NursingCAS Dispatch
Welcome to the NursingCAS Dispatch – a monthly newsletter intended to keep you up to date with current happenings at NursingCAS. The newsletter will feature:
- User Updates to keep you in the loop, so you can keep your team and applicants in the loop.
- NursingCAS by the Numbers, a metric to showcase application statistics and other relevant data.
- NursingCAS Know-How, an in-depth examination of a NursingCAS feature.
- Social Beat, which will feature nursing and admissions news from around the web.
User Updates
Letters by Liaison
We are pleased to introduce Letters by Liaison, a newly-updated, streamlined version of the Evaluator Portal. The new site – developed based on feedback from both internal and external users – offers a redesigned user experience, simpler workflows, a 508-compliant interface, and more customization options. It’s easier to create accounts, review requests, and upload references. More information and key improvements are summarized in this document.
Feature Your Students in the NursingCAS Blog
The NursingCAS Blog is a growing resource featuring students, nurses, and topics of interest in the nursing world. The blog has so far featured a travel nurse, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, second degree nurses, and others. If your institution would like to submit a student or alum for inclusion in the blog, please contact Rachel Stayton at rstayton@aacnnursing.org. If selected, the student or alum would answer a series of questions via email. Answers are then edited into blog form. Once published the post is promoted via social media and occasionally AACN’s News Watch newsletter.
We are currently looking for submissions in the following categories:
- BSN student
- DNP student
- Post-doctoral student
- Nurse researcher/nurse scientist
- Informatics nurse
- Nurse Anesthetist
Welcome New Schools
The NursingCAS team would like to extend a warm welcome to these newly participating programs:
- Adventist University of Health Sciences
- Alvernia University
- Bellevue College
- Bellin College
- De Anza College
- Holy Names University
- Mount Aloysius College
- North Park University
- Northeastern University
- Oakland University
- Oklahoma City Community College
- Pacific College
- Stratford University
- Temple University
- Texas A&M International University
- Texas Christian University (added graduate programs)
- Trinity Washington University
- University of New Mexico – Taos
- University of New Mexico – Valencia
- Waynesburg University
Have you considered expanding your use of NursingCAS? If you are only posting specific undergraduate or graduate level program(s) and would like to add a new program level (such as doctoral or bachelor’s) to NursingCAS then please notify us of this update by completing the Add Programs form. And primary users can use the CAS Configuration tool in WebAdMIT to set-up your new program page(s) to display on NursingCAS to applicants. Contact the NursingCAS team with any questions.
Holiday Closure
Please note that NursingCAS Customer Service will be closed on February 19th in observance of President’s Day. Please communicate this to your applicants. We will be pushing this messaging out via Twitter and Facebook as well.
By the Numbers
January is historically the busiest month for application submissions due to the large number of February deadlines. Consequently, January is also the busiest month on nursingcas.org. Recent analysis demonstrated that submitted applications and nursingcas.org web sessions are strongly correlated. Therefore the upward trend in January web sessions outlined below bodes well for increased application numbers year over year.
For this reason we strongly recommend that you place a link to www.nursingcas.org on your school’s website in order to drive traffic to NursingCAS and help increase application submissions to your program.
NursingCAS Know-How
Influence Applicant Behavior by Leveraging the Email Tool in WebAdMIT
It is almost always necessary to communicate with applicants during the application process. And while previously you may have had to follow up with each applicant individually or through a standalone email system, NursingCAS gives you the ability to send emails to applicants directly through WebAdMIT. The major benefit of sending applicant emails through WebAdMIT is that everything is tracked. There is a record of each email sent to each applicant that is easily searchable on an applicant or batch basis. This simplifies the communication process and cuts down on confusion between admissions staff and applicants.
Some of the things you can do via the WebAdMIT email system:
- Send an introductory email when an applicant adds your program to their application (target applicants listed as “In Progress”)
- Send reminder emails at intervals before the deadline
- Send a confirmation email when an application is received
- Send application updates including requests for interviews
- Send acceptance and denial letters
There is a wealth of information available in the WebAdMIT Help Center to help you navigate WebAdMIT’s email features. The Corresponding with Applicants section has both video and written tutorials to walk you through the process. If you have questions, the WebAdMIT Support Team is available Monday through Friday from 9:00AM to 8:00PM Eastern Time. You can contact the team at webadmitsupport@liaisonedu.com or 857-304-2020.
Social Beat
Babson Report Details Changes in Online Enrollments
The Babson Survey Research Group released its annual analysis of federal data on distance education enrollments, finding the largest increase in three years in the proportion of students taking at least one course online.
New Bid to Overhaul College Admissions
High schools are adopting new, sophisticated assessments. Educators see in these projects a way to change college admissions as well, yielding more diverse classes.
Why You Should Do a Communications Audit
A comprehensive review of your marketing communications efforts can strengthen your institution’s image and story.