Enrollment Management Consultant, R416464Technical Proposal

October 7, 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover Letter 41.4: Services Performed and 1.5: Reports and Deliverables 6 2.0 Program Plan 8 3.0 3.1 Qualifications 8

3.2 Location 83.3 Company Description 93.4 Resources & 3.5 SEM Experience 103.6 Higher Education Consulting Experience 13

Biographies 13 Differentiation from Competition 18 Consulting Model 19 Project Management 21

3.7 Customized Approach 223.8 Recruitment/Marketing Plan 22

Consulting Map 24 Recruitworks Functions 25 Recruitworks Process Details 26

1. Scope 262. Discovery 26

Situational Analysis 26 Recruitment Audit 27 Financial Aid Services and Packaging Audit 28 Off-site Assessment of Optimal Aid and Competitive Context 28 Enrollment Performance Reporting Review 30 Webinar Report 30 Optional Research Services 31

3. Planning 31 Retreat 31 Recruitment/Marketing and Aid Leveraging Strategy Development 32

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Enrollment Reporting Strategy 34 Integrated Recruitment/Marketing Plan 34

4. Implementation 34 Strategy Implementation Sessions 34 Recruitment Training Workshop 35

5. Assess 35 Formative Evaluation Recruitment/Marketing Plan 35

3.9.0–3.9.4 Staffing & Primary Contact 363.10 Partial Client List (Four-year Institutions) 363.11 Enrollment Success 383.12 Expectations of Staff and Data Requirements 393.13 Primary Contact 394.5 References 404.6 Timeline 474.7 Knowledge of Enrollment Databases 49

ADDENDA1. Reference Materials Requested 502. Recruitment Audit Agenda 513. Financial Aid Audit Agenda 524. UCAS (University/College Applicant Study™) Competitive Intelligence Report, ADS 80 (Acceptance Declined Survey™), and Strategic Enrollment Research Summary Report for both studies 545. Recruitment Seminar Agenda 66

COVER LETTER  Dear Committee Members:

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 Western Illinois University (WIU) has a continuing need for a more cohesive and coordinated approach to enrollment management. Partnering with WIU, SEM Works will facilitate the development and implementation of the University’s recruitment/marketing plan that will grow first-year, new student enrollment by 15%, from 1641 to 1900 in the near term, as well as a advance the recruitment and admissions goals of the Quad Cities campus. Western Illinois University aspires to be “the leader in educational quality, opportunity, and affordability among its peers” (Higher Values in Higher Education: 2008-2018). WIU has identified student recruitment and retention as among its top priorities, with the goal of achieving optimum controlled growth within an increasingly competitive and changing higher education context. The University seeks to improve upon its present enrollment performance of a 32.5% enrollment rate among accepted freshmen, address the apparent decline in ACT acceptance levels of regular admits, and improve upon the four-year and six-year completion rates of the freshmen cohort (33.1% and 58.1%, respectively) by strategically recruiting students who are the best fit (Source: WIU Factbook). In addition, based upon comparisons with other pubic universities in the State of Illinois (using fall 2008 IPEDS data), WIU’s capture rate of first-time degree-seeking undergraduates appears to be under 8%, which suggests that WIU has opportunity for increasing market share. According to WIU’s “Fiscal Year 2010 Educational Demand and Quality Performance Report”, new freshmen acceptances and enrollment have not being moving in a positive direction, nor has the new transfer enrollment at the Quad Cities campus.

A truly strategic approach to positioning WIU within today’s global and highly competitive higher education marketplace requires a solid foundation of reliable data and market research to inform strategy development and an assessment of return on investment of strategies implemented. SEM Works’ consultants have over 450 years of experience in higher education and consulting with over 300 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and five other countries. We understand the challenges higher education institutions face within today’s unstable economic context, and in serving the needs of increasingly diverse student populations. We will collaborate with you to develop data-informed enrollment management strategies that remove barriers, improve processes, and respond to strategic opportunities. We will work with your personnel to identify one or more strategies that are “game changers”—catapulting your institution beyond competitors. In our experience, this approach is necessary to create a sustainable competitive advantage.

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Even with the best recruitment and marketing strategies, your success in sustaining a competitive advantage is directly correlated to your ability to execute better than your competitors. This requires broad buy-in to the enrollment management plan. SEM Works’ consultants have extensive experience and expertise in facilitating an integrated approach to academic and enrollment planning that is designed to deliver an actionable enrollment strategy aligned with the institution’s academic priorities and student needs. Our passion is to develop customized enrollment management solutions that leverage the distinctive qualities of the University, and that enable the achievement of your vision and strategic goals. Our planning approach is grounded in research on effective practices for fostering campus-wide engagement in the enrollment planning process, and our strategies are based upon best practices in strategic enrollment management.

We invite you to speak with our current and former clients to learn about their success. For example, you may want to contact institutions that we have served. Consider Murray State, the University of Colorado Denver, SUNY Cobleskill, and Johnson C. Smith University. Whether they have turned to SEM Works for market research, training, or enrollment management consulting, clients have referred to our work as “exceptional and penetrating” and “second to none.” We appreciate the opportunity to present our enrollment solutions for Western Illinois University.  Sincerely,   Peter E. LindseyDirector, Business Development

1.4 SERVICES PERFOMED AND 1.5 REPORTS AND DELIVERABLES  Western Illinois University desires the services of an experienced enrollment management firm to address the following needs:

 improve enrollment

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 develop a cohesive and integrated approach to enrollment management identify who is being accepted and why develop operational tracking reports to prioritize inquiry follow-up identify those students best served by the University assess required resources to enroll and retain students and determine related return on investment develop a coordinated, on-going marketing and market research plan obtain critical pre-application information

 Services PerformedRecruitment/Marketing Plan

a. Continuing review and modification of the current three-pronged admissions process to help assure a significant number of qualified admits to meet enrollment objectives.

b. Develop a comprehensive enrollment database with an emphasis on effective prospecting strategies and inquiry pool (pre-application) development including those students identified as desirable and admissible.

c. Working with University Admissions and IT offices, develop a series of enrollment reports that track operational effectiveness and priority contacts of prospective students by the admissions staff.

d. Assist with the development of a goal-driven, timeline-driven, strategy-driven, budget-driven annual marketing and recruitment plan with 30, 60, and 90-day action plans.

e. Provide critical admissions staff training in the best practices successfully employed by other like institutions. f. Review current financial aid resources and procedures and make related improvement recommendations. g. Assist the University in the development of a comprehensive enrollment plan for the Quad Cities Campus. h. Facilitate a review and modification of current graduate school admissions process.

The following is an executive summary of SEM Works’ response to the scope of the work including related reports and deliverables. We will collaborate with our strategic partner, Academica Group for any optional research.

ACTIVITIES: RECRUITMENT/MARKETING PLAN

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SCOPE Conference Call to confirm Project Scope and Timeline for Assessment and Research

DISCOVERY Perform a Recruitment Situational Analysis Conduct Three-day Recruitment Audit, inclusive of a one day Recruitment Audit at Quad Cities Review of Financial Aid Services and Packaging Audit (1-day site visit) Off-site Assessment of Optimal Aid & Competitive Context Conduct Enrollment Reporting Review (1-day site visit) Webinar Report on Findings from the Audits

OPTIONAL RESEARCH, AND DELIVERABLES NOT INCLUDED IN PRICE: Administer Academica’s University and College Admissions Survey (UCAS™) Competitive

Intelligence Report Administer Academica’s ADS 80 (Accepted Declined Survey (ADS™) Submit Strategic Research Summary Report for Both Studies

PLANNING Planning Retreat (1-day site visit) Recruitment/Marketing and Aid Leveraging Strategy Development Sessions and Reports after

Each Visit (3 two-day site visits) Develop Enrollment Performance Reporting Strategy Develop Integrated Recruitment/Marketing Plan with 30-60-90 day Action Plans

IMPLEMENT-ATION

Strategy Implementation Sessions and Reports after Each Visit (2-day site visit) Recruitment Training Workshop

ASSESS Formative Evaluation of Recruitment/Marketing Plan and Progress Reports

2.0 PROGRAM PLANSEM Works’ recruitment/marketing plan for main campus and Quad Cities campus will be informed by the findings from the discovery phase (e.g., off-site review of marketing and recruitment materials, audits, aid assessments, etc.), and collaborative work accomplished with strategy teams, and other needs and services described in 1.4 and 1.5. OPTIONAL market research is available to inform our program and strategic plans which could include the University and College Admissions Survey (UCAS™), Graduate University and College Admissions Survey (UCAS™), and Admit/Declined Survey (ADS™). Plans will include full descriptions of SEM Works’ recommended programs,

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assumptions, expectations of the University, commitments, as well as recommended communication, planning, and performance review. The final plans will fully describe who is to do what, when, and how including KPIs and metrics to assess staff performance and execution of the recruitment/marketing plan and SEM plan.

