Niagara College - Toronto Boosts International Student Confidence with Unibuddy

Challenge: fostering connections and confidence internationally

Establishing genuine connections and staying well-informed are fundamental for prospective students, especially those hailing from various parts of the world. Niagara College – Toronto (NCT) is proud to be home to a diverse community of over 8181 international students, situated in one of Canada’s most culturally vibrant cities.

To ensure students feel both confident and well-supported, The Student Success team at NCT, oversees a wide range of student-focused departments. These encompass Health and Wellness, Immigration Services, Student Advising, Rights and Responsibilities, Student Engagement, and Career Services.

“These students are new to the country. They have no friends, they have no network, they have no guidance. They need support.” Arthur Pinto, Student Engagement Team Lead shares. Recognizing this challenge, Pinto and his team made it a top priority to find the best way to help their incoming students connect and stay informed. They had previously tried methods such as email campaigns and social media apps including WhatsApp and Facebook, but none proved to be effective enough.

As Pinto puts it, “we were in search of a platform that could effectively serve our students; bringing them together, aiding them in forging new friendships, and putting a wealth of information at their fingertips, whether it’s about the city, school initiatives, housing, immigration or clubs.”

Solution: A designated hub for students to find facts and make friends

NCT’s marketing team had already harnessed the power of Unibuddy’s chat platform, to actively engage with prospective students at the top of the admissions funnel. Encouraged by the positive results, the Student Success team made the decision to implement Unibuddy Community when it launched. “Recognizing the potential, we were eager to embrace Unibuddy Community; pioneering it for our institution. The clear benefits of peer-to-peer interactions, and accessible information all in one place, made it a compelling proposition, which we were able to receive a budget for,” Pinto shares.

“The integration of Unibuddy Community was a smooth process. We were provided with step-by-step guides and helpful resources, and we benefited from the guidance of a dedicated onboarding specialist who helped us navigate the platform,” Pinto exclaims. Additionally, the student success team at NCT assembled a group of student ambassadors and account managers to support Unibuddy Community. In less than a week, they were up and running with their first Community.

“In today’s world, students expect technology and information at their fingertips, and they don’t like waiting for answers. Luckily, Unibuddy is the solution to that demand,” Pinto stated. “It’s also really important to students that information comes directly from the school and current students, as it creates trust and confidence in its accuracy.”

Result: confidence when starting their academic journey in a new country

After NCT integrated Unibuddy Community into their enrollment and student success strategy, the platform had quickly become a student favourite. In the most recent cycle, 856 students have joined to connect with their peers, resulting in an impressive exchange of 22,000 messages. This level of activity demonstrates that students are actively engaged in meaningful conversations, with many returning to continue speaking with one another, or looking for more information. As Pinto puts it, “We can see just how appreciative our students are of Unibuddy. They’re so thrilled with it that they can’t help but spread the word to their friends and incoming students, who, in turn, decide to sign up as well.”

Pinto further highlights that Unibuddy offers a welcoming platform for students who may feel hesitant about initiating conversations in larger groups or asking important questions about college expenses, visas, and more. “It empowers them, helping them feel better prepared, more courageous, and confident as they embark on their journey.”

At NCT, Unibuddy not only plays a crucial role in helping students gain a sense of belonging, but it also allows the student success team to better understand their students and what they need. “We noticed that almost 42% of our student conversations revolve around financial aid and accommodations. By streamlining these common inquiries and making a public group dedicated towards this, we’ve improved our response time, reduced email volume for our administrative office, and learned how to best support these students,” Pinto shares.

Ultimately 12% of students who enrolled at NCT, engaged with Unibuddy Community during their decision-making journey. According to Pinto, the investment has proven to be highly worthwhile. “It has not only effectively addressed several communication challenges with our international students, but has also led to an increase of enrollments.” NCT’s future vision is to establish Unibuddy as the primary point of contact for all students, and they are already making significant progress toward that goal. Pinto highlights the fact that Unibuddy perfectly aligns with NCT’s core values of supporting students throughout their entire journey, and nurturing friendships and confidence.