Higher education is a complex journey for many students, especially for those working to pay for school, raising a family, or entering college as a first-generation student. Every student faces unique challenges, but one thing they all need is support. Whether academic, physical, emotional, or financial, support is perhaps one of the most important prerequisites for student success.
Congruent with Maslow’s hierarchy, students need the physical and financial support to attend college, the academic support to succeed in their classes, and the emotional support to persevere, be affirmed, and pursue their goals. This is where faculty and staff must step in. Some students have family, friends, or mentors encouraging them from application to graduation. Some are discouraged from attending school due to cost or lack of perceived benefit. For the low-income, working student, accessing resources after hours is nearly impossible. Faculty and staff don’t intend to leave them up a creek without a paddle. The process of finding support is just riddled with friction as students struggle to find quick and accurate answers.
Students should be able to count on their college to provide a supportive learning environment and the resources they need to thrive. Higher education institutions have worked hard to develop student services. The problem is that students don’t always know how to access them, or they have to jump through hoops to get in contact with the right person. A study by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse reports:
“Half of students are just slightly (32%) or not at all (18%) confident that if they had to raise an issue on campus, they would know which department could address it.”
“More than half (52%) of students feel it’s extremely or somewhat likely that a professor would resolve a concern to their satisfaction, compared to 34% who say the same about administrators.”
Imagine what it would look like if every student knew exactly where to find support. And not only that, but imagine if they could find it all in one place. What an impact that would make.
While modern technology has significantly enhanced the student experience, apps designed for higher education don’t always work. Scheduling appointments doesn’t help the student who just got off work and needs help with homework at 10pm. Chatbots sound nice and are often associated with efficiency, but they can only truly handle simple questions. And student questions are usually more complex than, “When is the enrollment deadline?” They can’t provide the level of expertise and personalized support to meet every unique need. There’s no mold that college students fit into—they all come from different backgrounds and experiences. No two students are alike, and that’s why a personalized, one-on-one connection with faculty and staff is so important. We created EVAN360 to provide that.
Not knowing who to contact for help creates distance between students and the faculty and staff who are there to help them. Knowing exactly where to go for help changes everything. As faculty and staff are eager and willing to make themselves available, students will develop a greater sense of belonging and trust that their school has their back. They’ll feel more supported and be equipped to complete their degree, moving toward a successful future.
Students are more likely to ask for help when they can do it easily and quickly, knowing the right person will be ready on the other side. With EVAN360, you can provide the help students deserve, whether they need to talk with a mental health counselor, get advice about careers, or connect with an advisor to find the right classes. The EVAN360 app allows institutions to focus on the student as a whole person by providing one-on-one support in every area.