 3.QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIRED INFORMATION 3.1 QualificationsSEM Works is fully qualified to provide all services requested and readily available to supply any additional information, including information from references, and site visits, and information obtained from sources available to the University.

3.2 LocationSEM Works’ main office is located at 1175 Revolution Mill Drive, Studio 3, Greensboro, NC 27405 with a second office in British Columbia, Canada. Toll free: 1-800-494-3710; Email: jblack@semworks.net; Fax: 1-888-626-2374.

SEM Works has a strong and growing strategic partnership with Academica Group Inc. in the delivery of OPTIONAL research, technical, and creative services. Academica Group Inc. is a wholly Canadian and American owned private corporation incorporated in 2003 with a head office in London, Ontario, and satellite offices in Toronto, Ontario and Boston, Massachusetts.  3.3 Company DescriptionJim Black and Associates converted to SEM Works in February of 2004 as an LLC. Prior to February 2004, Jim Black and Associates had been working and performing services in the higher education consulting industry for ten years. SEM Works was founded by Dr. Jim Black and is grounded in a long history of higher education clients through consulting and professional development. SEM Works’ staff has experience with community colleges, technical colleges, four-year public and private institutions, graduate and professional schools, proprietary schools, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and college and university systems.

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The SEM Works staff is comprised of twenty-eight individuals, primarily current or former practitioners in the field and creative services professionals. SEM Works provides consulting services to colleges and universities needing to assess existing operations and develop related plans. Areas of consulting expertise include:

Enrollment Management Marketing Branding Student Recruitment Student Retention Customer Service Student Services Relationship Management Market Research Environmental Scanning Organizational Change Process Redesign Web Development Graphic Electronic Communications Design/Publication Development

While our core business is consulting, we also provide some of the best conferences, technology services, on-site training opportunities, market research, and creative services in the industry.

Philosophy and ValuesDr. Black, president and CEO of SEM Works, has been in higher education for over twenty-five years. He has dedicated his professional life to finding solutions to enrollment management issues, first as a professional in enrollment management and most recently performing services in the higher education consulting industry for fourteen years. Strategies recommended by Dr. Black and the SEM Works team are more than just theory. They are grounded in reality. SEM Works does not offer clients boilerplate solutions. We believe that each institution is different, and our client’s needs and resources call for tailored solutions.

Our mission is to provide higher education institutions and organizations with objective insight, customized training, and the tools needed to accomplish their goals.

Our business philosophy is simple. Our success is determined by the success of our clients.

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To ensure your satisfaction we will:

Seek to understand your needs, your enrollment, recruiting and retention objectives, your competitors, and your institution culture

Prepare diligently for every meeting, every phase of the planning process, and every deliverable Serve you passionately Deliver more than you expect, and more than the contract requires Respond promptly to your requests Ensure the highest quality in everything we produce for you. The average number of employees over the past five years has been twenty-two. 3.4 SEM Resources and 3.5 SEM ExperienceResourcesAlthough SEM Works is a full-service higher education consulting firm, our comparative advantage is in the areas of strategic enrollment management planning and related research. Further, nearly all SEM Works employees are higher education practitioners. All of SEM Works’ clients are from higher education including four-year public and private institutions, college and university systems, graduate and professional schools, community colleges, technical colleges, proprietary schools, and nonprofit and for-profit organizations.

Dr. Jim Black, (President and CEO) Project Responsibilities: Lead consultant, audits, recruitment/marketing plan, financial aid leveraging matrix, etc.

Dr. Black is a renowned thought leader in enrollment management.  Over twenty-eight years in higher education, including admissions and recent position of Associate Provost for

Enrollment Management at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

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 Fifteen years of consulting experience in higher education, including SEM planning, marketing, recruitment, branding, etc.

 Ph.D. in Higher Education Curriculum and Teaching Current President and CEO of SEM Works

 Prior employment: The University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Winthrop University; and Mars Hill College Principal areas of strength: enrollment planning, marketing, recruitment, retention, student services, and branding in

higher education Over 200 professional presentations, publications, and interviews See resume for complete list of publications, credentials, and affiliations Lynda Wallace-Hulecki, Vice President for Strategy and Senior ConsultantProject Responsibilities: Audits, SEM plan, enrollment goals setting, enrollment performance reporting, etc. Over thirty years in higher education M.Ed., Educational Administration in Higher Education Ed. D. Candidate, Higher Education Leadership, University of Nebraska - Lincoln Vice-President of Strategy and Senior Consultant for SEM Works specializing in enrollment management and

strategic research Prior employment: University of Victoria; Mount Royal College; and Government of Manitoba Principal areas of strength: strategic planning, enrollment planning, strategic research, marketing, and recruitment

in higher education Recipient of Mount Royal College’s distinguished Administrator/Manager Award See resume for complete list of publications, credentials, and affiliations

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Bryant Hutson, Senior Policy AnalystProject Responsibilities: Assist with the interpretation of research findings Dr. Hutson has over 15 years of experience in higher education as a faculty, administrator and program evaluator.Oded VanHam, Research DirectorProject Responsibilities: Conduct market research (OPTIONAL) Ten years in consulting, market research and project management for higher education clients and business and

industry

Staff available on an as-needed basis include In addition to the consulting group, SEM Works employs a vice president for strategy, director of creative services, a director of educational research, a director of marketing, a director of business development, a conference director, two account representatives, has access to a team of web and graphic designers, copywriters, and editors. Our strategic partner, Academica Group, is an international higher education consulting agency with offices in London and Toronto, Ontario; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Boston, Massachusetts. The full-time team includes more than 25 talented professionals, and another dozen associates who are active in specialized fields of research, marketing, and technology. The company has received “Gold Seal” certification by Canada’s Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MIRA).

SEM ExperienceYour lead consultant, Dr. Black, is an internationally recognized expert with over twenty-eight years experience in enrollment management as well as in change management. He is highly sensitive to the nuances that exist between organizations and people and as such, effectively facilitates the enrollment planning process to ensure maximum engagement and adoption. Moreover, his doctoral experience in higher education curriculum and instruction provides our clients with insights into innovative pedagogical, curricular, and program opportunities that impact enrollment outcomes. To the best of our knowledge, no other enrollment management consultant possesses this vital perspective. Leveraging his expertise along with his many years as an associate provost, dean, and faculty member in a higher education environment, Dr. Black will work with your faculty, administration and staff to deliver strategies, plans and training that will grow enrollment and maximize ROI.

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3.6 Higher Education Experience

BiographiesJim Black, Ph.D., President and CEO

 The president and CEO of SEM Works, Dr. Jim Black, is the founder of the National Conference on Student Retention in Small Colleges and cofounder of the National Small College Admissions Conference and the National Small College Enrollment Conference. He formerly served as the director of AACRAO’s Strategic Enrollment Management Conference. Dr. Black has published a monograph titled, Navigating Change in the New Millennium: Strategies for Enrollment Leaders, and three books, The Strategic Enrollment Management Revolution, considered to be a groundbreaking publication for the enrollment management profession, Gen Xers Return to College, and Essentials of Enrollment Management: Cases in the Field. Among his other published works are numerous articles and book chapters including a feature article in College & University, Creating Customer Delight; a chapter, Creating a Student-Centered Culture, for a book on best practices in student services published by SCUP and sponsored by IBM; a chapter on enrollment

management in a Jossey-Bass book on student academic services; as well as a bimonthly feature in The Greentree Gazette.

