George Mason University and Accenture finalized a two-year agreement to roll out Salesforce Education Cloud and new marketing solutions as part of the university’s efforts to transform the student experience.
Enabling improved data-driven, connected, and streamlined processes, Mason and Accenture will initially focus on data alignment through two Education Cloud tools: Student Success and Recruitment and Admissions. Accenture will also identify and deploy additional marketing and communication tools to enhance these applications.
“As we build a more modern university for Virginia’s largest and most diverse student body, Mason is committed to delivering a comprehensive and unparalleled student experience and the best education outcomes for all," said Ken Walsh, Mason’s interim provost and executive vice president. “Accenture’s experience customizing and integrating Salesforce Education Cloud into existing systems will help advance the university’s goals to comprehensively support students at every step of their academic journey at Mason and beyond.”
In March 2023, Mason issued a request for proposal for a strategic partner to improve Mason’s student lifecycle management with Salesforce Education Cloud, selecting Accenture as a result of the procurement process.
“Higher education leaders recognize the opportunities to redesign the student journey, from recruitment through graduation and beyond, by focusing on the moments that matter to each individual,” said David Metnick, Accenture public sector and education lead for Virginia. “Mason’s move to the cloud will substantially strengthen its digital core, allowing it to deliver excellent student services and meet ever-evolving needs as new tools and opportunities emerge.”
Accenture will integrate the new technology into the university’s existing infrastructure, consolidating data and operations. This will provide faculty and staff with tools to improve collaboration by connecting and streamlining diverse information and processes. It will also help Mason support students’ individual needs and provide educational opportunities to ensure their success.
“Our mission at Salesforce is to empower institutions with the tools they need to deliver better student experiences and outcomes,” said Balakrishnan Subramanian, VP & GM of Education at Salesforce. “We’re excited to see George Mason and Accenture work together to implement Salesforce Education Cloud to create a student-first experience for learners, increase enrollment, and improve the admissions process.”
“We are excited to embark on this journey with Accenture,” added Renate Guilford, Mason’s vice president for academic administration. “Together we’ll build an integrated system that enhances Mason’s technological framework while keeping our students at the center of our operations.”
About George Mason University
George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. Mason has grown rapidly over the past half-century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible, a one-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at gmu.edu.
About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 743,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com. For more information on the Accenture and Salesforce relationship, visit www.accenture.com/salesforce.
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Contacts:
Joe Dickie
Accenture
512-694-6422
Joseph.r.dickie@accenture.com
John Hollis
George Mason University
571-396-1578
Jhollis2@gmu.edu
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