PHILADELPHIA, PA — The University of Pittsburgh is adopting a new family communications platform as universities increasingly seek to engage parents and guardians as part of broader student retention and success strategies.
The university will deploy CampusESP’s family engagement platform, creating a centralized portal called “The Pitt Family Connection” for families of enrolled students, according to the company.
The move replaces a more limited communications approach centered largely on newsletters and event-related outreach tied to programs such as Welcome Week, Family Weekend, and commencement activities.
University officials indicated the goal is to reduce fragmented communications spread across departments, social media channels, and independent information sources.
At large institutions, families often receive information from multiple university offices while also relying on unofficial online communities, creating the potential for inconsistent or inaccurate information.
“This is a way for us to ensure less misinformation, less confusion, less reliance on non-University managed platforms,” Sam Carlstrom, the university’s associate director of marketing and communications, said in a statement.
The platform will allow the university to segment communications for different audiences and provide a centralized source for campus resources, deadlines, and student-support information.
Summer Rothrock, associate director of parent and family resources, said the university was seeking a dedicated family-engagement platform rather than a student-focused system with limited family features.
“The AI tools and ability to pull timely resources and updates are critical,” Rothrock said. “All the departments and schools have information, and it would be physically impossible to have someone pull all that and get it right.”
The adoption also reflects a broader trend in higher education toward more structured parent and family engagement, particularly as institutions compete for enrollment and retention.
CampusESP, which specializes in family communications software for colleges and universities, said Pittsburgh becomes its 550th institutional customer.
The company cited referrals from other institutions, including Duquesne University, as part of the university’s evaluation process.
University officials described the initiative as an effort to provide families with a single point of access for information and support throughout a student’s academic career.
Families remain an important factor in student decision-making and persistence, particularly during transitions into college and throughout the undergraduate experience, making communication infrastructure an increasingly strategic area for higher-education institutions.
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