Black was honored as the recipient of the 2005 AACRAO Distinguished Service Award. He has been interviewed by publications such as The Chronicle of Higher Education, Converge Magazine, The Enrollment Management Report, The Lawlor Review, and was interviewed for AACRAO’s Data Dispenser. Black also was featured in an international teleconference on enrollment management sponsored by The Center for the Freshman Year Experience at the University of South Carolina, and a PBS broadcast on “Blending High Tech and High Touch Student Services.” Since 1999, Jim Black has been an IBM Best Practices Partner, one of only twenty-three in the world. He was invited by The College Board to Heidelberg, Germany, to evaluate the APIEL Exam and most recently was invited to lead conferences on enrollment management and student services in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

Dr. Black has served on the boards of several technology companies and has consulted with companies such as

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Microsoft, Blackboard, and the SAS Institute. Higher education clients have included two-year, four-year, public, and private institutions. Jim earned a B.A. in English education and M.A. in higher education administration from the University of South Carolina, as well as a Ph.D. in higher education curriculum and teaching from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Lynda Wallace-Hulecki, Vice President of Strategy and Senior ConsultantLynda is a seasoned professional with over thirty years experience in higher education. Lynda has an extensive track record of accomplishments in advancing a strategic approach to enrolment management, in facilitating an integrated approach to academic and enrolment planning, in managing change, and in developing systems for enrolment performance management, assessment, and accountability. Lynda has held a variety of leadership positions at both a research-intensive university and a four-year comprehensive college in Canada. For twenty-three years of her career, Lynda served as the director of an institutional analysis and planning office─ a position for which she was awarded a distinguished administrator award.

Lynda has served on both provincial and federal committees related to inter-provincial student mobility and higher education accountability systems in Canada. She has been an active member of numerous professional organizations (e.g., AACRAO, ARUCC, NASPA, AIR, SCUP, EDUCAUSE) at which she has served both as a presenter and as a presentation reviewer. In 2000, she participated in Harvard’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education (MLE).

Lynda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in the mathematical sciences from the University of Manitoba, and a Master of Educational Administration degree in higher education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She is currently completing a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Higher Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her graduate research has focused on the evolving field of SEM, and on the application of learned concepts in leading change and in building shared responsibility for enrolment outcomes with the campus community through an integrated approach to academic and enrolment planning. Her doctoral research topic is on building organizational capacity for enrolment performance measurement.

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Bryant L. Hutson, Ph.D., Senior Policy AnalystDr. Bryant Hutson has over 15 years of experience in higher education as a faculty, administrator and program evaluator. Before joining SEM Works, he served as Associate Director for Student Academic Services at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG), where he coordinated first-year experience and retention programming and led assessment development and program evaluation efforts. He was also research associate at the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation at UNCG, where he participated in large-scale program evaluation projects and played a key role in developing instruments used in K-12 and higher education settings. He served as the technology and research

coordinator for The College Foundation of North Carolina Resource Center when it was first established, and has been a faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro College, Rockingham Community College, and Guilford Technical Community College.

Hutson holds a PhD in Higher Education Administration with a concentration in educational research, measurement, and evaluation. His research focuses on the development and impact of first-year experience and retention programming on student success. He has been an active member in the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), American Educational Research Association (AERA), and American Evaluation Association (AEA) and has made over 30 refereed presentations at national conferences. Collaborating with international colleagues, he has presented at international conferences and was an invited guest lecturer at Shanghai Normal University. His recent publications include The Appreciative Advising Revolution, a chapter for a NACADA research monograph, a chapter in Gen Xers Return to College, a section in the Academic Advising Handbook, and refereed articles in the Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education and the Journal of College Student Retention. His current responsibilities as a director for educational research include leading the research arm of SEM Works, overseeing research projects and providing project management and quality control. In addition to planning, coordinating, and conducting research on environmental scanning, market opportunity analysis, academic program review, and application and retention enrollment decision studies, he also is responsible for developing assessment and program evaluation plans and instruments to meet the clients’ research needs.

Oded VanHam, Research Director, Academica Group

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Project Responsibilities: Conduct optional market research

Oded has spent more than 10 years in consulting, market research and project management. His clients benefit from an expertise in data collection and analysis, gaining knowledge from data. He also brings personal knowledge of academia, having taught undergraduate business and worked as a Business Development Manager at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Oded holds an MBA with a concentration in marketing from the Ivey School of Business, an MSc from the University of Western Ontario, and a BSc from the University of Waterloo.  His combination of business and scientific background allows him to go beyond data analysis to understand the business drivers, their impact and significance, and to then make practical recommendations.

At Academica Group, oversees all research-related activities ensuring the best possible results for clients. Oded has developed novel approaches to analyzing applicant trends based on geography that allow detailed recommendations regarding the allocation of recruitment resources. He played leading roles in the 2007 UAS reporting, 2008/9 UCAS instrument design, Mount Royal College strategic positioning summit and Dalhousie University market research planning. He continues to look for new ways to view data for greater insight on behalf of our clients.

Pete Lindsey, Director of Business DevelopmentProject Responsibilities: Proposal writer

Pete has over thirty years of experience in higher education, twenty-two years with private colleges and over nine years in the North Carolina public university system. Prior to joining the SEM Works team, he served as director of the Evening University at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, managing fifty-seven evening programs and serving an enrollment of over 5,300 evening students, both undergraduate and graduate. He was responsible for recruitment, retention, program development, and marketing for all on-campus evening degree

and certificate programs. While at UNCG, Pete also served as Director of Undergraduate Admissions where he managed a staff of thirty-four professionals.

Pete has also developed a deep understanding of the needs and concerns of private four-year colleges and community

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colleges. At St. John Fisher College, he was director of undergraduate admissions for six years before being promoted to dean of admissions and financial aid for another six years. He was instrumental in developing The College’s financial aid leveraging system as well as Undergraduate Admissions publications that received twelve national awards. Prior to arriving at St. John Fisher College, he was associate director of admissions and transfer counselor at LeMoyne College, and assistant director of admissions and transfer counselor at St. Bonaventure University.

Lindsey has been an active member of AACRAO, NACAC, and most recently has served on the Board of the North Carolina Adult Education Association. He has authored articles on Total Quality Management for Recruitment & Retention in Higher Education and TQM in Higher Education as well as a chapter, “Needs and Expectations of Gen Xers,” for Gen Xers Return to College. Lindsey presented “The Role of Admissions in Strategic Enrollment Management” at the 1998 Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Conference. He holds an undergraduate degree in business administration, B.B.A., with a social science concentration.

Differentiation from CompetitorsSEM Works is among a very few consulting firms that offers a full range of enrollment management consulting and planning services. Our advantage lies not only in the quality and breadth of our services, but also in our unique approach to facilitating integrated campus-wide SEM, and recruitment/marketing planning and implementation processes. We will work in partnership with you in fostering collaboration across divisional boundaries to identify strategic issues and opportunities, a data-driven approach to decision-making, and a managed change program that leverages organizational strengths to realize short-term results and sustainable success.

Our unique approach to SEM and recruitment/marketing planning and implementation focuses on: Uncovering WIU’s existing competencies Leveraging the use of strategic intelligence to improve competitiveness Fostering collaborative leadership in strategy development Engaging the WIU constituents and cultivating buy-in to the process Identifying strategic opportunities to advance the institution’s market position and enrollment goals Clarifying organizational capacity conditions for sustained high performance

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Consulting Model SEM Works offers a full range of marketing planning and consulting services and programs that are sought by WIU. In addition to consulting, we offer a breadth of complementary programs and services including: Research services to inform strategy development A repository of secondary research sources and institution best practices Creative and technology services to inform marketing-related product development Training programs in student recruitment, customer service, and change management that support strategy

implementation Project management that provides you with a single point of contact, weekly progress status reports, and

unlimited access to remote consultation for the duration of the project

Enrollment management is largely about changing the campus culture to adopt a heightened marketing, recruitment, and service orientation—at both the tactical and strategic levels. Therefore, SEM Works’ approach is highly collaborative and participatory in order to create an understanding of enrollment management concepts and build buy-in to the recruitment/marketing plan. By developing an understanding of your unique challenges, we are able to develop customized solutions that become an integral part of your strategic plan. Our recommended solutions are grounded in research on effective practices for fostering campus-wide engagement in the planning process, and our strategies are based upon best practices in recruiting, and research. However, our thinking around strategies is not limited to best practices. We will work with your personnel to identify one or more strategies that are “game changers”—catapulting your institution beyond competitors. In our experience, this approach is necessary to create a sustainable competitive advantage.

