Case study - CCCU — CampusConnect

**Supporting students through arrival and beyond: a community approach at Canterbury Christ Church University**

Results

Almost 400 students actively engaged in the community in the first 3 months
+19,000 messages exchanged since launch
8 active student ambassadors leading conversations and fostering engagement
1,327 applicant-to-applicant connections made
754 same-country connections established
78 cross-departmental events scheduled this cycle

Overview

Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) is committed to building an inclusive and supportive environment for its students, where every individual can thrive. With a strong focus on student wellbeing and a vision to enhance belonging, CCCU sought new ways to engage its international students during the challenging pre-arrival period. Laura Spencer, International Development Manager at CCCU, explains:

“We were looking specifically for ways to keep our international students engaged and to help them build connections before they arrive on campus. We needed a way to create a feeling of inclusion despite the distance and staggered arrival dates.”

Recognising the importance of cultivating peer-to-peer connections, CCCU introduced a dedicated community platform as part of its international student onboarding process. Initially, the community welcomed offer holders, but the University has already begun segmenting students to extend support post-enrolment, recognising the need for an ongoing, evolving community that can continue after arrival.

Creating a sense of belonging for international students

For CCCU, a key focus has been ensuring that international students feel welcomed and connected throughout their pre-arrival journey. Many students, new to the UK, benefit from resources that help them find their peers and navigate a different culture. Laura describes:

“Many of our international students live off campus, and not all of them arrive at the same time, which creates challenges for community building. Designing a dedicated platform was one way to help bridge this gap. It provides a space where they can ask questions, find peers from the same course or country, and start building friendships before they even get to the UK.”

The platform’s community-building capabilities have been instrumental in helping CCCU not only support applicants but also encourage their transition to engaged members of the university community.

With CampusConnect, CCCU has also seen a significant reduction in email inquiries to staff, since the community space allows for efficient dissemination of important information.

“Our platform has helped create the virtual pre-arrival community we need, whilst allowing us to engage on a more personal level, and in live time with our applicants. Supporting their needs on their timescale and with direct, informed advice.”

Stephen Lamyman, Director International Partnerships and Development, Canterbury Christ Church University

Driving engagement with ambassadors

Student ambassadors have played a pivotal role in making CCCU’s CampusConnect community a success, maintaining the energy and supporting authentic connections. Laura emphasises how valuable their contribution has been:

“Our ambassadors bring so much to the community. We’ve got a team of really active ambassadors who understand the importance of creating a welcoming space. They bring in the ‘fun side’ - making sure students know there’s a friendly face waiting for them.”

Maho, CCCU alumna and CampusConnect ambassador, describes the benefits for incoming students:

“This idea is amazing for the students, because they won’t have friends in the university. However, with an app like this, they get a chance to find friends before coming to university, which is really important. CampusConnect provides different kinds of groups for them, making it much easier to find friends who have the same interests. When I arrived here, I realised that other people were in the same situation as me!”

As well as creating a welcoming environment, ambassadors are trained to respond to common queries from students. By addressing frequently asked questions at scale, ambassadors help students find information quickly, which in turn alleviates staff workload.

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Collaboration with other university departments

One of the standout features of CCCU’s CampusConnect community has been the number of live chat events run in collaboration with different university departments. Laura highlights:

“We’ve managed to run lots of events this cycle, working closely with faculty, accommodation, student support, and the students’ union. It’s allowed us to create a holistic experience for students - covering everything from social events to academic guidance.”

These events have played a crucial role in connecting students with resources and services across the university. This approach ensures students know where to find important information about university services and events. Laura continues:

“CampusConnect is also a brilliant tool for raising awareness about support services. It’s not just about peer-to-peer interaction - our ambassadors flag university events, professional services, and other support available to students, which complements our existing channels of communication.”

Additionally, the platform has enabled staff to engage with incoming students and better understand their needs, allowing them to triage queries and signpost them to relevant services and activities. This early connection helps staff get to know students on a personal level.

Strategic community expansion

Looking to the future, CCCU plans to leverage its community initiatives to further enhance student engagement. Laura reflects on the positive reception the community has received from students:

“We’ve already had two students ask how they can volunteer as ambassadors. They really see the value in helping others navigate the journey they’ve just been through.”

While still exploring ideas for maximising the community, Laura sees it as a long-term asset for CCCU. She notes that students consistently express interest in having the platform continue post-arrival, which is driving CCCU to think about the next phase of community support. The decision to implement a smooth transition from applicant to registered student status is a key part of this. Laura reiterates the importance of sustaining these connections to support students throughout their entire journey:

“We’re now thinking about how we can onboard other teams within the University and get them involved in the community. I think the platform is already a real USP for us, especially with the potential to build it into the student journey by keeping it open post registration.”

Laura Spencer, International Development Manager, Canterbury Christ Church University

Stephen Lamyman adds:

“Working with the CampusConnect team in the development and launch of our applicant community platform has been a collaborative and positive journey.
The CampusConnect team have guided, advised and supported us every step of the way, taking account of our institutional profile and processes to enable a student focused conversion and engagement tool to support, nurture and help applicants develop their peer networks and ease their transition to both CCCU and the UK.”

About CampusConnect

CampusConnect works with leading universities and business schools to build bespoke, customisable communities that deliver exceptional institutional ROI via conversion, progression, and an outstanding student experience.