Rebuilding Enrollment and Reigniting Connection: Cypress College’s Element451 Success Story
The Challenge: Rebuilding Enrollment and Strengthening Student Engagement
Cypress College, part of the North Orange County Community College District, has long been committed to student success and lifelong learning. In the years following the pandemic, the college saw an opportunity to rebuild enrollment and create more dynamic, efficient ways to connect with students.
Before implementing Element451, outreach was highly personalized but time-intensive. Counselors carefully crafted individual emails, managed split mailing lists, and coordinated campaigns through Outlook—which had strict email limits. While these efforts reflected the college’s commitment to students, the process required significant staff time and made it harder to reach large numbers of students quickly and effectively.
The Solution: A Smarter Approach to Outreach and Engagement
To address these challenges, Cypress College adopted Element451, an AI-powered student engagement platform. Initially, the college focused its implementation on the Charger Experience Program, a flagship initiative designed to support new students through counseling, academic support, and events.
With Element451, Cypress College automated its outreach workflows, making communication more personalized and efficient. The platform also introduced an event registration system, significantly improving the way students interacted with campus events.
The Results: Increased Enrollment, Engagement, and Efficiency
The impact of Element451 on Cypress College has been transformative:
- Enrollment Growth: During the 2023–2024 academic year, Cypress College achieved 10,938 full-time equivalent students (FTES), marking an 8.5% increase from 2022–2023 and more than an 11% rise from pandemic lows in 2021-2022. While final numbers for 2024–2025 are still being compiled, early indicators suggest enrollment has surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
- Charger Experience Program Expansion: By leveraging Element451 for outreach, Cypress College saw a 25% increase in student participation in the Charger Experience Program between 2022–2023 and 2023–2024. This growth highlights the power of automated, targeted communication in strengthening student engagement.
- Streamlined Event Registration and Participation: One of the most significant improvements has been in event registration. In the first quarter of 2024, Cypress College experienced a 300% increase in event registrations compared to the previous year.
“Having the event site has really helped facilitate event registration and participation,” said Marcie Kagawa, communication specialist at Cypress College. “Counselors even refer to Element451 to inform students whether they have met their event requirements.”
The platform has also made program administration more efficient, allowing the college to easily track attendance and manage event logistics.
Looking Ahead: Expanding the Impact
With Element451’s success in outreach and engagement, Cypress College is now planning to expand its use of the platform across other campus-wide initiatives.
“Element451 has helped us get a lot more done in a more intentional, targeted, and personalized way,” Kagawa said. “It has facilitated ideas we’ve been discussing in our communications office for over eight years. We expect to expand our work even further in the next six months.”
By embracing Element451, Cypress College has transformed its student outreach, enrollment, and engagement efforts. The college continues to build on this momentum, ensuring that more students benefit from its commitment to success and lifelong learning.
If you are interested in learning more about leveraging the FoundationCCC’s agreement with Element451, please contact cbcontracts@foundationccc.org.