Even with the best recruiting and marketing strategies, your success in sustaining a competitive advantage is directly correlated to your ability to execute better than your competitors. This requires broad buy-in to a SEM plan. Our planning approach is grounded in research on exemplary practices for fostering campus-wide engagement in SEM planning.

SEM Works’ consulting model typically involves five stages: (1) Scope

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(2) Discover(3) Plan(4) Implement(5) Assess/Adjust

Recommendations stemming from our consulting process are based on a combination of physical evidence provided by WIU along with secondary data sources, on-campus interviews, and direct observations of existing practices, and will utilize a research method known as “triangulation” to validate findings. Any finding supported by all three research techniques are considered valid. A complementary method called “pattern matching” will validate findings that do not appear to be triangulated, but are reoccurring themes that emerge from one or more of these research techniques.

This model serves as the framework in the sections that follow for describing our professional programs and services. A brief description is provided of the typical approach we take in partnership with you, our client, every step of the way to develop strategies and tactics that yield maximum return on institutional investment (ROI) to improve recruitment, communications, marketing, as well as data-based decision making, optimization of resources, and effectiveness of organizational structures.

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Project Management

Your project manager, Lynda Wallace-Hulecki, will provide WIU with a single point of contact service following the project management protocols depicted below. Lynda will be available on an as needed basis throughout the duration of the project.

ContractConfirm contract specifications and obtain signed contract from the client.

Project PlanDevelop a project plan with a timeline and milestones.

Project Management (PM) SystemLoad the project plan in SEM Works’ PM systemand grant the client access.

Best PracticesAs appropriate, provide the client with best practice examples, articles, links, etc.

Client ContactAs needed, contact the client to address project issues and seek feedback.

Client SignoffObtain client input, revise accordingly and obtain client sign-off on the project plan.

Progress ReportProvide the client with the first progress report outlining related deliverables and milestones.

Progress ReportFor the duration of the project, provide the client with weekly progress reports.

OngoingWeek 3Week 2Week 1

SEM Works Project Plan Protocol

SatisfactionAt the conclusion of the project, assess client satisfaction (survey), and request a quote.

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3.7 Customized ApproachAs explained on pages 19 and 20, and 3.8 below, SEM Works will work in partnership with key WIU constituents to build a customized strategy that will address specific enrollment goals and challenges, and maximize return on investment. The approach will data-driven and will impact high priority target student segments throughout the student recruitment lifecycle describe in 3.8.

3.8 Recruitment/Marketing Plan At SEM Works, we believe that strategically focused recruitment and enrollment strategies must be aligned with the institution’s brand strategy, and marketing and communications messages.

Our RecruitmentWorks services involve a comprehensive review of the structures, activities, systems (e.g., inquiry management, enrollment reports and database, CRM system), information, policies and processes associated with prospective student recruitment and admissions through to enrollment fulfillment. We employ a data-driven approach that leads to the identification of high priority target student segments, and an integrated and actionable strategy and plan by segment throughout the student recruitment lifecycle stages, including:

Recruitment marketing and communications Inquiry generation Application generation Conversion strategy Client relationship management

SEM Works will work with your internal Institutional Research personnel among other constituents to develop a detailed profile of your prospective students by segment (first-time freshmen direct from high school, adult learners, transfers, international, etc.) as well as of your successful students. We will research other databases such as the Enrollment Information Services (EIS) database to determine the student attributes and enrollment trends associated with your priority target student segments. By combining the results from these data sources, we are able to validate the research findings through a process of triangulation, whereby any finding supported by all three research techniques is considered valid. This process also provides a sound basis for identifying strategic opportunities to optimize your prospective student search process and leverage the use of scholarship funds in the search process.

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The chart on the next page presents an overview of our RecruitmentWorks services. Steps 1 and 2 constitute a Recruitment Audit based upon an environmental systems analysis of existing operations relative to best practices and environmental conditions (internal and external). The inclusion of Steps 3 through 5 are services that lead to the development of a Recruitment/Marketing Plan and, facilitation of the initial stages of implementation and formative evaluation.

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2. DISCOVERY

Conductenvironmental

systems analysis todiscover strategic

points of leverage instudent recruitment

Western Illinois UniversityRecruitmentWorksConsulting Map

3. PLANNING

Identify strategicopportunities and

strategies linked toKPIs and metrics

4. IMPLEMENTATION

Ensure campusengagement, effective

execution, andsustainability

5. ASSESS

Evaluate theeffectiveness of early

implementation

Recruitment Audit,including Quad Cities

(3 day site visit)

Optional researchservices

Webinar report

Planning retreat(one-day on-site)

Strategy Developmentsessions (recruitment,

aid, enrollmentreporting)

(3 two-day site visits)

Develop IntegratedRecruitment/Marketing

Plan

1. SCOPE

Define the projectscope and timeline

Conference Call toestablish project goals,

scope, risks, andcontext

Situational Analysis(off-site)

Strategyimplementation

sessions(2 two-day site visits)

Formative evaluationand progress reports

Recruitmentprofessionaldevelopmentworkshops

Review of Financial Aidservices and packaging.

(1 day site visit)

Enrollment Reportingreview

(1 day site visit)

Off-site assessment ofOptimal Aid &

competitive context

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The charts that follow present a more detailed description of the RecruitmentWorks process components that will be customized for WIU.

RecruitmentWorks Scope of Recruitment-Related Functions

STUDENT RECRUITMENT Review of three-pronged admissions process Review of Quad Cities Admissions process Review of Graduate School Admissions process Best practices in student recruitment Campus visit experience Recruitment events Recruitment travel and territory management Student marketing and communications flow Website and publication assessment Decentralized recruitment, communications, and marketing conducted in

academic units ADMISSIONS PROCESSING (DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL)

Admissions advising Financial aid/scholarships Transition processes

MANAGEMENT OF PROSPECTIVE, INQUIRY, AND APPLICANT POOLS

Enrollment database Enrollment reports Inquiry generation and capture strategies Inquiry processing Applicant conversion Enrollment yield

TRANSCRIPT EVALUATION Systems, policies, and practices

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CLIENT RELATIONS MANAGEMENT

Staff training and development

RecruitmentWorks Consulting Process Details for WIU Recruitment/Marketing Plan

SCOPE

1. SCOPE OF WORKDEFINE THE PROJECT SCOPE AND TIMELINE

CONFERENCE CALLA conference call is held with key stakeholders to establish WIU’s institutional context, scope, timelines, and goals for the recruitment audit (including Quad Cities), as well as environmental constraints and/or risks.

DISCOVERY

2. DISCOVERYDISCOVER STRATEGIC POINTS OF LEVERAGE

(ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS ANALYSIS)

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS (TWO CONSULTANTS)In preparation for the on-site visit, SEM Works conducts a review of student marketing, communication, and recruitment materials supplied by WIU, as well as of relevant information on enrollment trends, admissions conversion and yields, and available research. Of particular interest will be the three-pronged admissions process, graduate admissions process, Quad Cities admissions process, and associated enrollment reports that track operational effectiveness. If warranted, recommendations are made to address critical gaps in information and research via internal and/or third party services such as Applicant Studies, Admit/Denied Studies, etc. Refer to Addendum 1 for the list of reference materials requested of WIU.

RECRUITMENT AUDIT:3-DAY SITE VISIT (BLACK, 3-DAYS ON MAIN CAMPUS; WALLACE-HULECKI 2-DAYS ON MAIN CAMPUS, AND 1-DAY ON QUAD CITIES CAMPUS)

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DISCOVERY

Over a three-day site visit, SEM Works will conduct an audit of recruitment and admissions operations, at both the main campus and the Quad Cities campus involving the following:

CONSTITUENT INTERVIEWS- A broad representation of institutional stakeholders will be interviewed to assess existing marketing and recruitment initiatives, scholarship programs, staffing organization and skills, barriers to new student enrollment, future enrollment opportunities, as well as the involvement of staff and faculty in recruitment efforts. Emphasis will be placed on an assessment of the admissions processes, enrollment reports, cross-functional and interdepartmental coordination of recruitment activities, customer service issues, response time to requests for information, and general responsiveness of staff.

