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Step by Step: Building a Community CollegeEnrollment Management Plan
Christine Kerlin
Vice President for Enrollment Management
Everett Community College, WA
AACRAO Annual Meeting, Orlando, Florida March 2008
© Christine Kerlin,2008
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We Are Travelers on a Journey
From the President to the Web Master…
From the Budget Director to the Custodian…
Everyone can/might/should be involved in mapping out and reaching the enrollment destination.
The challenge: Getting everyone on the bus and agreeing on the direction….
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We Face Real Challenges
Increasing competition from new learning organizations that utilize e-tools more effectively than we do, and package their content to meet demand for non-traditional delivery.
These new learning organizations are emphasizing the high volume, low-cost options.
Our own public baccalaureates are moving into workforce training and the adult market – our bread and butter.
Our regional demographics are shifting away from our “known zone”. Fewer traditional-age students, aging adults, more traditionally under-represented populations.
EXTERNAL:
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More ChallengesINTERNAL:
Our budgets and our organizational structures are stretched.
Our enrollment targets and funding are driven within a political model. Our enrollment targets are getting sliced and diced.
Our internal understanding of how our databases “really” work may be imperfect. Are you sure you are counting everything?
Achieving viable program mix to a) serve, b) meet goals, and c) respond to the realities of our own institution.
The dynamics of Change Management!
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So Why Do SEM?
Enrollment drives everything.
‘Build it and they will come’ is gone.
The process of SEM helps us put the pieces together, together.
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Understanding SEMSEM is a comprehensive process designed to help an institution achieve and maintain optimum enrollment, where optimum is defined within the academic [instructional] contextof the institution.
Adapted from SEM Primer
SEM enables the fulfillment of institutional mission and students’ educational goals.
Adapted from Bob Bontrager
Enrollment management is a comprehensive and coordinated process that enables a college to identify enrollment goals that are allied with its mission, its strategic plan, its environment, and its resources, and to reach those goals through the effective integration of administrative processes, student services, curriculum planning, and market analysis.
Christine Kerlin
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Please note….
SEM is not just a recruitment plan.
SEM is not just a marketing plan.
SEM is not separate from the academic mission of the institution.
SEM is not always about growth.
“SEM is effective integration of administrative processes, student services, curriculum planning, and market analysis.”
Myth Busters
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The Student Success Continuum
Admission
OrientationCo-curricular
Support
Academic Support
RetentionFinancial Support
Classroom Experience
Student’s College Career
Recruitment and Marketing
Goal Attainment
Adapted from Bob Bontrager
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Getting StartedDefine your reasons for pursuing enrollment management.Enumerate your issues.An issue is a statement of fact that includes or infers an impact…that is what makes something an issue!Everyone’s issues are different.
High School enrollments are declining at a rate of 3% per year in our service area.
Regional employment rate has improved and we are enrolling fewer full-time adults.
Our high cost programs have the lowest enrollments, and we cannot seem to develop new programs that could attract higher enrollments at lower cost.
Our resource structure does not match the current needs of our instructional and service programs.
Our diversity enrollment is below that of our district’s demographic profile.
Our financial aid awarding process takes 8 weeks and most students do not know their award status until after the payment deadline.
A new state university branch campus being built in our district. / A new manufacturing plant is being located in our district.
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Creating a Structure
Create a structure for leadership, planning and decision-making with regard to four concerns:
Campus cultureEnabling the institution to review issues, goals and strategies through these lenses:
administrative processesstudent servicescurriculum planningmarket analysis
Budget decision cycle and involvement of budget decision-makersThe dynamics of Change Management.
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Executive Leadership
No matter what sort of structure you create, the most important factor is Presidential leadership.
• Presidential charge
• College-wide summit
• Reports and updates at leadership meetings
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The SEM Plan- Components
2. Produce an Environmental Scan
3. Collect Data, Data, DataEnrollment: totals, demographics, trends, etc.Course offerings: capacity, scheduling, duplication, waitlistsRetentionMarket surveysFinancial aid and scholarshipsBudget: income streams, expenditures
SEM requires a data-rich environment
1. Define relationship to the College’s Strategic Plan
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The SEM Plan- Components
4. Identify vital issues
5. Respond to those issues:Key leverage initiativesVery important initiativesRelatively simple initiatives
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More on key initiativesWhat does it take to make (leverage) a real difference?
