility, I became involved in an ongoing project to update the housing portal. This involves updating its branding, layout, and images and developing strategies to make important information more noticeable within the StarRez site framework the portal is built on.

Impact

These intiaitives led to a noticeable decrease in student inquiries compared to previous years, as students were better informed and more proactive, reaching out earlier to clarify issues they identified through the videos. As a result, staff experienced a reduced workload during peak application periods. With these resources now readily available to students, we anticipate this positive trend will continue, allowing for a smoother, more efficient process in the upcoming year. I continue to work within the department to refine these resources and develop new initiatives to further support our students and staff.