Your facility offers a wide range of services that are designed to help students succeed in school. You may offer scholarship advisors, tuition advisors, tutoring, mental health services, academic counselors, and more, all of which can provide students with the communication tools that they need to overcome challenges along the way.
At the same time, however, there is a fundamental cultural shift taking place in the classroom. Students now rely on instantaneous communication to decide on their next steps or figure out how to handle challenges as they arise. Without adequate communication, students may find more barriers in their way–and they may not take advantage of those services. Now, more than ever, students need access to instantaneous communication and solutions to help them learn about the options available to them as they pursue their goals.
Students Cannot Use Services They Don’t Know About
Your organization can offer a robust array of student services, but if students don’t know about those services–and how to access them–then they can’t take advantage of them.
Suppose, for example, that you have a student suffering from extreme depression and loneliness as a result of moving away from home for the first time. She may not have insurance or, for that matter, any idea of how to pursue mental health treatment from a professional outside the school community, since she may never have made her appointments on her own while she still lived at home. Your university may offer comprehensive student mental health services, including virtual sessions, crisis intervention, and even access to mental health medication for students who need it, but if the student does not know about those services or how to access them, she may not ever get the help she needs.
Likewise, suppose you have a student struggling in class. He may have missed a couple of classes or simply misunderstood a concept that has now left him struggling to grasp the material–or he might just not learn well based on the learning style used by the classroom instructor. Your university offers tutoring services that will help students overcome those obstacles and succeed in their classes, including one-on-one sessions, but they might not be as well-known as you might think, especially when it comes to tutoring services for niche classes. That student might, as a result, fail to get the help he needs, despite it being readily available.
Communication is critical for sharing information about student services. Students need to receive regular notifications and reminders about the services that pertain to them–especially when it comes to mental health awareness or academic support services. Not only that, they need to be able to get access to the services they need when they need them.
How Pronto’s Instantaneous Communication Can Bridge the Connection Gap
Today’s students rely on instantaneous communication in many areas of their academic lives. They need to connect directly with their teachers and their peers. They send out text messages and expect fast responses to emails.
The same holds true of their academic needs. With instantaneous communication options, you can make it easier for students at your campus–and away from campus–to get the vital support that they need.
Give students quick access to advisors who can answer their questions about tuition, scholarships, or major paths.
Students don’t always have time to wait around for the answers to their questions, especially when it pertains to finance. If they need to know what scholarship options they have available, what GPA they have to maintain to keep their scholarships, or even what classes they have to take next to achieve their graduation goals, they may need fast answers. With instant communication options across your university, you can make it simple for students to answer those questions fast, reducing their stress levels and making it easier for them to move forward in their academic careers. Having virtual access to academic advisors can also make it easier for students to plan their schedules or have questions answered, which can reduce time spent in the office and streamline their in-person appointments with their advisors–or provide advisor access to students who might do most of their learning away from campus.
Students may need instant access to mental health services–and having that access in their pockets can make it easier for them to take advantage of it.
In moments of crisis, students may need quick access to mental health professionals. Sometimes, they just need to talk. Other times, they need someone to take emergency action to help protect them. Your campus may already have 24/7 mental health support. If students don’t know where or how to find that support, however, they can’t take advantage of it.
Pronto can also help eliminate many of the major barriers to seeking mental health support for students. Many students do not want the stigma of speaking with a mental health professional. Others may struggle to simply muster up the energy to walk across the campus to speak to someone, especially when suffering from a major depressive episode. With Pronto, you can put access to mental health support in students’ pockets. Instead of having to make an appointment and speak to a professional on campus at a specific time, or having to dredge up the energy needed to go to the mental health center on campus, students can simply pull out their devices and connect with a mental health professional.
Pronto also makes it easier to connect with a therapist over the little moments, before they become more serious. Sometimes, students just need a little extra encouragement. Other times, they need a quick solution that will help them move forward. Many of those small moments don’t require a full counseling session–and Pronto can connect students with the assistance they need without ever having to leave their dorms or homes.
Students can need access to tutoring services at any time.
Does your campus offer tutoring as part of its regular student services?
Can students access those services when they really need them?
Student study schedules are often determined by a variety of outside factors. They may need to work, participate in sports or club activities, and attend classes, all of which may make it difficult for them to get to the tutoring center at a prespecified time. Not only that, all too often, students do not realize that they need help until they’re in the middle of an assignment–sometimes during a time when tutoring services are not otherwise available. Students who live off-campus may also choose to do their homework at home, which may make it even more difficult for them to access tutoring services when they need them–or they might have obligations at home that prevent them from accessing tutoring services during the times when they’re usually open.
Pronto, however, makes getting access to those tutoring services easy at any time. Students can quickly ask questions, share the problem or question they’re stuck on, and receive access to tutors who can help walk them through any process they need.
Communication with students at home can help them access the documents they need.
To acquire scholarships, students may need to provide specific documentation and information. Unfortunately, many of them don’t have those documents on campus. Frequently, they have trouble remembering what those documents are–and students who struggle with organization may have a hard time remembering what those documents are when they’re at home or with their parents. With Pronto, however, students can easily access the lists they need from home or ask any questions they might have of an advisor while they’re in a position to collect that documentation.
Pronto can help bring student groups together to support one another.
Sometimes, rather than needing access to a professional or advisor who can help walk them through the challenges they face, students may need access to a group of peers. Students who are struggling with loneliness, for example, may benefit from being connected to a group of others in similar circumstances. Students struggling with anxiety or depression may feel better when they’re able to discuss the challenges they face with other students. Student-led groups can also help answer questions that others may have about challenges in the classroom. While they may not have the same depth of information that a tutor could provide, they can often work together to come up with comprehensive solutions to those challenges–and as a result, enhance overall student learning. Pronto can help bring students who might not otherwise have found one another together so that they can help one another through that process.
Are you looking for a communication solution that will help bring students together or provide them with access to support services across your campus? Pronto can help enhance communication efforts by offering students immediate access to one another and academic advisors, mental health support, and tutoring assistance. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you achieve your campus communication goals or to schedule a free demonstration.