Edge Hill University

Edge Hill University uses Azorus CRM to support current-student communications as well as student recruitment. In its presentation, the university describes segmented monthly newsletters, graduation emails and SMS reminders, and follow-up messages supporting students identified as at risk of withdrawing. Content comes from teams including Careers, Postgraduate Recruitment and Student Life, with communications coordinated by a Student Communications Officer and data management, reporting and system support led by a CRM Officer. These examples demonstrate how Azorus supports student engagement during study and through graduation.

As a rapidly growing and award-winning institution, Edge Hill needed a CRM that could keep pace with their ambitions. Managing an increasing volume of prospective students while maintaining a high-quality, personalised experience required a robust and scalable platform.

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Alongside its recruitment requirements, Edge Hill wanted to track the student journey from initial enquiry to graduation, bring together multiple university-wide databases and deliver consistent communications about events and opportunities. For current students, its objectives included supporting retention and providing an outstanding student experience. This involved coordinating content from different university teams and tailoring communications to students' study level and location.

Azorus CRM became the operational backbone of Edge Hill's student recruitment activity. The platform enabled the team to manage high volumes of leads, deliver personalised communications at scale, and gain real-time visibility into recruitment performance — all without the need for additional headcount or complex IT infrastructure.

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For current students, Edge Hill uses Azorus to deliver monthly newsletters segmented by study level and location. Graduation communications include registration reminders, robe registration, ticket allocations and ceremony information, using email and SMS. Importantly, the university also used Azorus to send follow-up SMS messages to students who did not answer an initial support call, as part of an initiative supporting students at risk of withdrawing.

With CRM at the heart of their recruitment strategy, Edge Hill has consistently delivered impressive results year on year. The university's award-winning status reflects a culture of excellence that is supported and enabled by a best-in-class CRM implementation — demonstrating what is possible when technology and strategy are perfectly aligned.

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In its presentation on current student communications, Edge Hill reported average monthly newsletter open rates of 43% for Ormskirk undergraduates, 60% for St James undergraduates and 54% for Ormskirk postgraduates. The university also reported increases in student voice survey responses across four departments, ranging from 21% to 100%.