We sat down with Emily Hsu, Dean of Access and Student Connections, and Hannah Brown, Director, Admissions & Outreach, at Front Range Community College to learn how Gecko is helping them run a more consistent orientation experience.
Front Range Community College runs orientation across three campuses, supporting new, transfer and returning students through both in-person and virtual sessions. While the format of orientation had evolved, the systems behind it had not.
Registration and communications were handled through a mix of forms tools and an events platform with limited automation. This made it difficult to run campus-specific sessions, send consistent reminders or follow up with students based on what actually happened.
Orientation became FRCC’s first use case for Gecko.
Using Gecko Events, the team built a registration experience that allowed students to select their campus and only see relevant sessions. Capacity limits and waitlists provided real-time visibility, making it easier to respond when demand exceeded expectations.
“Gecko let us move beyond just getting students signed up to actually managing the full orientation experience,” said Hannah Brown.
Workflows enabled a more complete communication journey. Students received instant confirmation when registering, followed by timed email and SMS reminders leading up to the event. Those who attended received tailored follow up, while students who missed a session were automatically guided toward alternative options.
“We saw in-person attendance rates move into the 70–80% range once we implemented consistent communications,” said Emily Hsu. “The difference was having a consistent communication journey instead of one-off reminders.”
The impact was most visible during Fall 2025 orientation. In-person attendance increased from around 50% in previous years to as high as 82%, demonstrating the effect of consistent, well-timed communications.
Spring 2026 then became the first opportunity for FRCC to run a clean year-over-year comparison using consistent reporting, supporting 429 total attendees across in-person and virtual sessions.
Virtual orientation also became more scalable. Instead of responding to individual requests, recordings could be sent automatically to everyone who registered, improving access without adding complexity for the team.
On the day, QR code check-in replaced printed lists and manual lookups, creating a smoother and more familiar experience for students.
While the focus was orientation, the work also aligned with FRCC’s strategic plan, Forward Together. As part of the college’s Strategic Priority of “Success for Every Learner,” the team is focused on simplifying the student journey and reducing barriers.
“Using Gecko supports our Strategic Priority of ‘Success for Every Learner’ because retention begins with successful onboarding, and this tool has helped increase student participation,” said Gabriel Castaño, Vice President, Enrollment Management & Student Success.
Most importantly, Gecko enabled FRCC to run orientation as a joined-up experience rather than a series of standalone events, creating a stronger foundation for continued student success.
