Franklin University Learning Commons Staff Present Innovative Communication Strategy Focused on Student Access and Success at OhioNet Summit

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Sherry Mercurio
Executive Director, Office of Community Relations
(614) 947-6581
Email: [email protected]

Franklin University Learning Commons leaders Alyssa Darden and Samantha Kapp presented a strategic framework for centralizing and streamlining higher education communications at the 2026 OhioNet Library Communications and Outreach Summit. Their work highlights how intentional, student-centered communication systems can remove barriers, improve access to academic support resources, and strengthen student success outcomes for modern learners in online and flexible learning environments.

Franklin University Learning Commons leaders Alyssa Darden and Samantha Kapp are helping reshape how Franklin University's Learning Commons approaches student communication, learner support, and academic engagement through a communication strategy designed to improve access, reduce barriers, and better support student success.

Darden and Kapp recently presented "Centralizing & Streamlining Learning Commons Communications" at the 2026 OhioNet Library Communications and Outreach Summit, showcasing how Franklin University's Learning Commons developed a more coordinated, student-focused communication ecosystem to better connect learners with critical academic support services.

Their presentation demonstrated how communication strategy can directly impact the student experience by helping learners more easily navigate tutoring, testing, library services, academic support resources, workshops, and online learning tools across multiple communication platforms.
Designed with Franklin University's modern learner population in mind, the initiative focused on creating communication pathways that are more accessible, timely, and aligned with how working adults and online students actually engage with information.

"Today's learners are balancing careers, family responsibilities, and education while navigating an overwhelming number of systems and communication channels," said Alyssa Darden. "Our goal was to simplify that experience and create communication systems that make it easier for students to access support when and where they need it."

The presentation outlined how Learning Commons staff identified operational pain points, mapped stakeholder communication pathways, centralized messaging ownership, and developed structured workflows to improve consistency, reduce communication fatigue, and increase awareness of student support resources.

Key components of the strategy included:
• Developing centralized communication masterplans with recurring review cycles
• Aligning messaging across departments and student-facing services
• Integrating CRM, LMS, website, and outreach communication strategies
• Embedding support messaging directly into learning environments such as Canvas
• Creating communication workflows for service interruptions and high-impact changes
• Measuring success through engagement metrics, operational efficiency, and student support outcomes

The presentation also challenged traditional assumptions in higher education communications, including the idea that email alone effectively reaches learners. Instead, the Franklin team emphasized meeting students where they already are, inside learning platforms, coursework, assignments, and embedded instructional environments.

"Learning support today requires more than simply providing resources," said Samantha Kapp. "It requires building coordinated systems that help students quickly find answers, access services, and stay connected throughout their academic journey."

The Learning Commons model reflects Franklin University's broader mission to remove barriers to higher education access while supporting learner persistence, engagement, and workforce readiness through flexible, student-centered experiences.

Their work also positions Learning Commons and library professionals as strategic contributors to institutional student success initiatives, communication innovation, and operational effectiveness in online and workforce-aligned education environments.

The presentation emphasized that every communication touchpoint, from LMS announcements and website content to help desk responses and workshops, contributes to the overall student experience and can either reduce or increase friction for learners.

About Franklin University

Accredited, nonprofit, and dedicated to educating adults since 1902, Franklin provides onsite course options at our Main Campus in downtown Columbus, Ohio, and is an innovator in providing personalized online education. The University offers applied in-demand undergraduate, masters, and doctorate programs that enable adult learners to achieve their educational and professional goals. Through agreements with partner institutions, the University also offers international academic programs, including its top-ranked MBA.

Franklin University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and holds specialized accreditations for specific academic programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Health Informatics and Information Management Education. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have designated Franklin University as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE).

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