4-MINUTE READ

When Marcia Rosbury-Henne, Dean of Enrollment Management & Admissions at Mount Wachusett Community College (MWCC), looked at her institution's student onboarding program, she saw a problem that needed solving. Their in-person "SMART Start" orientation was comprehensive, but it was also overwhelming for students to the point where 40% were walking away before completing the most critical step: registering for classes.

Today, MWCC's online orientation platform, Mount 101, boasts an impressive 88% completion rate—a nearly 50% improvement that's not only enhanced student preparedness but also contributed to record enrollment growth.

The Challenge: Information Overload and Practical Barriers

For about a decade, MWCC had operated SMART Start, an on-campus orientation program that Marcia describes as students "drinking from a fire hose." The program consisted of a 2-3 hour classroom-style orientation followed by course scheduling with advising staff—essentially a half-day experience that, while informative, proved exhausting for new students.

"We were losing an average of 40% of SMART Start attendees after the classroom lecture portion, meaning they would leave prior to registering for classes," Marcia explains. The reasons varied from exhaustion to sudden childcare issues to students needing to check with employers before committing to a schedule. All valid concerns, but each one meant an additional trip to campus to complete the enrollment process.

The Solution: Meeting Students Where They Are

The decision to move online wasn't just about convenience, it was strategic. "We wanted to provide 24/7 access, meeting students 'where they are', preparing them in advance of their advising and registration appointment," Marcia notes.

Marcia and her team branded their new online orientation as Mount 101, choosing to build the experience on the Advantage Orientation^® platform. Given the system's complete accesibility, Mount 101 became a mandatory step in the enrollment process, positioned immediately after acceptance to MWCC. But rather than simply digitizing their existing content, the college took a thoughtful approach to redesigning the entire experience.

Working with an internal team that included enrollment management, academic advisors, faculty, and student affairs professionals, MWCC was intentional about content selection.

"No more kitchen soup or information overload just because we think it's what students need," Marcia emphasizes.

The Results: Beyond Impressive Completion Rates

The 88% completion rate for Mount 101 tells only part of the success story. The platform has fundamentally changed how students engage with the onboarding process:

• Faster Completion: Students are completing Mount 101 at a quicker pace than the in-person SMART Start sessions, averaging just 28 minutes to finish.
• Better Self-Selection: Students are now identifying appropriate student services before their advising appointments, whether that's Veterans Services, TRIO SSS, Disability Services, or other support programs. 
• More Efficient Advising: Academic advisors consistently report that students arrive at appointments better prepared.

"Students are helping us retain them before being registered," Marcia observes. "Students often respond to subject matter with 'Oh, I learned that in Mount 101,' making initial registration and advising appointments much more efficient.

Real-World Impact: Connecting Students to Support Earlier

One of the most compelling outcomes has been the platform's ability to identify and connect students with needed support services much earlier in their journey. Marcia shares a recent email from a colleague working with student parents:

"By adding a simple question on the MWCC MOUNT 101 onboarding program, we have been able to identify EARLY the student-parents who are interested in learning more about our supports for them... I have been able to make more connections sooner, provide access to resources or simply connecting them to other student-parents for peer supports."

This early intervention capability represents a shift from reactive to proactive student support—identifying needs before they become barriers to success.

Operational Benefits: Set It and Forget It

Beyond student outcomes, Mount 101 has changed operations. Where MWCC previously ran 2-3 SMART Start events per week—requiring significant staff resources for check-in, lectures, and individual advising—the online orientation platform operates as what Marcia calls "set it and forget it."

"We update it every semester, which is super easy to do!" she notes. The platform's flexibility has already enabled MWCC to clone Mount 101 for their dual-enrollment population, which represents about 12% of their student body but has slightly different needs than traditional matriculated students.

Looking Forward: Expansion and Growth

The success of Mount 101 has been integral to MWCC's overall enrollment management strategy. The college achieved the highest growth in student population for fall 2021 among all 14 community colleges in Massachusetts—a success Marcia attributes in part to their online orientation platform.

Plans for the future include a fully translated Spanish version of Mount 101 for ESOL and dual-language students, continuing MWCC's commitment to meeting diverse learner communities where they are.

The Bottom Line

The improvement from 60% completion to 88% completion represents more than just better numbers—it reflects a fundamental shift in how MWCC approaches student onboarding and orientation. By moving online and redesigning the experience around student needs rather than institutional convenience, they've created a system that better prepares students, connects them to support services earlier, and ultimately contributes to their success.

As Marcia puts it, "Mount 101 makes a connection to supports prior to registration"—and that early connection is making all the difference in student retention and success.

RELATED CONTENT

How to Measure ROI in Advantage Orientation