North Central State College
Consulting ReportClayton Smith, Ed.D.
AACRAO Senior Consultant
February 15, 2008
Consultation Summary
AACRAO Senior Consultant Clayton Smith conducted a consulting visit to North Central State College (NCSC) on February 15, 2008 to facilitate an enrollment planning summit.
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Summit Goals
Validation of things we do well Focus and develop action plan for two or three
emerging enrollment development strategies Re-energize action plans for collaboration as a high
performance team
-February 7, 2008 email from Betty Wells, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, NCSC
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Summit Participants
Dr. Therese Bushner, Interim Vice President for Learning Ms. Sheila Campbell, Data Support, Institutional Research Mr. Terry Coleman, Dean, Business & Education Ms. Nikia Fletcher, Director, Admissions & Enrollment Services Mr. Jim Hull, Dean, Health & Public Services Ms. Annette Griffon, Recruiter/Admissions Counselor Ms. Stephanie Hall, Recruiter/Admissions Counselor Mr. Mark Hupp, Webmaster Ms. Gina Kamwithi, Director, Community Education Mr. Tom Kluding, Director, Tech Prep Ms. Teri Kofod, Early Childhood faculty member Ms. Peg Moir, Vice President, Learning Support & Retention
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Summit Participants(Continued)
Mr. Mark Monnes, Registrar & Student Records Ms. Teri Myers, Graphic Designer Mr. Tom Prendergast, Director, Institutional Research &
Grants Mr. Bruce Sliney, Assistant Vice President, Learning Mr. Keith Stoner, Director, Marketing & Creative Services Mr. Randy Storms, Acting Dean, Engineering Technologies &
Workforce Development Ms. Deanna Strauss, Coordinator, Tech Prep Transition Ms. Bev Walker, Director, Retention Services/Student
Success Center Ms. Betty Wells, Vice President, Institutional Advancement
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Agenda
Introductions Overview of Strategic Enrollment Management
(SEM) and enrollment planning Discussion of things NCSC is doing well Moving toward a definition of enrollment
development Institutional niche discussion and exercise Next steps Adjournment
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Strategic Enrollment Management
SEM is a comprehensive process designed to help an institution achieve and maintain optimum enrollment, where optimum is defined within the academic context of the institution.
Adapted from Dolence, SEM Primer
Strategic enrollment management is a Strategic enrollment management is a concept concept and processand process that enables the fulfillment of that enables the fulfillment of institutional missioninstitutional mission and and students’ educational students’ educational goalsgoals..
Bob BontragerBob Bontrager
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Purposes of SEM
Creating a data-rich environment to inform Creating a data-rich environment to inform decisions and evaluate strategiesdecisions and evaluate strategies
Improving process, organizational and Improving process, organizational and financial efficiency and outcomesfinancial efficiency and outcomes
Strengthening communications and Strengthening communications and collaboration among collaboration among departments across departments across the campus to support the enrollment the campus to support the enrollment programprogram
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Particularly for Community Particularly for Community Colleges . . .Colleges . . .
Enabling the institution to clarify its focus on competing missions
Envisioning enrollment planning in spite of - and because of - the “open door”
Optimizing vaunted flexibility in program development and delivery through better linkages with other campus efforts and services.
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What SEM is NotWhat SEM is Not
A quick fix
Solely an organizational structure
An enhanced admission and marketing operation
A financial drain on the institutional budget
Net Revenue!
An administrative function separate from the academic mission of the institution
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Institutional Mission andInstitutional Mission andEnrollment Goals Are Determined Enrollment Goals Are Determined By:By:
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Programs Programs offeredoffered
Historical Historical status status
NicheNicheWeaknessesWeaknesses
StrengthsStrengths
Range of Range of influenceinfluence
Aspirational Aspirational statusstatus
Current Current competitive competitive
statusstatus
Determine your niche, focus on Determine your niche, focus on it, and deliver on it as well as it, and deliver on it as well as you possibly can . . .you possibly can . . .
