Solutions Center: Straightening Efficiency Kinks

Congratulations to our very own Solutions Center for being featured in the March 2019 issue of University Business (UB). The article, “Operational efficiency kinks: How colleges straighten them out,” emphasizes ways various universities are improving their operations through cost effective means; and featured as one of the universities with such improvements is Valdosta State University.

In 2016, the former IT Helpdesk that focused only on providing technology-related support was transformed into the now broadly-focused university Solutions Center–handling not only Information Technology issues but also calls for Admissions and the Welcome Center. That shift in customer support with calls from incoming and perspective students helped drastically increase enrollment by 12.5 percent. This shift not only increased enrollment but effectively contributed to a better VSYOU experience for both students and faculty.

Boosting enrollment while improving student services

Through the innovative minds of the Division of Information Technology Applications & Analytics Team and a one time budget of $45,000, a platform was created that enables the Solutions Center to handle the skyrocket volume of calls (going from 24,000 to 70,000 annually) and the vast amount of knowledge base needed to deal with IT, undergraduate admissions, and the welcome center matters. The effects have led to better customer service, quicker problem solving, more flexible schedules for employees in recruitment, and, most importantly, heavier freshman enrollment.

Well done, VSU Solutions Center!