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A Search for a Better Student Experience

Jessica White has dedicated 24 years to Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC), where she currently leads as the Associate Dean of Retention and Student Life. Over the years, she has seen firsthand the evolving needs of students and the challenges of keeping them engaged and retaining vital information, especially during orientation.

PHSC, located just north of Tampa Bay, serves around 10,000 students across five campuses and two centers. Most of these students attend part-time, juggle work and family responsibilities, and often find it challenging to attend campus for orientation or fully immerse themselves in it. White knew their existing online orientation just wasn’t cutting it. She needed something dynamic, engaging, and, above all, effective.

That’s when she discovered Advantage Design Group (ADG); suddenly, everything changed.

What Was Missing?

For years, PHSC relied on its Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas, to deliver its orientation. However, instead of offering students an exciting and welcoming introduction to college, it felt more like a course assignment to be completed. White knew they needed something better.

“We wanted more video, a sleeker look that felt seamless rather than the clunky experience Canvas provided. It’s not terrible, but it’s not beautiful. And that’s what we were looking for.” 

The reality was apparent. Canvas simply wasn’t built for orientation. It lacked the user-friendly design, engaging videos, and interactive features that could genuinely showcase PHSC’s brand and connect with students.

As a result, students struggled. Those familiar with Canvas found the experience uninspiring, while newcomers faced frustrating hurdles just trying to navigate the platform, complete orientation, and unlock their ability to register for classes. White knew it was time for a change.

A Vision for Something Better

White had a clear vision for what she wanted: a sleek, seamless, and visually engaging online orientation. She wanted students to focus on learning about PHSC, rather than figuring out how to navigate Canvas.

With ADG, she found a team ready to realize that vision.

When White and her team set out to transform PHSC’s online orientation, they knew it needed to be more than just information on a screen; it had to be an engaging, memorable experience.

Creativity sparked with ADG’s structured process, from content outlining to scriptwriting and reviewing examples from other schools. Instead of starting from scratch, they elevated existing materials into something fresh and engaging.

A key part of the transformation was incorporating authentic student voices. White’s team put out a call for on-camera talent, expecting their usual student leaders to step up, but they were surprised when students they hadn’t worked with before enthusiastically volunteered. Even during the creation of the orientation, students eagerly sought to be actively involved and invested. 

The final challenge was ensuring the content truly engaged students. ADG’s production team encouraged PHSC to go beyond the standard script.

“They pushed us to make the language more engaging, even a little over the top,” White shared, “And they were right. On-screen energy makes all the difference.”

The result? An online orientation that wasn’t just informative, but it was exciting, welcoming, and built to connect.

The ADG Transformation

With ADG’s online orientation platform, PHSC took its existing content from Canvas and in-person sessions and elevated it to something better. Here’s how:

• A More Engaging Format – Information was streamlined into digestible sections, with video scripts highlighting additional content.
• Universal Accessibility – The new browser-based platform ensured students could access orientation on any device, with synchronized usability across multiple platforms.
• Actionable Data Insights – Unlike Canvas, ADG’s platform provided robust data analytics. PHSC could now track completion times, student interests, and quiz performance, allowing for continuous improvement.
• Ensure Understanding– Important topics like Title IX required students to score at least 70% to progress, ensuring critical information was understood.

The results from the orientation interaction are astounding.

The Proof is in the Numbers

Since launching  its new orientation in the spring of 2022, the impact has been striking:

• 13,354 participants
• 10,947 completions
• 6% completion rate
• 96% of students said the orientation covered all the information they needed to get started
• 24% found their time spent on the orientation productive

With this new system in place, students weren’t just clicking through slides. They were engaged, informed, and excited to start their college journey. 

The Power of Partnership

For White, building PHSC’s new online orientation wasn’t just about creating great content, it was also about having the right team by her side. When asked about her experience working with Advantage Design Group, she didn’t hesitate to highlight the ongoing support that made all the difference.

"It was a great partnership, not just with ADG, but within our institution as well," she shared, "We had to figure out what needed to go into it, and ADG was there every step of the way. The ability to use their help center, to know that if I ever have a question or don’t know how to solve something, they’re there for us—that kind of support is invaluable."

And that support proved especially crucial during a major technology transition. PHSC was in the process of transitioning from a homegrown system to Banner, a significant technological shift that could have complicated the process. But instead of massive disruption, the integration with their new online orientation was seamless.

For White, this partnership wasn’t just about launching a new platform. It was about knowing she had a team that wouldn’t just help build something great, but would be there long after launch, ready to help whenever needed.

Through the collaboration between ADG and PHSC, the orientation created a welcoming, engaging, and student-friendly experience that sets the stage for success. With students now excited to begin their journey, that’s a win for everyone.

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