STUDENT FOCUS GROUPS (2) - Select targeted student segments will be invited to share their experiences regarding obstacles to admission and enrollment, customer service issues, response time to requests, and general responsiveness of staff. Service and response time feedback will be compared against SEM Works’ knowledge of and experience with best practices in customer service in higher education.

ON-SITE OBSERVATIONS – Operations and workflow will be analyzed to identify opportunities to improve: student recruitment (inquiry and applicant generation, conversion, territory management, programs, recruiting technology, etc.), customer service, data management, staffing (number, mix, organization, and skills), and marketing and communications strategies (Web marketing, media mix, etc.)

Refer to Addendum 2 for a Sample Recruitment Audit Agenda for the site visit.

FINANCIAL AID SERVICES AND PACKAGING AUDIT (ONE-DAY SITE VISIT, BLACK)During a one-day site visit, operations and workflow will be analyzed to identify opportunities to improve:

Financial aid and scholarships processing and timing Integration of scholarship offers with the student search and admissions process Customer service

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DISCOVERY

Data management Staffing (number, mix, organization, and skills) Communications strategies Packaging strategies, policies and procedures Use of aid to build and shape enrollment

Refer to the Addendum 3 for a Sample Financial Aid Audit Agenda for the site visit.

OFF-SITE FINANCIAL AID DATA ANALYSIS SEM Works’ consultants work with representatives of the Financial Aid, Scholarship/Awards, and Institution Research offices to: ASSESS OPTIMAL AID – An assessment will be conducted of the past three years of financial aid and

scholarship data as well as packaging objectives and related strategies and outcomes to determine optimal aid (the tipping point) for accepted target student segments. Using a three-year dataset provided by the WIU, SEM Works determines the optimal use of existing funds and recommended areas where the investment of new dollars will yield higher net revenue.

Using a dataset provided by WIU, the following student identifiers will be analyzed to assess the effectiveness of existing financial aid and scholarship strategies: student name, application type (new freshman or transfer, graduate or undergraduate), admitted status, enrolled status, one-year retention status, state residence, nationality, ACT composite score, SAT scores, high school GPA, college GPA, computed HS GPA, tuition discount recipient, Expected Family Contribution, and financial aid offer and accepted amounts for Pell Grants, other federal grants, state grants, institution grants, athletic scholarships, performance grants, foundation grants, and loans. Yield data (offer to enroll) from the existing packaging model by scholarship and need-based institutional aid amount also will be analyzed. The analysis will inform recommendations regarding optimal use of existing funds as well as areas where the investment of new dollars will yield greater net revenue.

In addition to the requested financial aid data, the following enrollment trend data and scholarship

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DISC0VERY

DISCOV

information is needed to guide recommendations:─ Application, admission, and enrollment trends and yields by key student segments (e.g.,

freshmen, transfers, in-state, out-of-state, international, etc.)─ Retention and graduation data─ Student demographic profile─ Scholarship criteria and award amounts─ Institutional aid budget

CONDUCT COMPETITOR PRICING AND SCHOLARSHIP ANALYSIS - Using a list of admitted students provided by WIU, the SEM Works’ research team conducts interviews with informants to assess the following:

─ Selection ranking of institutions in each student’s comparison set─ Reasons for selecting the institution or a competitor─ The relative competitiveness of TOTAL aid offers of comparison institutions─ The relative competitiveness of SCHOLARSHIP offers of comparison institutions─ The timing of need-based aid offerings relative to other institutions in the comparison set─ The timing of scholarship offerings relative to other institutions in the comparison set─ The perceived worth of each institution in the comparison set─ The perceived cost (gross and net after TOTAL aid offers) of each institution in the comparison

ENROLLMENT REPORTING REVIEW (1-DAY SITE VISIT, WALLACE-HULECKI)As an integral component of our recruitment/marketing planning approach, we will work with your operations units and Institutional Research Office to identify the enrollment performance analytics that can best provide the actionable intelligence (the right information to the right people at the right time) you require in order to manage enrollment performance throughout the student lifecycle (e.g., prospect, applicant, admit, current, and graduating student) by student segment.

WEBINAR REPORT FROM THE AUDITS A comprehensive and detailed Webinar report will be delivered via PowerPoint to the institution’s leadership and invited guests within approximately two weeks after the completion of the on-site audits. The report

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ERY

DISCOVERY

identifies operational strengths, gaps, and opportunities to incorporate best practice recruitment strategies and enhance coordination of recruitment and admissions practices campus-wide. Recommendations for improvements in operations focus on:

Audit findings and recommendations Staff performance and capacity Recruiting, admission, communication, and marketing efficiency, effectiveness and ROI Programs, processes, policies, systems and structures that should be expanded, enhanced,

morphed or discontinued based on high-yield low-cost impact Use of data to inform recruitment tactics and assess impact of strategies Enrollment reporting capacity Enrollment database effectiveness Communication flow and effectiveness Customer service

In addition, the report highlights: Organizational capacity conditions that will enable or impede success Antecedents for producing sustainable and positive results Relevant key performance indicators and other evaluative metrics Prioritized recommendations for strategic allocation of human and financial resources Report on Progress and agreed upon next steps and timelines Competitor pricing and scholarship findings Parameters for a leveraging model including merit and needs-based awards

OPTIONAL RESEARCH SERVICESThrough our strategic partnership with the Academica Group, we offer OPTIONAL research services that WIU may consider to inform your recruitment/marketing planning, including:

UCAS (University/College Applicant Study™) Competitive Intelligence Report ADS 80 (Acceptance Declined Survey™) Strategic Enrollment Research Summary Report for both studies

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Financial Factors Analysis

Refer to Addendum 4 for details on each of these research services.

PLANNING

PLA

3. PLANNING IDENTIFY STRATEGIC OPPORTUNITIES AND STRATEGIES LINKED TO KPI’S AND METRICS

PLANNING RETREAT (ONE- DAY SITE VISIT, TWO CONSULTANTS, BLACK AND WALLACE-HULECKI))A full-day planning retreat with the recruitment and marketing planning team will be conducted to define implementation steps which typically include the following elements:

A recruitment planning construct Priority target student segments High priority strategic opportunities and associated key performance indicators Identification of strategy planning teams and associated terms of reference and composition Report on Progress and agreed upon next steps and timelines

RECRUITMENT/MARKETING STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS (3 TWO-DAY SITE VISITS, TWO CONSULTANTS, BLACK AND WALLACE-HULECKI)Over three two-day visits, SEM Works will collaborate with the university’s strategy planning teams, in the development of targeted strategies linked to institutional goals and identified target student segments. This process begins with an inventory of existing recruitment strategies (e.g., the three-pronged admissions process) and then identifies strategy gaps; opportunities to enhance, morph, or eliminate existing strategies; and uses institutional-approved criteria for prioritizing strategies. High priority strategies are defined with details such as strategy ownership, implementation timeline, delivery method, effectiveness metrics, and the antecedents necessary for a successful implementation. A brief status report on progress and agreed upon next steps will be submitted at the conclusion of each two-day session.

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NNING

PLANNING

DEVELOP LEVERAGING AID STRATEGY

DEVELOP A LEVERAGING AID MATRIX Assuming historical data are available for enrolling as well as non-enrolling students, SEM Works provides a leveraging matrix that estimates ability to pay alongside willingness to pay using financial need and academic variables to predict the optimal amount and type of aid required to influence enrollment decisions. Informed by the audit of existing packaging strategies, the institution’s enrollment goals, and the financial aid analysis, SEM Works will recommend improvements to aid delivery processes, implementation guidance for staff, and aid strategies to accomplish WIU’s new and returning student enrollment goal of 1641 to 1900 in one to two years.

In general, leveraging models work on two basic principles: (1) ability to pay and (2) willingness to pay. Institutional grants should be used to address the “tipping point” in relation to ability to pay while merit scholarships should be focused on the willingness to pay “tipping point.” Regarding the latter, the willingness to pay principle assumes that the higher the academic profile, the more postsecondary options an individual has—thus requiring higher financial awards the higher the academic profile to incentivize students to choose the institution. An ongoing analysis of yield rates for new students will allow the institution to adjust award amounts up or down by cell to arrive at the “tipping point.”

The necessary requisite data points (SAT/ACT ranges, GPA ranges, and Expected Family Contribution) and anticipated yield from offers to acceptances will be included in the leveraging matrix. A simple Excel sheet will be provided for monitoring ongoing offers and acceptances by matrix cell, so the institution can track the impact of the leveraging matrix on enrollment and financial goals in order to make mid-course adjustments as deemed necessary.

