How UMass Lowell Scaled its University Scheduling Software Needs with OnceHub

As universities scale student support services across advising, financial aid, career counseling, and faculty engagement, scheduling often becomes an operational bottleneck. UMass Lowell addressed this challenge by implementing OnceHub as a centralized scheduling infrastructure layer across the institution. Today, more than 180 faculty and staff users rely on OnceHub to manage over 1,000 monthly appointments while reducing administrative overhead, improving scheduling accuracy, and delivering a more seamless student experience.

Overview

The University of Massachusetts is a large public research university serving tens of thousands of students across undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. From academic advising and career counseling to financial aid and international student services, the university delivers a wide range of high-touch, time-sensitive student services every day.

Since 2018, UMass Lowell has relied on OnceHub to power appointment scheduling across the institution. What began as a replacement for high-maintenance appointment tools has evolved into a deeply embedded scheduling layer that integrates directly into the university’s internal systems, enabling advisors to focus on students, not administration.

Today, more than 180 active users rely on OnceHub to support thousands of appointments each month, across both in-person and virtual formats, while maintaining clean data, operational consistency, and a seamless student experience.

The Challenge: Scaling Human-Centered Services Without Administrative Drag

Before implementing OnceHub, UMass Lowell faced challenges common to large academic institutions:

• Scheduling tools required constant administrative maintenance
• Advisors had limited control over their own availability
• System sync delays led to double bookings and errors
• Appointments existed outside core institutional systems, creating data gaps
• Even small changes, like adjusting availability for time off, require admin intervention

As the university grew and student expectations shifted toward self-service digital experiences, these limitations became increasingly unsustainable.

“People were getting like multiple meetings. They were double-booked. And, in those applications, I felt that the users didn’t have much control.” - Neha, UMass Lowell

With hundreds of advisors and multiple departments operating under different workflows, the university needed a solution that could scale without forcing everyone into the same rigid structure.

Why UMass Lowell Chose OnceHub

UMass Lowell selected OnceHub in 2018 based on three core criteria:

1. Operational flexibility for diverse departments
2. Low ongoing maintenance for administrators
3. Affordability and scalability for a public institution

Unlike tools that impose a single workflow across all users, OnceHub enabled the university to design scheduling experiences that aligned with each department's existing workflows, while still maintaining centralized oversight.

Just as importantly, OnceHub empowered end users to manage their own schedules, reducing the burden on central IT and administrative teams. OnceHub acts as the university’s scheduling infrastructure layer, connecting advisors, students, and internal systems into a single automated workflow.

How OnceHub Is Used Across the University

OnceHub supports a wide range of use cases at UMass Lowell, including:

• Career advising and co-op programs
• Undergraduate academic advising
• Graduate and professional studies
• International student services
• Faculty office hours and group sessions

Some departments operate with tightly controlled, standardized scheduling configurations. Others, particularly faculty, require more flexibility, creating meeting types on the fly based on course or program needs. OnceHub accommodates both models within the same environment.

Embedded Scheduling Inside the University’s System of Record

The most critical aspect of UMass Lowell’s implementation is the integration of scheduling directly into the university’s internal system of record.

Rather than treating scheduling as a standalone activity, OnceHub extends the university’s engagement platform, ensuring that every appointment is tied to the correct student, advisor, and department.

The One-Click Advisor Workflow

Advisors initiate scheduling directly from within a student’s record using a one-click scheduling action. This workflow:

• Automatically carries student information into the booking flow
• Ensures the student is scheduled with the correct assigned advisor
• Creates the appropriate internal record the moment the appointment is booked
• Eliminates manual data entry and follow-up logging

This approach removes human error from the process and allows advisors to stay focused on the conversation rather than the system.

Precision Mapping for Complex Organizations

Different departments at UMass Lowell track appointments in different ways. Financial aid interactions may require a different record structure than career services or academic advising.

OnceHub’s page-level configuration allows the university to:

• Route different appointment types to different record structures
• Apply unique metadata based on department needs
• Maintain a single scheduling platform without forcing a single data model

This flexibility is essential for large institutions where operational requirements vary widely across teams.

Reliable Data Architecture at Scale

At UMass Lowell, data cleanliness is not optional, it’s foundational.

By automating record creation at the booking-page level, the university:

• Eliminated “ghost appointments” and orphaned records
• Reduced inconsistencies caused by manual logging
• Preserved the integrity of its system of record as the single source of truth

This architecture ensures that leadership can trust engagement data across departments, programs, and time periods.

Empowering Advisors, Not Administrators

One of the most impactful outcomes of OnceHub has been the shift in control from administrators to end users.

Advisors can independently manage:

• Availability and lead times
• Booking page activation
• Temporary overrides for urgent student needs

This autonomy dramatically reduces administrative overhead, especially important when supporting more than 180 users across campus.

“The wow factor I feel, as compared to the previous tools, is that OnceHub gives the end user more flexibility. It can be leave time, turning their booking pages on and off, and things like that. That’s one of the great wins for us.” - Neha, UMass Lowell

A Seamless Experience for Students

From the student perspective, scheduling is simple and intuitive.

Students can:

• Book appointments through embedded links on university websites
• Receive personalized confirmation and reminder emails
• Join meetings virtually or attend in person, depending on context

OnceHub’s customized notifications ensure that advisors know exactly who they’re meeting with, and students feel recognized, not processed.

The result is a frictionless experience with virtually no negative student feedback.

Long-Term Partnership and Continuous Improvement

UMass Lowell is a high-touch, long-term OnceHub partner, with bi-weekly strategy sessions and ongoing collaboration.

Expert Spotlight

Neha Madhia, Senior CRM Administrator
Neha manages the end-to-end scheduling infrastructure across the university, working closely with OnceHub to continuously refine workflows, reporting, and scalability for 180+ users.

This partnership approach has enabled UMass Lowell to adapt as needs evolve, without disrupting mission-critical scheduling operations.

Results at a Glance

• 180+ active users across multiple departments
• 1,000+ appointments per month
• Significant reduction in administrative overhead
• Improved data accuracy and reporting confidence
• Seamless self-service experience for students
• High advisor adoption with minimal training

Why Other Universities Choose OnceHub

When asked what she would tell another university evaluating scheduling solutions, the answer is simple:

“Flexibility. It works for both administrators and end users, it’s easy to adapt, and it doesn’t require constant support.” - Neha, UMass Lowell

Looking Ahead

As UMass Lowell continues to scale student services and modernize its digital infrastructure, OnceHub remains a critical component of how the university delivers timely, personalized, and data-driven support, without sacrificing operational control.