Putting Accessibility First: How Mount Holyoke College Modernized Campus Engagement
About Mount Holyoke College and Concept3D
Founded in 1837 as the first of the Seven Sisters, Mount Holyoke College is a gender-diverse women’s liberal arts institution serving approximately 2,200 undergraduate students on a residential campus in western Massachusetts.
To better support event discovery, campus navigation, and accessibility for students, families, alums, and community members, Mount Holyoke partnered with Concept3D, a trusted Higher Ed partner, to implement an interactive campus map and Localist events calendar—creating a more connected, accessible digital campus experience.
“What I really appreciated was knowing how deep your higher ed experience was. We didn’t have to explain certain things like how complicated campus communities can be or why accessibility was important, that was all just understood.”
Jen Brock, Vice President for Marketing Communications
The Challenge: Outdated Systems Created Friction for the Campus Community
Before implementing Concept3D’s interactive map and expanding its use of Localist, Mount Holyoke relied on manual, disconnected systems to manage events and campus navigation.
Key challenges included:
- Event information that changed without being reflected online
- Students and visitors arriving at events that had moved or been canceled
- A campus map that was difficult to update and disconnected from Mount Holyoke’s brand
- Limited ability to communicate construction changes or accessibility details
The existing campus map, built years earlier on Google Maps, had become a bottleneck. Updates required facilities data and were not made regularly—making the map unreliable.
For Brock, the problem was immediately apparent during her own interview process. “They sent me the map to figure out where to park, and I literally could not understand what I was supposed to do with it.”
“Students would show up at events, and there would be no event there, because the information had changed.”
Alison West, Director of Web Communications and Development
The Decision: A Timely Investment in High-Impact Digital Infrastructure
When Brock stepped into an interim leadership role, she had access to limited discretionary funding. Rather than waiting for a lengthy cross-department budgeting process, the marketing communications team made a decisive move.
“I took the funding that we had available and made a decision that it was time.”
Mount Holyoke expanded its use of Localist and implemented Concept3D’s interactive campus map—creating a connected system for event discovery and navigation.
The Solution: Connected Events and Navigation, Designed for Real Users
With Localist fully integrated into the website, event updates now flow automatically to the calendar—eliminating confusion and manual work.
“Everything is up to date, and we don’t have students complaining about showing up to events that aren’t actually happening,” Alison West shared.
The Concept3D map added flexibility and responsiveness, especially critical on a campus with ongoing construction.
The team can now:
- Proactively mark road, entrance, and building closures
- Update timelines as construction changes
- Remove barriers before students or visitors encounter them
“We are able to update anticipated closures… and then change it as often as we need.”
The Impact: Removing Barriers Increases Campus Engagement
Mount Holyoke’s open campus attracts community members, families, and alums—but navigating it without insider knowledge was previously a deterrent.
“We expected people to find an event, figure out where it was, figure out parking, and then walk to the building,” Brock said.
Now, event listings link directly to map locations, showing attendees:
- Where to park
- How to get to the building
- How to navigate inside the building across floors
West noted increased attendance, particularly from families and community members, who can now confidently navigate campus.
Brand Alignment: A Storytelling Conduit for Mount Holyoke
Previously, the campus appeared as generic blocks and green shapes—an approach that failed to reflect one of Mount Holyoke’s strongest assets: its beauty.
“The fact that you were able to make it truly look like our campus was a huge selling point,” Brock stated.
The new map visually represents Mount Holyoke’s landscape and includes building photography, turning the map into both a navigational tool and a storytelling asset.
For alums and prospective families who can’t visit in person, the map helps “bring campus to you.”
Accessibility Built in From the Start—Not Added Later
Accessibility is a core institutional value at Mount Holyoke and a formal requirement in vendor evaluations.
West’s team continues to expand event listings to include:
- Accessible entrances and restrooms
- Sensory and environmental information
- Event details that reduce uncertainty for attendees
“We want to give people the information they need to say, ‘yes, I can attend this.’”
Concept3D stood out because these capabilities were already part of the platform.
“We didn’t have to hope you were compliant or ask if there were accessible features,” Brock shared.
Results Felt Across Campus
Since implementing Concept3D, Mount Holyoke has seen:
- Fewer navigation-related questions and complaints
- Increased visibility and attendance for events
- Stronger recruitment storytelling for prospective students
- High adoption and approval from alums and trustees
“We push prospective families to our Localist calendar. It’s a recruitment tool,” Jen Brock said.
One of the most meaningful indicators of success came from Mount Holyoke’s Board of Trustees. “Our Board of Trustees are thrilled. It’s the map they’ve always wanted.”
The Partnership: Higher Ed Expertise That Makes the Difference
From onboarding through ongoing support, Mount Holyoke describes the relationship with Concept3D as collaborative and low-friction.“We’ve never had a frustrating conversation,” Brock said.
West emphasized the responsiveness of the support team and the willingness to problem-solve together, “It’s never been, ‘that’s just your problem.’”
Looking back, Brock offered a simple takeaway: “I wish we’d done it sooner.”
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