College communication strategies that support Black student success
Behind every student is a network of people cheering them on, checking in, asking questions, and helping them navigate the college experience.
For Black families, that connection is especially strong. CampusESP’s 2026 College Family Survey found that 54% of Black families communicate with their students daily, and 60% prefer text messages from their student’s institution.
HBCU leaders from Morehouse College and Morgan State University will share how proactive family communication can strengthen the support system around Black students, build trust with families, and contribute to stronger retention outcomes.
Everything you missed at the CampusESP Summit
Couldn’t make it to the 2026 CampusESP Summit? Don’t worry — we got you!
Join us for a lightning-fast recap of the key themes, strategies, and takeaways from this year’s event.
It’s perfect if you couldn’t attend ... or had such a good time you want to relive the day and get a refresh on what’s next in family engagement.
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Explore CampusESP: Current Family Engagement
Considering CampusESP? Join us for a live, open walkthrough of CampusESP focused on engaging and supporting families from move-in to commencement.
We’ll highlight how campuses streamline family communications, simplify FERPA processes, and create pathways for parent and supporter involvement that dries retention — all within one centralized platform.
See how it works, and explore what it could do to power student success on your campus.
Explore CampusESP: Prospective Family Engagement
Considering CampusESP? Join us for a live, open walkthrough of CampusESP focused on engaging prospective families and strengthening enrollment outcomes.
You’ll see how institutions bring families into the recruitment journey through dedicated portals, milestone communications, and engagement insights that help teams guide decisions and improve yield.
See how it works first-hand, and get excited about what it could do for your enrollment strategy.
NEW Research: How 43,000 college families want you to communicate in 2026
Based on new research from 43,000 families, this session explores how communication habits between students and families are evolving, and what families now expect from colleges in return.
Join our partners at Marian University and East Tennessee State University as we break down:
How often families and students are communicating — and why it matters
Where colleges are falling short on communication expectations
Why texting is rising (and who it matters most for)
The growing trust gap in channels like Facebook Groups
How South Alabama transformed parent engagement across the student lifecycle
By creating a dedicated parent experience and aligning communication across departments, University of South Alabama transformed how families show up, without adding more work for staff.
Join our partners from USA to learn how they:
Engage families earlier to support yield and transition
Centralize family communication across campus
Reduce communication conflict and staff burden
Strengthen retention through family partnership
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Introducing CampusESP for Student Orientation: Your complete orientation operating system
Join our partners at Florida Atlantic University and UNC Pembroke to hear how CampusESP for Student Orientation helped:
Cut hours of manual admin work to get back to supporting students
Reduce system fatigue for students and staff with an all-in-one platform
Keep students on track from admission to arrival
You’ll also get a sneak preview of CampusESP’s new orientation features, including virtual learning modules, new student checklists, and orientation group management!
The engagement advantage in admissions
Students are exploring more schools. Families are asking tougher questions. And it's getting harder for schools to stand out.
The institutions cutting through the noise are building real engagement early — and carrying it all the way through deposit.
Join us for a conversation with our friends at ZeeMee and two practitioners doing the work:
Chris Brunridge, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
Sarah Lindberg, University of Mary Washington
They’ll share how their teams use community, communication, and brand personality to keep parents and students informed, excited, and moving forward.
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Explore CampusESP: A live look at how we help you engage prospective families to boost yield
Join us for a live, open walkthrough of CampusESP focused on engaging prospective families and strengthening enrollment outcomes.
You’ll see how institutions bring families into the recruitment journey through dedicated portals, milestone communications, and engagement insights that help teams guide decisions and improve yield.
See how it works first-hand, and get excited about what it could do for your enrollment strategy.
Admits don't enroll alone: Family messaging that drives yield
The admit-to-deposit window is short, noisy, and high-stakes. The difference between melt and momentum often comes down to what you say, when you say it, and who you’re saying it to.
In this session, DigiPen Institute of Technology will share:
The types of messages that had the biggest impact on yield
What families engaged with most—and what fell flat
Lessons learned from the past cycle and what DigiPen is adjusting for 2026
How they approached audience segmentation based on funnel stage
Whether you’re refining your yield communications or building your 2026 plan from the ground up, you’ll walk away with ideas you can implement right away.
Families prefer texting. Colleges underuse it. Here’s what to do.
Families’ communication preferences shift as students move from prospect to enrolled — but SMS is still underused at every stage.
30% of prospective families prefer texting, yet only 21% of institutions use it
48% of current families prefer texting, but just 28% of institutions have adopted it
In this webinar, Marymount University and New Mexico State University share how they’re using SMS alongside email to reach families with timely, high-impact messages — from recruitment and yield to orientation and ongoing engagement.
Perfect for teams looking to strengthen family communication by using SMS more intentionally.
Explore CampusESP: A live look at how we help you engage current families to fuel student success
Join us for a live, open walkthrough of CampusESP focused on engaging and supporting families from move-in to commencement.
We’ll highlight how campuses streamline family communications, simplify FERPA processes, and create pathways for parent and supporter involvement that dries retention — all within one centralized platform.
See how it works, and explore what it could do to power student success on your campus.
Record-setting giving days start with families
Families can be powerful drivers of giving day success, not just as donors, but as advocates and amplifiers. In this session, Molloy University shares how a family-focused communication strategy helped power a record-setting Giving Day.
You’ll hear how they positioned giving day messaging for parents, segmented and personalized outreach, and identified the channels that delivered the strongest engagement.
Walk away with practical ideas you can apply to your next giving day.