From “Ramily” to results at WSSU

At Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), a public HBCU founded in 1892, family engagement is not a new initiative or a strategy the university recently adopted. It’s part of who they are.

In student focus groups, one word kept coming up: Ramily. That’s how students describe the sense of belonging they feel on campus. And at WSSU, that feeling extends well beyond the students themselves. Ramily includes the parents, grandparents, mentors, and caregivers who cheer them on, help them make decisions, and support them through every milestone.

By partnering with CampusESP, WSSU turned that culture into a more intentional family engagement strategy. The university created a central place for families to receive timely information and stay connected from admissions through graduation.

Today, the impact is clear:

• Students with an active family member in WSSU family portal yielded at 44%, compared to 39% overall.

• Families in the top quartile of Parent Promoter Score™ yielded at 73%, almost 2x higher than than the Fall 2025 average yield rate.

• 75% of current families actively engage through email or portal posts from CampusESP.

Ramily is still a reflection of WSSU’s campus culture. Now, it’s also a strategy strengthening enrollment, retention, and student success.

The challenge: How do we reach families?

Before CampusESP came into the picture in 2022, WSSU was facing a challenge many campuses know well.

Leaders understood that families played a critical role in enrollment decisions and student success. What they lacked was a consistent way to connect with them, especially prospective and newly admitted families.

Across campus, teams would plan meaningful family events, only to run into the same frustrating question: How do we actually reach them?

“There are many times where other departments, like Student Life, would say, ‘We’re going to have this big family event. Do we have any contact information?’” said Mary McComb, Associate Director of Marketing & Communications. “And the answer was no. We didn’t have anything.”

At the same time, prospective students were navigating registration deadlines, financial aid requirements, and orientation logistics. Without a clear line of communication to families, important steps were sometimes missed.

When WSSU was introduced to CampusESP, they saw a path forward: a centralized way to build a real family contact database and communicate consistently from recruitment through graduation.

What changed when WSSU centralized family engagement

Early on, WSSU made an important decision: family communication would no longer live in silos.

Instead of different offices sending separate, sometimes overlapping updates, the Integrated Marketing Communications team became the central hub for family communication. They gather information from across campus and shape it into clear, family-friendly updates that actually make sense outside of higher ed jargon.

The team works closely with Admissions, Financial Aid, and the Registrar to understand what students are receiving and determine what families should see as well. Departments can focus on their roles, knowing the message to families will be aligned and consistent.

The difference is noticeable. Families know exactly where to go for information. Departments are no longer duplicating efforts. And students hear the same message at home that they hear on campus.

In 2025 alone, WSSU reached 12,683 engaged family members across prospective and current audiences

When family engagement drives enrollment outcomes

As family engagement became more structured, the results became measurable.

In the Fall 2025 cohort alone, WSSU engaged 3,600 family members leading to:

• Families in the top quartile of Parent Promoter Score™ (PPS) — an indicator of the families showing the strongest engagement — yielded at 73%, compared to the Fall 2025 institutional average of 34%.

• Students with an active family member in WSSU family portal yielded at 44%, compared to 39% overall.

The results reinforce something WSSU has long believed: when families feel informed and connected, they become powerful partners in the enrollment decision.

Keeping first-generation families informed

At WSSU, first-generation students are not a small segment. They are the majority.

“Everything we do is targeted to first-gen and the issues they have,” Laura Huff, Director, Digital Communications Strategy said. “That’s just the baseline for us.”

Because of that, communication with families is designed to be practical and proactive. The goal is to help families understand how they can support their students, especially when the college experience may be new to them.

Messages often focus on normalizing office hours and tutoring, encouraging students to connect early with career services, highlighting scholarships and financial resources, and reminding families that questions are always welcome.

“It’s about saying, ‘Start early. Do these things,’” McComb said. “We’re here to help you.”

Families are responding. First-generation communications average 66% open rates and 14% click rates, both outperforming WSSU’s overall portal averages.

The team is also expanding financial literacy messaging in partnership with Financial Aid, breaking down FAFSA, cost of attendance, and payment timelines in ways that feel clear and manageable for families.

Turning FERPA access into a retention strategy

As WSSU’s family engagement strategy evolved, leaders recognized that communication alone was not enough. Students also needed support during high-stakes moments.

Through CampusESP for FERPA Management, WSSU made it easy for students to grant approved data access to their families. When financial aid packages arrive, bills are due, or registration opens, families can step in and help without confusion or back-and-forth.

Parents want to support their students, especially when it comes to major financial decisions and complex processes. Now, they can.

The impact at WSSU:

• 319 FERPA connections established

• 57% increase in connections year over year

• 94% student approval rate for FERPA requests

• 4,114 clicks on FERPA information, with account balance the most viewed area

And this access matters. Across 10 universities, student retention is 6% higher when parents receive regular student data updates.

Ramily, reinforced

For WSSU, family engagement was never about adding another communication channel or launching a new initiative. The work did not happen in isolation. It required coordination, trust, and a shared understanding across campus that families are part of the equation.

And having the right support made it easier to get started.

“Working with CampusESP feels like having another staff member,” Huff said. “The pre-built content made it easy to start, and the onboarding experience was smooth.”

Today, Ramily is still a reflection of WSSU’s campus culture.

The difference is that it is now supported by structure, data, and intentional strategy.