Case Study: Carolina University achieves record-high enrollment and $50K in savings with 8x8 Work

Graduating to modern communications with 8x8

Carolina University, a 118-year-old private institution in Winston‑Salem, faced the industrywide challenge of declining enrollments even as it retooled into a modern university with remote learning and new programs. Recruiting was hampered by a legacy Mitel phone system that lacked texting, mobility and caller privacy—capabilities today’s students expect—so the university needed a modern communications platform to support outreach and flexible work.

The university deployed 8x8 Work, a cloud-native voice, video, chat and SMS solution, going live in three weeks. The move eliminated desk phones and cabling, enabled admissions to text prospects and staff to work anywhere, and delivered predictable per-seat pricing; Carolina avoided $50K in year-one hardware and renewal costs and repurposed old phones. Those changes helped make staff more accessible and contributed to the university’s record fall enrollment.

Carolina University

Terrill Gilley

Director of Educational Technology