The problem
Auburn University’s College of Engineering is a massive academic ecosystem representing roughly half of the university's physical footprint. It serves over 10,000 students across 11 majors, with facilities spanning more than a million square feet. Because the College manages it's own recruitment, it needs a digital presence that is as robust and specialized as its academic programs.
As Auburn Engineering evaluated its existing virtual tour, two major issues became clear: content stagnation and campus wayfinding challenges.
Their previous tour had become a simple list of about twenty campus stops on campus and was limited in it's storytelling ability. Content was outdated, and a rigid backend made updates onerous and slow.
Campus wayfinding was another major challenge for prospective students visiting campus during events. Many Auburn Eng buildings share the same address, so map apps would drop visitors at a generic pin, often leaving visitors lost when trying to find locations during on-campus events.
Auburn Engineering needed a more customizable tour and mapping solution that would support both digital and on-campus map navigation, and exploration of the incredible learning spaces and amenities. But like many institutions contemplating a change, the prospect of switching solutions raised uncertainty about whether implementation would create months of downtime.
The solution
Auburn Engineering set an ambitious goal: replace its legacy virtual tour and launch a new experience before the fall semester.
Working within an eight-week timeline, the team migrated their existing tour to Circuit in a single summer. With a focused project team of two, Auburn arrived at kickoff prepared with a tour plan, 360-degree imagery and copy to support a phase 1 launch.
Rather than rebuilding everything from scratch, they reorganized their assets inside a flexible folder framework, optimizing scenes and structuring the experience using Circuit’s content management system.
By launch, Auburn Engineering had deployed a fully rebuilt digital experience featuring:
- An Academic Tour with specialized scenes across engineering disciplines
- A fully integrated campus map
- Lead capture forms connected directly to Salesforce
- Call-to-actions that aligned with application deadlines and event dates
Beyond the virtual tour itself, Auburn Engineering also addressed a major operational challenge: campus navigation.
Circuit’s interactive map provides precise directions to specific building entrances, with walking, cycling, and driving routes available directly on mobile devices. During implementation, the team even added a missing pedestrian path to ensure visitors receive accurate, real-world directions across campus.
The results
Switching to Circuit gave Auburn Engineering full control over its digital experience.
Instead of submitting support tickets for minor edits, the team now manages updates in real time through Circuit’s CMS, allowing them to refine content and messaging whenever needed.
The new experience also transforms how prospective students explore the college. Interactive scenes combine 360 imagery, video, CRM form and map integration to create a more immersive understanding of Auburn Engineering’s facilities and programs.
Timed calls-to-action within the tour promote upcoming events and encourage students to register for visits and open houses, while the integrated map helps both virtual and in-person visitors navigate the college’s large campus footprint.
"The map feature on this platform stands out as the best in the industry… I highly recommend it for any higher ed institution!"
Jessica T., Director of Recruiting and Scholarships
Conclusion
Auburn Engineering’s switch to Circuit shows that migrating to a modern platform doesn’t have to take months.
By repurposing existing assets and leveraging Circuit’s flexible system, the team rebuilt their entire virtual tour experience in just eight weeks — creating a platform that supports recruitment, campus navigation, and ongoing storytelling.
“Switching to Circuit has truly been one of the best choices we've made. The platform is incredibly user-friendly, and the customer service has been outstanding.”
Jessica T., Director of Recruiting and Scholarships
Ready to switch gears?
If your institution is considering a new virtual tour platform, migrating your existing assets may be easier than you think.
Reach out to the Circuit team to learn how you can rebuild your virtual tour, improve campus navigation, and launch a modern digital experience — without starting from scratch.
