Case Study: Jefferson State Community College

As one of Alabama's largest community colleges, Jefferson State Community College serves students across four campuses with a wide range of transfer, career, and workforce education programs. For years, the college shared academic information through a traditionally printed catalog, a process that had become expensive and difficult to maintain.

Jefferson State recently partnered with Clean Catalog to transition its catalog online, giving administrators more control over updates while creating a more accessible experience for students. The project also gave the college a chance to reorganize its diverse program offerings, establish a great online presence, and digitize its Student Handbook alongside its catalog.

The Challenges

Before switching to Clean Catalog, Jefferson State produced its catalog through a third-party printing company. Every update had to be routed through a single staff member who then made changes to the master documents. Once the catalog was printed, any edits would have to be issued as separate addenda. This opened the door to multiple versions of their physical catalog circulating, making it difficult for students to discern what information was current versus outdated. Angela Collins, Jefferson State's Director of Articulation and Registrar, explained that the old approach didn't leave much room for flexibility, while also being “expensive and outdated."

The print format also limited who could access the catalog and when. Students, prospective students, faculty, and staff needed a resource they could pull up whenever they needed it, and the college needed a way to make changes without going through an outside company every semester.

The Process

Throughout implementation, the Clean Catalog team worked closely with Jefferson State to answer questions and make requested changes along the way. Collins described the process as smooth from start to finish, adding, "[the Clean Catalog team] has been amazing with getting back to me in a timely manner." The change has also made day-to-day catalog management simpler. Rather than coordinating edits and printing through a third party, Jefferson State now manages everything through their catalog’s admin interface. As Collins explained, "This software has definitely made my job easier by not having to deal with a third-party company with making edits and printing the catalog."

Moving from a printed catalog to an online platform also meant learning a new workflow, but Jefferson State's team adjusted quickly. "Once we got familiar with the software, it was an easy transition," Collins said. Her team quickly realized that "this software is going to save the college a lot of time."

Our Solutions

With a large variety of academic offerings, organization was a top priority for Jefferson State's catalog. The college offers distinct paths for students depending on their goals, including University Parallel Programs for those planning to transfer, Career Programs geared toward specific professions, and Workforce Education programs focused on skill-building and employment.

We carried that same organization throughout the digital catalog and into the downloadable PDF catalog, building in clear sections to separate University Parallel Programs, Career Programs, and Workforce Education. A custom image cover gives the PDF a polished, branded look while still giving users the option of a traditional, downloadable catalog. We also built out Jefferson State's Student Handbook directly within their catalog site, ensuring it is easy to find through the main navigation. This gives quick access to another key student resource within the same website, rather than requiring students to access it elsewhere.

To tie the catalog more closely to Jefferson State's brand, we created a custom footer with quick-access links, social media links, contact information for each of the college's four campuses, accreditation seals, and custom branding elements. The result is a catalog that feels like a natural extension of the college's main website, with important resources just a click away from anywhere in the catalog. Collins summed up the impact simply: "The online format has made it easier for prospective students, students, faculty and staff to access the catalog at any time and any place."

Looking Forward

Today, Jefferson State has moved away from a costly, print-dependent process in favor of a flexible online catalog built to grow with the college. Updates no longer depend on a third-party printer, information is easier to find, and the catalog now reflects the full breadth of Jefferson State's academic and workforce programs. The switch has also set the college up for a more efficient future. Instead of rebuilding and reprinting a static catalog every semester, staff can manage content within a user-friendly platform and make changes whenever they're needed.

When asked whether she'd recommend Clean Catalog to other institutions, Collins didn't hesitate: "Yes, I would recommend this software. It is very user-friendly, and your staff has been great with answering questions and making any changes that we have asked."