Admitted Students Communications Audit, Optimization, and Implementation Services

The Vendor is required to provide for admitted students communications audit, optimization, and implementations services.
- Provide comprehensive admitted student communications management services.
- The university aims to implement a centralized, strategic approach to communications for students from the point of deposit through matriculation.
- Conduct a full audit of all current admitted student communications across departments, primarily focused on emails via Slate but also including other materials such as mailers, web pages, non-Slate emails, and checklists. The audit of Slate emails will focus on active emails within the system that have been utilized in the past 12 months.
- Identify redundancies, inconsistencies, and gaps in timing, tone, and content. (Related to content, the agency team will assist with reviewing existing materials for brand compliance.)
- Provide a detailed report with recommendations for improvement based on best practices in higher education onboarding.
- Strategic Communications Plan Development
•    Develop a unified communications plan and timeline covering key milestones from deposit through matriculation.
•    Align messaging across departments such as admissions, university scholarships and financial aid, student affairs (including housing, dining, hokie wellness and other entities), academic advising, and more.
•    Ensure strategic pacing of communications to reduce overload and confusion for students and families.
- Template and Content Creation
•    Create a library of branded email and print templates that reflect agency tone, identity, and commitment to student success, in collaboration with the agency team.
•    Provide guidelines for consistent language, tone, and visual branding across all communications.
- Internal Collaboration Framework
•    Design a coordination model that defines roles, responsibilities, and checkpoints for all participating units.
•    Facilitate stakeholder engagement sessions to ensure alignment and buy-in across departments.
- Technology Integration
•    Optimize use of slate CRM and other university-approved platforms for centralized communications.
•    Recommend slate features and other tools or processes for tracking engagement and managing workflows efficiently.
- Analytics and Reporting
•    Implement systems to monitor communication effectiveness, including engagement metrics such as open rates and click-through rates.
•    Implement regular reports and actionable insights to improve outreach strategies.