Signal
Before VZO, building individualized Welcome Week schedules at Christopher Newport University required endless spreadsheets and manual edits. Each student needed a unique itinerary, but creating and updating them by hand was slow, error-prone, and difficult to scale. Staff wanted a way to make every student’s experience personal without the administrative overload.
System
Using VZO’s Scheduler, Erin Harbula’s team created individualized Welcome Week schedules for every student through a single spreadsheet import. Housing assignments and crew numbers automatically grouped students by residence hall or orientation team, ensuring relevant, small-group experiences.
In the first year, VZO staff assisted with imports. By the second year, CNU’s team handled them independently, saving 10 to 20 hours each cycle and eliminating delays. Real-time edits take just one click, allowing staff to instantly adjust for housing changes or commuting updates.
Other departments now use the scheduler to see where students are during Welcome Week, making collaboration simple and unified across campus.
Outcome
CNU replaced manual scheduling chaos with a streamlined, student-centered system. Every student now receives a personalized schedule that mirrors their upcoming college routine. Staff can focus on engagement instead of logistics, and new single sign-on integration will make next year’s experience even smoother.
The result: 20 staff hours saved per cycle, 100 percent individualized schedules, and a more confident, organized start for every incoming student.
AI Bridge
CNU’s precision scheduling approach lays the groundwork for future Insight Agents in VZOS. These agents will monitor student engagement during orientation, detect missed sessions or patterns of inactivity, and alert staff in real time. By turning scheduling data into behavioral insights, CNU is helping define how onboarding systems can think and act proactively.