DEVELOP AND SUBMIT LEVERAGING STRATEGY (BLACK)A brief report will describe the recommended usage of the leveraging matrix. The report will include strategy and monitoring recommendations as well as advice on adapting strategies as the results of the

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leveraging strategy unfold. Discussions regarding the prioritization of recommendations and associated implementation steps will be an integral component of the recruitment and marketing strategy development sessions described above.

A matrix monitoring tool will be provided through a simple Excel sheet. The tool monitors yield by matrix cell, progress towards related enrollment goals, the institution’s financial commitment, and net revenue generation. Using this tool, the institution is empowered to make strategy and award amount adjustments during the course of an enrollment cycle – increasing the probability of achievement of enrollment and financial goals.

ENROLLMENT REPORTING STRATEGY (WALLACE-HULECKI) As a core element of our recruiting/marketing planning approach, we will work with your operations units and Institutional Research Office in identifying strategies to create an enrollment reporting system that can best provide the actionable intelligence (the right information to the right people at the right time) you require in order to manage enrollment performance throughout the student lifecycle with particular attention to the admissions lifecycle stages (e.g., prospect, applicant, admit, registered) by student segment.

RECRUITMENT/MARKETING PLAN DEVELOPMENTOn the strength of the consultative process and available data, SEM Works will develop an integrated goal-, timeline-, strategy-, and budget-driven recruitment/marketing plan for review and approval. For both the main campus (undergraduate and graduate) and the Quad Cities campus. At a minimum, elements of the plan will include:

an executive summary the University’s recruitment/marketing context recruitment/marketing strategies with 30, 60, and 90 day detailed action plans training recommendations

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financial aid recommendations (e.g., leveraging matrix, leveraging strategy, matrix monitoring tool, etc.)

enrollment reporting and enrollment database development recommendations, and recommendations for further study.

IMPLEMENTATION

4. IMPLEMENTATIONENSURE CAMPUS ENGAGEMENT, EFFECTIVE EXECUTION, AND SUSTAINABILITY

STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION SESSIONS (2 TWO-DAY SITE VISITS, TWO CONSULTANTS)SEM Works will assist WIU in the initial implementation the recruitment/marketing plan. This will include 2 two-day visits with the institution’s strategy implementation teams and others responsible for implementation. Recommendations for immediate action will be discussed with accountability measures built in. Particular attention will be given to identifying financial assistance performance analytics and a reporting methodology for ongoing tracking of yield to inform mid-course packaging strategy adjustments. A brief status report will be submitted summarizing progress and agreed upon next steps and timelines at the end of each two-day session OR the end of the 2 two-day sessions.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPIn addition to the Student Recruitment Workshop quoted in this proposal, SEM Works offers a breadth of professional development workshop options on topics such as enrollment management, customer service, change management, branding, integrated marketing, retention, selling, and more.

Student Recruitment Training Workshop (one-day)Go inside the minds of students, learn how to reach them and what to say. We’ll cover the unique characteristics of Millennials and Gen Xers, best practices successfully employed by like institutions, factors influencing student choice, the recruitment funnel, principles of communication flow, and proven recruitment and territory management strategies. Anyone involved in undergraduate or graduate recruitment, including volunteers and academic units involved in recruitment, will benefit from this introduction to student recruitment.

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Refer to Addendum 5 for details.

ASSESS

5. ASSESSFORMATIVE EVALUATION AND PROGRESS REPORTS

(ONE CONSULTANT, BLACK)Following each strategy implementation session, SEM Works provides a brief formative evaluation of the planning process and related deliverables, including recommendations for mid-course adjustments if warranted.

3.9.0–3.9.4: Staffing and Primary Contact

Jim Black, Ph.D., SEM Works President and CEO, Project Responsibilities: Lead Consultant, Recruitment/Marketing Plan, Quad City campus review, Financial aid audit, recruitment seminars, etc.Lynda Wallace-Hulecki, Vice-President of Strategy and Senior Consultant, Project Responsibilities: Recruitment/Marketing discovery, planning and implementation components, enrollment reporting and strategy, Quad Cities review

Bryant Hutson, Ph.D., Senior Policy Analyst, Project Responsibilities: Assist with assessments, and research development and interpretation

Oded VanHam, Director of Research, Project Responsibilities: Conduct optional research

Pete Lindsey, Director of Business Development, Project Responsibilities: Proposal writer and primary contact.SEM Works, LLC1175 Revolution Mill DriveStudio 3Greensboro, NC 27405

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Toll Free: 1-800-494-3710Direct: 336/844-4060Fax: 336/888-626-2374plindsey@semworks.net

 3.10: PARTIAL CLIENT LIST (FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTIONS)  Adams State College North Carolina Central UniversityAlice Lloyd College Ontario Institute of TechnologyAndrew College Pacific Graduate School of PsychologyArkansas State University Paisley University (Scotland)Belmont University Robert Morris College (University)Buffalo State College Roosevelt UniversityCarson-Newman College Salem CollegeCharter Oak State College Seventh Day Adventist UniversityCity University of New York Sherman College of ChiropracticClayton State University Slippery Rock UniversityCoker College Southeast Missouri State UniversityCollege of Saint Rose Southern Adventist UniversityDefiance College Southern New Hampshire UniversityEast Stroudsburg University Spalding UniversityEastern Kentucky University Sunderland University (England)Eastern Oregon State University University of Colorado at DenverEast-West University University of British ColumbiaFanshawe College University of California at Santa CruzFayetteville State University University of IdahoFerris State University University of Maine at Fort KentFort Lewis College University of Maine at MachiasFrancis Marion University University of Maryland—Eastern ShoreFranklin University University of Missouri—Kansas CityGuilford College University of North Carolina at GreensboroIndiana University Purdue University Indianapolis University of ReginaIthaca College University of SaskatchewanJohnson C. Smith University University of St. FrancisKettering University University of Texas at Dallas

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Lenoir-Rhyne College University of Texas at El PasoLincoln University University of VermontMars Hill College University of VictoriaMedical University of South Carolina University of West FloridaMeredith College University of WindsorMount Olive College University of Wisconsin at Eau ClaireMt. St. Vincent University Villanova UniversitySherman Chiropractic College William Paterson UniversityNew England Culinary Institute Winona State University

3.11: OTHER INFORMATION PERTINENT TO DEMONSTRATING QUALIFICATIONS—ENROLLMENT SUCCESS  University of Victoria (Canada), Student enrollment: 18,000Bruce Kilpatrick, Director of CommunicationEnrollment Success: Compared to 2008, 2009 first-year registered students are up 8% and returning undergraduates have increased 3%. University of Southern New Hampshire, Student enrollment: 6,400 Brad Poznanski, Vice President of Enrollment Services Enrollment Success:  Full-time undergraduate enrollment increased 3.5% fall 2005 to fall 2006, and 4.5% spring 2006 to spring 2007. Since 2005, undergraduate enrollment has increased an average of 10.36% Eastern Oregon University, Student enrollment: 12,000Michael Jaeger, Provost & Vice President for Academic AffairsEnrollment Success:

 Undergraduate enrollment has increased an average of 13.1% over the last two years since SEM Works first consulted with EOU. 2009 Undergraduate enrollment has increased 17.4% compared to the year 2007.

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Ferris State University, Student enrollment: 13,500Craig Westman, Ph.D., Associate Dean of Enrollment Services and Director of Admissions and Records Enrollment Success:  Since SEM Works first worked with FSU, undergraduate enrollment has increased an average of 23.6% over the past

eight years. 15.63% increase in enrollment between 2002 and 2006, second highest among public institutions in Michigan. Including fall 2007, the highest enrollment growth among public institutions in Michigan.