“We will double the number of scholarship awards”Affects accessAffects retentionCreates an institutional imageAddresses diversity goals
“We will refocus on working adults who need online access and flexible scheduling.”Utilizes current distance optionsEngages deans and faculty in reformatting some classes for higher enrollmentAttracts new studentsImproves student satisfaction
“We will create six new partnerships with middle and high schools with large multicultural populations.”
Focuses recruitment where a difference can be madeLinks with scholarship awardsBuilds a stream over many yearsIncludes adults in the families who might enroll themselvesEnhances high school relations
We will analyze each instructional program in terms of an income and expenditure model, engage in viability studies, and identify programs where the addition of “just a few more students” could make the difference – as well as other transformations.
Focuses attention on financial modelsFocuses recruitment and retention effortsInvolves all sectors of the college in planning
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SEM Plan - Continued
6. Set Goals: • enrollment targets• program mix• program delivery• income targets• expenditure limits• services• ?
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7. Suggest StrategiesRecruitmentMarketingProgram mixPolicies and ProceduresRetentionFinancial modelingEtc.
It is so easy to go straight to “strategies”. But you should do your homework first and start with step one.
SEM Plan - Continued
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Sample
After 5 years of successful enrollment growth, our enrollment has flattened. Enrollment of recent high school graduates is strong but high school enrollments are projected to flatten beginning in 2008. Enrollment of adults has declined, perhaps due to high employment rates and other new competitors in the marketplace. Enrollment in traditional “workforce” programs is declining. Course enrollment patterns indicate that demand for distance courses exceeds our supply. We have determined that enrollment in online courses is cost-effective. We have determined that an industry partner can provide funding to offset expenses in a new health care program offered in the evening. We have determined that our tuition income projections are not being met because we have an increasing ratio of full-time students.
GOALS:The College will increase enrollment of recent high school graduates by 3% from Fall 2006 to Fall 2008.
Strategies XYZThe College will increase the number of courses available online by 35% from Fall 2006 to Fall 2009.
Strategies XYZThe College will increase the number of hybrid courses by 35% from Fall 2006 to Fall 2008.
Strategies XYZThe College will offer two new degree programs in the health professions by Fall 2009.
Strategies XYZThe College will define and aggressively market existing evening courses and degrees toward working adults.
Strategies XYZ
Strategies include timelines and locus of responsibility
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SEM Plan - Continued8. Establish accountability
Who does what and when?9. Include Measurements/ Key Performance Indicators
Most goals should be measurableKnow your baseline data, and measure against it
10. Follow-up on assessment of the KPIs11. Update often – this is not a long range plan...it is a strategic
plan. Be strategic!12. Assure continuous communication with campus. Check out
the Change Management dynamics.
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ToolsData
Enrollment (from Inquiry to Graduate)FinancialContinuous collectionContinuous cleaning of the data
Advisory groupsContinued scanningFeedbackSupport the efficacy of the process
Campus communication methodsTechnologies that support decision-making and communication
Data is not the plural of anecdote. *
And data is not proof.
*Numerous authors: Kotsonis, Brinner…http://bearcastle.com/blog/?m=20050808
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The First Steps
The first steps depend on your campus culture and executive leadership buy-in, and, well, ~leadership~. You may find yourself driving the:
The 2008 Cadillac versionLarge fanfare, deep resources, lots of buy-in. Embrace SEM.
The 1967 VW Bug versionAmbivalent interest, lack of sufficient structure. Take incremental steps.
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It’s an Interesting Ride!Be prepared to find the challenges of enrollment management large and complex.
Be prepared to experience lack of consensus and involvement.
Be prepared to proceed in fits and starts.
Be prepared to “Just do it.”
Or, to use the Roadmap and Journey metaphors, be prepared to
Switch gears
Speed up
Break down
Run out of gas
Exceed the limit
Go in circles
Yield
Ask “Are we there yet?”
Open the moon-roof
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You Are Ready•Using data, issues and direction from your Strategic Plan, identify issues and rationale.
•Formulate a structure. Establish buy-in and involvement of executive leadership.
•Identify vital issues, goals and strategies. Link with the budget process.
•As the plan takes shape, assign responsibilities/accountabilities.
•Use measurable statements and select key performance indicators.
•Follow-up. Assess. Revise.
•Communicate with the campus community.
Get Ready. Go.
