A Solidan Success Story: Illinois Central College (ICC)
In an effort to modernize and simplify its student application process, Illinois Central College (ICC)—a comprehensive community college in Illinois—embarked on a digital transformation project to replace its legacy system, TargetX, and streamline how prospective students apply and interact with the college.
ICC offers a diverse array of academic and workforce training programs. These include associate degree programs, dual enrollment opportunities for high school students, GED and ESL courses, non-credit classes, and the nation’s first prison education program. The goal was to implement a single, centralized application experience for all of these programs, using Slate as the new CRM platform.
CHALLENGE
Urgent Need for a CRM Replacement: Facing the expiration of its TargetX contract, ICC was under pressure to rapidly identify and implement a new CRM solution that could support core operations without disrupting recruitment or enrollment cycles.
Complex Enrollment Structures: ICC required a flexible system capable of supporting both open-access enrollment pathways common to community colleges and more structured processes for selective admission programs.
Fragmented Application Systems: The absence of a centralized application platform—where records were initiated in PeopleSoft and later transitioned to TargetX—led to data fragmentation, staff inefficiences, and a disjointed applicant experience.
Communication Gaps: The team identified inequities between various applicant groups and the frequency of communications they were receiving.
Planning for Future Integration: In anticipation of a future Student Information System (SIS) implementation, ICC required a CRM that was not only scalable, but also capable of integrating seamlessly with evolving technical infrastructure.
SOLUTION
Platinum Preferred Partner Solidan partnered with ICC with one goal: to create a centralized, future-ready application and enrollment management system. Solidan achieved this by:
Implementing a unified application in Slate, enabling students to apply once and simplifying the process for future program pursuits.
Developing a custom application starter page and application management portal that guides applicants through tailored pathways based on student type, improving usability and accuracy. Only brand-new application records can successfully complete this Slate application. Returning students identified through the account creation process are instead provided with instructions for account reactivation through their Support Hub, avoiding record duplication in Slate.
Developing an application fraud review process: The development of a custom workflow now allows the verification of applications and the identification and flagging of fraudulent applications by the Registrar’s team at the institution. Only approved records are pushed through for admission to the SIS.
Enhancing communications through the implementation of Slate Inbox, creation of drip marketing campaigns, and automating application status notifications.
Creating bidirectional feeds between Slate and PeopleSoft via a FileParser integration to seamlessly send application data to PeopleSoft, mimicking prior requirements and ensuring continuity.
Historical application data was imported, and enrollment history tracking was introduced through custom integration feeds and an enrollment history tab.
Active & completed enrollment information.
RESULTS
The ICC One App is now live, with data flowing to PeopleSoft and return files successfully reintegrating into Slate.
Students now experience a centralized, user-friendly application process with better guidance and fewer redundancies.
Fraudulent applications are reduced due to a new fraud validation workflow.
ICC gained a clear view of enrollment history through enhanced data structure and status tracking.
Communication with canceled applicants was restored, addressing a long-standing gap in the process.
The solution lays the groundwork for a smooth transition from PeopleSoft to Workday, aligning with ICC’s long-term technology goals.
The project demonstrates the value of strategic planning and collaboration in transforming complex enrollment systems into streamlined, student-centric experiences.
“Solidan provided the Slate and PeopleSoft expertise to allow ICC to transform the student experience, recruitment, admissions, and data visualizations. Their team’s commitment and hard work have truly made a difference.”
Find more info on Solidan and our Preferred Partner program under the Resources tab.