Hobsons Partners with Blackboard Student Services on Advanced Student Lifecycle Support Offerings

CINCINNATI, March 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hobsons, the leader in recruitment, communication, and student success solutions for colleges and universities, has partnered with Blackboard Student Services, the leading provider of shared services and technology-enabled solutions to hundreds of higher education institutions, to offer current and prospective client institutions complementary services from each company that will help enhance the process of delivering support to students in all aspects of the student lifecycle.

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Blackboard Student Services(SM) works with institutions on improving the way organizations manage admissions, enrollment, financial aid, online learning and information technology support, while Hobson's continues to be a leader in marketing, enrollment management and student retention. Together, institutions will have the option of working with both companies through integrated services, support, and technology in various aspects of the campus experience.

Hobsons and Blackboard support colleges and universities all over the country and often find the solutions working together in different parts of one organization. This partnership will allow for even greater strategic guidance and integration as institutions develop marketing strategies, find and reach prospective students, provide continuous support of financial aid and enrollment information, improve enrollment conversions, increase student retention and more.

"We are committed to helping higher education institutions enable student success," stated Todd Gibby, president of higher education, Hobsons. "Our clients have seen how investing in the right strategy and technology cannot only help them market their programs more efficiently, but also deliver a far greater student experience."

"Student expectations have changed and there is high demand for 24/7 access to information and real-time responses," said Craig Chanoff, general manager of Blackboard Student Services. "While student support organizations within institutions try to meet these expectations, more and more universities are relying on technology to gain efficiencies. We are excited to partner with Hobsons to give institutions the option of working with two market leaders to build and maintain relationships with their students."

The partnership focuses on online programs in traditional universities and provides the proactive outreach and guidance institutions seek in order to enable strong persistence rates for students and increased success for higher education institutions.

The announcement was made at the American Council of Education conference, the major coordinating body for the nation's higher education institutions.

About Hobsons

Hobsons is a premier provider of innovative technology and integrated marketing solutions that empower education professionals to manage the entire student lifecycle including recruitment, enrollment, and retention. With end-to-end, enterprise-class products built from over thirty years of education experience and market knowledge, Hobsons helps more than 7,500 global secondary schools, colleges, and universities achieve their goals. A Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) subsidiary, Hobsons is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH with offices in Arlington, VA; Oakland, CA; London, England; Melbourne, Australia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

SOURCE Hobsons