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Community Colleges:Community Colleges:Think creatively about those nichesThink creatively about those niches
The obvious . . .The obvious . . . Low tuitionLow tuition
Convenient locationConvenient location
Small classesSmall classes
No teaching assistantsNo teaching assistants
Open admissionOpen admission
Wide age rangeWide age range
Special relations with local communities, businesses Special relations with local communities, businesses and industries, other universitiesand industries, other universities
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Sometimes the not-so-obvious Sometimes the not-so-obvious niches make the difference:niches make the difference: Distinctive programsDistinctive programs: : e-commerce; Ford Training Center; e-commerce; Ford Training Center;
biotechnology; study abroad ; North Seattle CC Integrated biotechnology; study abroad ; North Seattle CC Integrated Studies, bachelor’s degree; university center (their Studies, bachelor’s degree; university center (their excellence casts a glow over all programs)excellence casts a glow over all programs)
Shared experiencesShared experiences: : all students have an advisor or a all students have an advisor or a portfolio; website chat rooms; unique orientation; unique portfolio; website chat rooms; unique orientation; unique degree requirement; Green River CC international student degree requirement; Green River CC international student housinghousing
Geographic reachGeographic reach: : do you have a nationally-marketable do you have a nationally-marketable program? EvCC Medical Transcription online programprogram? EvCC Medical Transcription online program
Special populationsSpecial populations: : Honors, Bridge, Women in Science, Honors, Bridge, Women in Science, Bellevue CC Associate in Essential Studies…Bellevue CC Associate in Essential Studies…
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The Concept of Optimum Enrollment
Physical Capacity
Undergrad/Grad
Residency
Program Capacity
Special Skills
AcademicProfiles
Majors
Ethnicity
InstitutionalMission
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Traditional Enrollment Perspective
Recruitment/ Marketing
Admission
OrientationCo-curricular
Support
Academic Support
RetentionFinancial Support
Classroom Experience
The Student Success Continuum
Student’s College CareerAttain
Degree/Goal
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The SEM Perspective
Recruitment/ Marketing
Admission
OrientationCo-curricular
Support
Academic Support
RetentionFinancial Support
Classroom Experience
The Student Success Continuum
Student’s College CareerAttain
Degree/Goal
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Programs Programs offeredoffered
Historical Historical status status
NicheNicheWeaknessesWeaknesses
StrengthsStrengths
Range of Range of influenceinfluence
Aspirational Aspirational statusstatus
Current Current competitive competitive
statusstatus
Promoting Institutional SuccessPromoting Institutional SuccessStrategic PlanningStrategic Planning
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Programs Programs offeredoffered
Historical Historical status status
NicheNicheWeaknessesWeaknesses
StrengthsStrengths
Range of Range of influenceinfluence
Aspirational Aspirational statusstatus
Current Current competitive competitive
statusstatus
The SEM Plan- Components
1. Define relationship to the strategic plan
2. Produce an environmental scan
3. Collect data, data, data Enrollment: totals, demographics, trends, etc. Course offerings: capacity, scheduling,
duplication, waitlists Retention Market surveys Financial aid and scholarships Budget: income streams, expenditures
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The SEM Plan - Components
4. Identify key enrollment-related issues
5. Respond to those issues: Key leverage initiatives Very important initiatives Relatively simple initiatives
6. Set goals: enrollment targets, program mix, program delivery, income targets, services
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The SEM Plan – Components
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7. Suggest strategies Recruitment Marketing Program mix Policies and procedures Retention
8. Establish accountability Who does what and when?
The SEM Plan - Components
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9. Include measurements/ key performance indicators (KPIs)
Most goals should be measurable Know your baseline data, and measure
against it
Follow-up on assessment of the KPIs Update often – this is not a long range plan...it is a
strategic plan. Be strategic! Ensure continuous communication with campus
What NCSC Is Doing Well
Achieving the Dream Innovation orientation Intrusive academic advising High reputation health programs Strong transfer articulation with 4-year institutions Physical connection with Ohio State University’s
branch campus in Mansfield Developing general education program
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A Definition of Enrollment Development for NCSC Despite the overall 6% annual increase goal, NCSC does
not have a clear understanding of what is meant by enrollment development
It was mentioned that the College is expected to eventually reach an enrollment of 4,500; although it is not clear by when this goal can or should be reached
The focus of the enrollment development effort lacks clarity with the following student groups identified: high school seniors, transfer students, adult learners, distance education students
There appears to be concern about the percentage of enrollment which would be university parallel or applied
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A Niche for NCSC
Need to define competitive advantage Determine primary, secondary and tertiary student
markets Focus on advantages with low income and female
students Identify the profile of the successful NCSC student
and put in motion strategies to recruit more of these students
Currently, only focus on “reach out and down” students
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Primary Next Steps
Complete the following SEM Planning Steps:1. The Plan to Plan
2. Institutional Framework
3. S.W.O.T. Analysis
4. Strategic Visions
5. Issue Identification & Response
As part of the planning process, develop an institutional niche statement
Then consider requesting an AACRAO Consulting evaluation of progress to date
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Additional Next Steps
Develop optimum enrollment targets for institution-wide, for each program and by student type prior to establishing enrollment goals, objectives and strategies
Get buy-in campus wide in support of enrollment development, including faculty and senior administration
Involve faculty in areas which will impact the quality of learning
Ensure that level of support is consistent with enrollment targets (e.g., students of color)
Online learning identified as an enrollment opportunity; however need to assess enrollment and financial systems currently in place that make online learning difficult to access
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Additional Next Steps (continued)
Make the connection between financial resources and enrollment management to ensure that enrollment goals are tied to return on investment
Improve roadside signage to make the campus more visible to travelers
Transition from a shotgun-reactionary culture to a strategic-deliberate culture
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