Transforming Student Engagement with Salesforce Education Cloud at Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State University

Transforming Student Engagement with Salesforce Education Cloud

institutional profile

Sam Houston State University (SHSU), founded in 1879, is a public institution located in Huntsville, Texas, serving over 21,000 students across a diverse range of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. Renowned for its commitment to student success, SHSU blends academic excellence with real-world experience, particularly in fields like criminal justice, education, business, and the arts

Challenge

SHSU initiated a comprehensive strategic planning effort in 2023 to reimagine student engagement in a rapidly evolving educational landscape. Core challenges included:

Fragmented data across multiple departments and platforms
Inconsistent and disjointed student communications
Limited visibility into student interactions across the full lifecycle
A need for scalable tools to support the university’s growing non-traditional student population, including its new Polytechnic College

Solution

To bridge these gaps, SHSU selected Salesforce Education Cloud as the platform to unify student engagement from prospect through alumni. With SIG as their strategic partner, they launched a phased roadmap:

Phase 1 (Recruiting & Admissions): Launched February 2025
Phase 2 (Student Success): Scheduled for Summer 2025
Phase 3 (Alumni & Advancement): Planned for late 2025
Future Vision: Includes employee experience, partner engagement, and AI-driven support

Salesforce was chosen not only for its flexibility and innovation, but also because its education-first ethos aligned with SHSU’s student-centered mission.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY

The SHSU-SIG partnership was built on collaboration and accountability:

Strategic Alignment: Technology selection driven by institutional planning and student experience goals
Agile Methodology: Delivered functionality in sprints, allowing for quick wins and iteration
Change Champions: Identified and empowered cross-campus champions to build momentum and ownership
Deep Collaboration: SIG consultants worked side-by-side with SHSU staff — from business planning to technical integration
Flexible Design: Salesforce was configured to adapt to SHSU’s unique processes and growth goals

Results & Impact

Key Outcomes

Single platform to manage the entire student lifecycle
Streamlined communication workflows reducing message duplication by 40%
Enhanced visibility into 100% of student interactions across departments
Empowered teams through self-service dashboards and real-time data access
Positioned SHSU to support a broader range of learners, including non-traditional students

What Sets SIG Apart

Treated as trusted partners, not external vendors
Proven success in complex Salesforce and Ellucian Banner integrations
Deep understanding of higher ed culture, governance, and stakeholder dynamics
Flexible, solutions-first mindset with an eye toward long-term institutional success

“The SIG team has been instrumental in our implementation. They weren’t just vendors — they partnered closely with us, helping guide everything from business planning to system design. Their expertise and collaboration made a huge difference.”

— Jacob Chandler, Sam Houston State University

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