At Montgomery County Community College (Montco), students come from diverse backgrounds and experiences, each bringing a unique path to their education. With 14,919 students (FY 2023-24) across its online, Blue Bell and Pottstown campuses, 75% are enrolled part-time, 28% are 25 or older and 18% are still in high school, attending Montco through dual enrollment. Some are parents.
That complexity is Montco’s strength — but it also created a major challenge: building a digital campus portal that connects students whose lives exist mostly outside of it.
The shift to Montco Connect, the new student portal built on Pathify’s Digital Engagement Hub, was about reimagining how — and where — engagement happens for students. Here are a few lessons learned as we continue innovating.
Engagement in a commuter world
Montco’s student body isn’t gathering in residence halls, so traditional engagement tactics — posters, tabling, hallway conversations — don’t always reach them.
Montco Connect centralizes our learning management system, advising resources, clubs and organizations, job boards and college services in one accessible, mobile-first space. That means students no longer navigate a maze of portals and platforms; they just use one entry point.
This article comes from the current issue of the Community College Journal, the bimonthly magazine of the American Association of Community Colleges.
While metrics including “likes” don’t always capture impact, the evidence is clear. A help desk job posting drew 15 applications in 24 hours with no visible engagement on the post. Students pay attention even if they aren’t signaling it in obvious ways.
Build with students’ input
Montco’s Student Usability Board plays a vital role in the digital experience. Composed of students from across academic programs, life stages and delivery formats, the board reviews new Pathify features, tests changes and provides feedback to shape the platform. They even named it.
This isn’t a symbolic effort. Their input shapes everything, from the interface layout to moderation policies. That ownership matters. It shows students that their voices drive the experience.
Faculty and staff increasingly embrace the platform, too. Disability services, for example, uses Montco Connect to share resources, replacing static email lists with a dynamic, visible hub. A faculty-led online book club also engages employees in cross-campus conversation.
Simplify first, then streamline
Digital transformation creates complexity if not handled thoughtfully. One early lesson: Montco had too many groups. Some areas had multiple groups for each campus, leading to fragmented conversations and administrative fatigue. By consolidating into broader, more intentional communities, engagement rose and management became more sustainable.
That same principle extended to communications. Before Montco Connect, students’ inboxes were filled with multiple email messages from varying departments. Today, communication is streamlined and everyone — from front-desk staff to advisors — is trained to guide students through the same clear directive: “Go to Montco Connect. Use the search bar.”
Students also no longer feel overwhelmed during orientation. Instead, the platform’s task feature time-releases key information, surfacing content when it’s most relevant, like tutoring support near midterms or advisor access after prerequisite tasks are completed.
Progress takes patience
Montco’s rollout of the platform occurred during the height of the pandemic. The shift to the new solution required flexibility and trust.
Engagement took months to develop. And it took a willingness to adapt — loosening access restrictions, experimenting with content, even pulling back when something didn’t work.
The biggest takeaway? Success isn’t measured solely by clicks or comments. It’s measured by the quiet ways students engage: how they form study groups, sell textbooks, and support each other. A standout example is the “Exploring Nursing as a Major” group. Without prompting, students began organizing study sessions, sharing tips and supporting one another.
A digital campus that centers students’ lived experience isn’t just efficient. It’s empowering.
A digital campus is not a luxury
For commuter colleges, digital tools are foundational. But this requires more than the right technology. It demands collaboration, consistency and a commitment to listen and evolve.
Montco Connect goes beyond a portal — it reflects the college’s belief that every student deserves a unified, accessible and empowering college experience