3.1.2 EXPECTATIONS OF STAFF AND OTHER DATA REQUIREMENTS

A brief summary of expectations of staff and data requirements includes the following: audits, planning, implementation, and assessment sessions—send pre-visit assessment materials,

schedule times and facilities for meetings and student focus groups, participate in meetings by staff, faculty, administration and students based on schedules, and provide feedback for Webinar reports

student recruitment “territory management” and enrollment performance—territory management documents/plans/enrollment goals and outcomes, staff summary by territory, admissions data (inquiries, applicants, admitted, deposited, and enrolled numbers and yields by ZIP code, county, and/or Enrollment Information Service (EIS) markets), admissions staff training plans, schedule faculty, administration, and staff for planning sessions

financial aid and scholarship analysis—provide at least three years of financial aid and scholarship data as previously described

training seminar—schedules meeting times, invite participants, and provide facilities optional market research—review first draft of surveys, and approve final instrument and sampling

procedure

Although the consultancy requires the investment of staff time, our goal is to keep staff time to a minimum while achieving staff input and participation that will lead to University-wide buy-in and support. 

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3.1.3 PRIMARY CONTACT PERSONPete Lindsey, Director of Business DevelopmentSEM Works, LLC1175 Revolution Mill DriveStudio 3Greensboro, NC 27405E-mail: plindsey@semworks.netToll Free: 1-800-494-3710Direct: 336-844-4060Fax: 1-888-626-2374  4.5 REFERENCES

Arkansas State University, Student enrollment: 11,500 studentsRick Stripling, Vice ChancellorPO Box 189Jonesboro, Arkansas 72467ricks@astate.edu or 870/972-2048 Jim Black, president of SEM Works, facilitated the development of an enrollment management plan and branding strategy at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Dr. Black worked directly with a planning group at the University to identify objectives, a planning construct, a process, and timeline. An audit of existing enrollment management operations was preceded by a review of institutional trend data, competitor information, survey data, publications and Web sites, strategic plans, enrollment plans, organizational charts, and related documents. The site visit included direct observations of operations, interviews with staff and those they serve, along with focus groups with students.  E-mail campaign technology and strategy that were provided by SEM Works are already yielding significant results. ASU has had more visitors to campus this fall than ever before.

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 "There are a lot of consultants. We needed someone to understand our institution’s mission and purpose. Jim Black's knowledge of the enrollment process and higher education marketing greatly helped our institution focus on enrollment and marketing efforts that matter. We have seen an increase in our freshman class for the second straight year. Freshman enrollment has increased 27 percent for the past two years, and this year's class represents the largest freshman class that we have seen in eight years. Our spring to spring enrollment increase is the largest in at least fourteen years and the second highest spring semester enrollment in history. SEM Works and Jim Black delivered!" Rick Stripling, Vice Chancellor Enrollment Success Since SEM Works began consulting for ASU, total student enrollment has grown from 10,500 to 12,000, an increase of

16%. Fall 2008 headcount represents a 6.3% increase over fall 2007 and exceeds the record enrollment of 1992. The fall 2008 freshman class is up 9.1% over last year and it exceeds the record enrollment set in 1983. The 2007 freshman class has increased for the second straight year. Freshman enrollment has increased 27 percent

for the past two years, and the 2007 year's class represents the largest freshman class that ASU has seen in eight years.

 Fall 2007 unduplicated headcount is the highest recorded enrollment since 1992. Spring 2007 to spring 2008 enrollment increase is the largest in at least fourteen years and the second highest spring

semester enrollment in history. Recognition: ASU’s “Powering Minds” branding campaign won the first place Gold Level Grand Award in the category “Institutional Identity Programs” at the District IV CASE conference in Dallas. University of Vermont, Student enrollment: 11,800 Donald M. Honeman, former Dean of Admissions & Enrollment Planning at UVMCurrently: Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services

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University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth285 Old WestportNorth Dartmouth, MA 02747508/999-8042 or dhoneman@umass.edu  SEM Works conducted an audit of existing enrollment practices, organizational structure, staffing patterns, processes, workflow, strategies, and technology utilization were among the factors reviewed. On the last day of the visit, an executive briefing was provided with key findings. A comprehensive written audit report followed with observations and prioritized recommendations. SEM Works facilitated the development and implementation of the SEM plan; consulting services to support the execution of the SEM plan including ongoing training, coaching, culture change management, evaluation, feedback, and adjustment of the implementation; and provision of tools, resource material, etc., required to complete projects; project management assistance, etc. “Because of the work of SEM Works, strategic enrollment management at the University of Vermont has become focused, purposeful, and comprehensive. When SEM Works first engaged with our enrollment team, UVM was on the cusp of a remarkable growth in application volume and a consequent rise in selectivity, but was badly in need of a more centered approach to managing its enrollment with a University-wide perspective. Jim Black served as educator, facilitator, and cheerleader in the effort to develop a more coherent approach to our enrollment efforts. The net result of Jim’s work has been the establishment of a Strategic Enrollment Management Council with four ongoing task forces that now coordinate the work associated with student recruitment, marketing, retention, and data analysis/evaluation. Thanks to SEM Works’ guidance, the entire University of Vermont community is fully engaged in achieving the enrollment goals associated with our institutional strategic vision.”Donald M. Honeman, Former Dean of Admissions & Enrollment Planning

UVM Enrollment Success:  Since SEM Works began consulting with UVM, total fall undergraduate enrollment has increased an average of 16.7% and spring enrollment 16.9% over the last five years.

 

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Eastern Oregon State University, Student enrollment 12,000Michael Jaeger, Provost & Vice President for Academic AffairsOne University BoulevardLa Grandee, OR 97850541/962-3544 or mjaeger@eou.eduFax: 541/962-3113 SEM Works conducted a comprehensive four-day enrollment management audit including a review of existing institutional inquiry, application, and retention trend data, gender and racial data, market research, survey data, financial aid allocation strategies, organization charts, marketing budgets, competitor information, communications materials, collaterals, Web sites, marketing, recruiting and retention plans. Emphasis was placed on a review of data and strategies that explain and impact EOU’s brand, marketing, admissions policies, retention programs, and financial aid processes. Goals included strategies to: increase applicant pools; improve and stabilize yields at inquiry, application, and enrollment stages; financial aid packaging; follow-up activities after inquiry and application, improve retention rates by assessing student services, increase demographic diversity and/or ethnic diversity; and activities to evaluate progress and success."Eastern Oregon University was faced with declining enrollment, organizational challenges, and fiscal sustainability problems. Leadership recognized that we needed help to refocus our attentions in enrollment management and support structures that would facilitate a stable student population. SEM Works answered our RFP and delivered a comprehensive plan to revitalize the University. As a result of their work, Eastern restructured Academic and Student Affairs to create a new unit on campus called Enrollment Management. This new organizational structure has made it possible for us to marshal financial aid, admissions, and the goals of academic enrollment in one strategic unit. After only three months in operation we already have seen an improvement in admission applications for fall of 2008 by double digit amounts, but also higher enrollment numbers for winter 2008 and spring 2008. Michael Jaeger, Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs On-campus Enrollment

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“We are thrilled with the large increase in our resident population. I am convinced that the strong recruitment and outreach effort by the University, along with EOU’s commitment to providing access by keeping costs low, has raised our stature across the state and the region. The largest increase is in first-year freshmen, who make up the majority of the resident student population.”Director of Housing & Student Involvement

 

University of Regina, Student enrollment: 12,000 students Dr. Don ClarkFormer Special Advisor, Strategic Enrollment Management Project, President’s Office (now retired)CKHS Room 164.18Regina, SK S4S 0A2306/585-4911 or don.clark@uregina.ca SEM Works conducted a three-day strategic enrollment management audit; facilitated the development of a University-wide Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) plan to improve and integrate enrollment and retention efforts; provided ongoing evaluation and feedback during implementation; a formative evaluation of the SEM process; and a summative evaluation to measure achievement of objectives.“Following a one-day retreat with the University's Senior Leadership Team, Dr. Black provided an excellent report outlining a strategic enrollment management planning model. The comprehensive plan included an environmental scan indicating trends influencing our enrollment. Dr. Black effectively facilitated a series of planning sessions, with our work teams, which resulted in the development of enrollment management strategies in specific opportunity areas. Dr. Black was readily accessible throughout this process, responded to questions in a timely fashion, provided additional support material upon request, and presented regular progress reports. We have been very pleased with the insightful and cohesive recommendations presented in SEM Works’ Strategic Enrollment Management plan.” Dr. Don ClarkFormer Special Advisor, Strategic Enrollment Management Project

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Enrollment Success Fall 2009 undergraduate enrollment has increased 2.1% compared to 2008.

