Deakin Residential Services implemented Browzer Welcome in Q1 2026 to set the new blueprint for student arrivals in Australia.

The stats at a glance:

98% account completion rate
30s+ average time spent per page (exceeding industry benchmarks)
100% post-completion confidence in support services
17% uplift in critical safety awareness (GBV)

The challenge

Although Deakin Res already utilised digital onboarding tools, the experience was fragmented. Legacy systems were often one-size-fits-all and not customised to specific buildings.

Combined with traditional email trails and static PDFs, this created a communication gap that increased first-day anxiety for new residents.

Hyper-localised digital onboarding

Deakin partnered with CampusLife, utilising our Browzer software to launch a hyper-localised pre-arrival engagement platform.

This shifted the focus from simple compliance to a genuine, just-in-time student experience.

How we did it:

Building-Specific Content: Replaced generic training with social stories and content tailored to a student's specific campus, even down to their individual residence.

Mobile-First Design: Replaced desktop-only modules with a seamless, bite-sized mobile experience.

Data-Driven Engagement: Real-time metrics allowed staff to proactively support disengaged students before they arrived.

**Tap above to find out more about Browzer Welcome**

Setting new standards

The results from Deakin Res’ first Welcome cycle were exceptionally strong, proving that the structure and delivery worked from the outset.

Students didn’t just ‘click through’, the average time spent per page was over 30 seconds, which is well above the industry benchmark of 20 seconds, indicating that residents were truly reading and absorbing the content.

In fact, a class-leading 98% of students who activated their accounts completed the entire Welcome experience.

Some key wins:

Before starting, 28% of students stated they did not know what support was available, after completion, this dropped to 0%
Strong agreement in understanding Gender Based Violence (GBV) behaviours rose from 68% to 85%
Fire safety was the most frequently praised topic, students specifically valued practical advice on avoiding accidental alarms, which directly reduces the operational burden of false call-outs

Beyond the numbers

The qualitative feedback highlights a significant reduction in pre-arrival anxiety.

“This was a very well put together induction compared to the previous one... I feel much better prepared to join res!”

— Student feedback

“I really appreciated how concise yet understandable these modules are! It made it easy to concentrate yet still retain important info.”

— Student feedback

Turn anxiety into excitement

Deakin Res proves that student onboarding doesn’t have to be a tick-box exercise.

By prioritising high-quality digital storytelling and mobile-first accessibility, we have together transformed a high-stress transition into a high-engagement success story.

We look forward to seeing this partnership, and these results, continue to grow year-on-year.