Four Considerations for Enterprise Student Success Solutions

 
How to Evaluate Student Success Technology: 4 Questions Every Institution Should Ask
 

By Aaron Knox, Chief Revenue Officer at InScribe

In a sea of competing priorities and constrained budgets, colleges and universities are forced to make difficult decisions every day. Distinguishing between “nice-to-haves” and solutions that meaningfully improve student outcomes—without overextending budgets or staff capacity—is no small task.

When evaluating any learner-facing enterprise technology, institutions must answer four critical questions:

  1. Will students actually use it?

  2. Will it meaningfully improve outcomes?

  3. Can we afford it?

  4. Can we manage the internal lift required to implement and sustain it?

With nearly a decade of experience working with colleges and universities and more than sixty higher education partners, InScribe understands these challenges firsthand. We’ve built a solution that students actively use, that demonstrably improves outcomes, and that institutions can afford and implement with confidence.

1. Will Students Use It?

Strong adoption is the first test of any student success platform. Across institutions, InScribe learner adoption rates consistently range between 80–90%.

Three factors drive this engagement:

  • Meeting students where they are. Deep integrations with institutional systems—especially the LMS—ensure students encounter InScribe within their existing workflows.

  • A safe, intuitive experience. The platform is easy to navigate and intentionally designed to foster psychological safety, encouraging students to participate and share openly.

  • Strategic partnership. InScribe’s Partner Success team brings years of experience and a robust library of proven promotional assets. We collaborate with institutions to deploy sustained engagement strategies that maintain strong adoption over time.

2. Will It Meaningfully Improve Outcomes?

InScribe partners consistently report measurable improvements in student persistence, engagement, sense of belonging, and academic performance—along with operational efficiencies for staff.

Examples include:

  • University of North Texas: 13% increase in persistence rates

  • Arizona State University: 10% improvement in the number of students receiving A grades

  • Rio Salado College: 40% increase in students’ sense of belonging within six weeks

  • University of Maryland Global Campus: 13 percentage point increase in course success rates

  • Western Governors University: 23% reduction in support emails

These outcomes reflect both improved student experience and meaningful institutional ROI.

For a deeper look at the financial and human case for digital community investment, see The ROI of Digital Community: What the Data Says.

3. Can We Manage the Internal Lift? (Ease of Implementation)

Technology should not create additional burden.

InScribe takes a high-touch, white-glove approach to implementation and ongoing partnership. Your dedicated Customer Success Manager operates as an extension of your team—guiding launch strategy, supporting adoption, sharing best practices, and continuously optimizing impact throughout the partnership.

4. Can We Afford It? (Cost & Value)

Affordability matters—but so does value.

Based on internal research, InScribe ranks in the bottom quartile of enterprise student success platforms in terms of cost. When evaluating impact relative to investment, institutions consistently find InScribe delivers exceptional value—particularly given its measurable effect on student retention and academic success.

The bottom line:
The right student success solution must be adopted, impactful, manageable, and cost-effective. InScribe was built to meet all four criteria—helping institutions move from aspiration to measurable results.

About the Author

Aaron Knox has nearly two decades of experience in leadership roles with companies that support higher education, including Blackboard, Interfolio, Labster, eLumen, PeopleGrove, and InScribe.  Aaron is driven by the mission of higher education and considers himself lucky to have been able to contribute to a number of innovative companies, particularly those with a direct impact on student outcomes.  Aaron authored "The Higher Ed Sales Playbook," a book focused on helping companies grasp the nuances of navigating higher education.

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