Ithaca College, Student enrollment: 6,200Dr. Kathleen RountreeProvost and Vice President of Academic Affairs303 Job HallIthaca, NY 14850607/274-3113 or krountree@ithaca.edu Dr. Black conducted a comprehensive enrollment management audit including an assessment of existing marketing and enrollment management operations, review of institutional trend data, competitor information, survey data, publications and Web sites, marketing plans, communication plans, strategic plans, enrollment plans, organizational charts, direct observations of operations, and interviews with staff, focus groups with students. “Working with Jim Black and SEM Works has been extremely valuable to Ithaca College. The resulting analysis and recommendations have been immensely helpful in evaluating our past successes and anticipating necessary steps to ensure continuing success in enrollment, both in quantity and quality.”Dr. Kathleen Rountree, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

Enrollment Results: New student enrollment for 2008 was under the enrollment target by 200 students. Following SEM

Works’ 2008 enrollment audit, the fall 2009 new student enrollment exceeded the enrollment target by 25%.

 

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Ferris State University, Student enrollment: 13,500Craig Westman, Ph.D. Provost for Enrollment Management ServicesUniversity of Texas at El PasoASB Room 102500 West University AvenueEl Paso, TX 79968cewestman@utep.edu or 915/747-5093 An enrollment capacity audit and enrollment planning consulting was provided. Key concepts such as branding, marketing, the relationship continuum, integration, the enrollment funnel, student recruitment, student retention, and student services were addressed.

"Ferris State University has had Jim Black to campus several times. Each time Jim has brought institutional focus to enrollment management and how enrollment management is an institutional imperative, not a singular unit's job. Jim has aided Ferris in realigning its recruitment activities to place them into a firm strategic enrollment management context. About every two years, Jim comes to campus to get our batteries recharged—to look critically and strategically at how we are doing our recruiting. Jim's guidance has allowed Ferris to embark on successful e-Recruitment and print campaigns. Jim's guidance has been instrumental in the past several years of Ferris's success—a 15.63% growth in enrollment!”  Craig Westman, Ph.D., Former Associate Dean of Enrollment Services and Director of Admissions and Records, Ferris State University

 

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NOTE: SEM Works has not had contracts that were not renewed or that were canceled.

 4.6 TIMELINESThe timeline chart and details presented below suggests that the processes associated with the Recruitment/Marketing plan for the main campus and the Quad Cities campus using two consultants (Dr. Black and Ms. Wallace-Hulecki). These timelines may be revised by mutual consent between SEM Works and WIU. We have assumed the project duration to be November 1, 2010–August 31, 2011 (ten months or 40 weeks).

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I. Discovery

Activities 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112 131415 1617 181920212223 2425262728293031

Conference CallOn-Site AuditsWebinar ReportII. PlanningStrategy

Development Sessions

Integrated PlanIII. ImplementationStrategy

Implementation Sessions

Evaluation (week 40)

Overview of Western Illinois UniversityConsulting Timeline

Note: Consulting process for the Recruitment/Marketing Plan including Quad Cities will be conducted concurrently

Scope and DiscoveryWeek 1 Conference calls to establish scope of the work; conduct environmental systems analysis; and

discover strategic points of leverage for the recruitment/marketing plan at the main campus and Quad Cities campus.

On-Site AuditsWeek 3 Recruitment/marketing review- Three-day recruitment audit (two consultants); review of financial

services and packaging (1-day site visit, one consultant); off-site assessment of optimal aid & competitive context; and enrollment reporting review (1-day site visit, one consultant)

Week 5 Webinar reports (outcomes of both audit processes)

PlanningWeek 8 Planning retreats (1-day site visit, two consultants) Weeks 10-11 On-site strategy development session I (2-day site visit, two consultants) Weeks 14-15 On-site strategy development session II (2-day site visit, two consultants) Weeks 18-19 On-site strategy development session III (2-day site visit, two consultants) including enrollment

report strategy development for the recruitment/marketing plan Weeks 22-23 Develop an integrated recruitment/marketing plan for the main campus and Quad Cities campus

ImplementationWeek 26-27 Strategy implementation session I (2-day site visit, two consultants) Week 30-31 Strategy implementation session II (2-day site visit, two consultants); and recruitment training

workshop AssessWeek 40 Formative evaluation and progress report

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Recruitment/Marketing Timeline excludes: Optional research services

4.7 KNOWLEDGE OF ENROLLMENT DATABASES  Dr. Black and Ms Wallace Hulecki have over fifty-one years of combined experience working with enrollment and

higher education databases and SunGard Banner.   Dr. Black was Associate Provost for Enrollment Services for nine years at the University of North Carolina at

Greensboro where he oversaw the implementation of Banner. Enrollment services offices reporting to him included admissions, enrollment technologies, student marketing and communications, student success center, financial aid, registrar, student academic services, and evening university.

  Dr. Black was invited to SunGard’s headquarters in Malvern, PA to review the Enrollment Management Suite of

Banner.  Ms. Wallace-Hulecki has twenty-three years of experience as a Director of an Institutional Analysis and Planning office

at Mount Royal College, followed by four years as Executive Director of Enrollment Management and Registrar. In addition, Ms. Wallace-Hulecki oversaw ten areas of enrollment services operations and led campus-wide strategic enrollment planning for four years at the University of Victoria.

  Some of SEM Works’ clients who use Banner include the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Ithaca College,

Eastern Oregon State University, North Carolina Central University, Fayetteville State University, University of Texas at El Passo, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Regina, University of Texas at Dallas, University of Victoria, University of West Florida, Arkansas State University, Ferris State University, South Texas College, University of Vermont, University of Idaho, William Patterson University, Villanova University, etc.

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Dr. Black has worked PeopleSoft clients such as Lexington Community College (now Bluegrass CTC), Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, University of Missouri at Kansas City, and UC Santa Cruz

 SEM Works staff are very familiar with ways to leverage ACT, SAT, and NRCCUA student searches as well as the application of the Enrollment Information Service (EIS), etc. to inform recruitment and marketing strategies that will grow enrollment.

 

ADDENDA

ADDENDUM #1: REFERENCE MATERIALSStrategic Plans:

Institution strategic plan (mission, vision, values, strategic development directions), Academic development plan and priorities Enrollment management goals, plans and strategies Marketing goals, plans and strategies

Organization & Governance Structures: Organizational charts Institution governance and decision structures SEM Committee (and sub-committee) charter(s) and accountabilities

SEM Operations: Enrollment operations infrastructure (organizational structures, staffing, budgets) and resources that

support the SEM planning and implementation process Administrative policies and related documents

Environmental Analyses: Environmental scan (external and internal)

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Strategic research: image and market research, campus climate SWOT analyses (if available)

Enrollment Trends and Related Research: Application, admission, and enrollment trends and yields by key student segments Enrollment and student flow trends and analyses Student geo-demographic profile Student survey research: recruitment and applicant yield studies, student satisfaction surveys, student

engagement studies, completions/graduations studies

ADDENDUM #2: RECRUITMENT AUDIT AGENDA

Three-day Recruitment Audit (two consultants)The agenda will be developed in consultation with WIU.

Day 1 (Black and Wallace-Hulecki, main campus)8:30 – 9:30 Meet with project sponsor(s) and executive leaders to confirm expectations and

deliverables 9:45 – 12:00 Recruitment staff 12:15 – 1:45 Lunch with a representative group of deans2:00 – 4:00 Marketing and Communications staff4:15 – 4:45 International Recruitment staff 5:00 – 6:30 Dinner with student focus group #1

Day 2 (Black and Wallace-Hulecki, main campus)8:30 – 9:30 Institutional Research 9:45 – 10:45 IT staff who support recruitment efforts11:00 – 12:00 Student Services/Enrollment Services staff 12:15 – 1:30 Lunch with academic faculty and staff involved in recruitment/admissions1:45 – 3:00 Admissions support staff 3:15 – 4:30 Observation of Admission operation

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5:00 – 6:30 Dinner with student focus group #2

Day 3 (Black, main campus)8:30 -10:00 Continuing Education10:15 - 11:45 Financial Aid staff 12:00 - 1:30 Lunch with Chief Enrollment Officer1:30 - 3:00 Academic advisors3:00 - 5:00 Student orientation and transitions staff

Day 3 (Wallace-Hulecki, Quad Cities campus) 8:30-9:30 Meeting with campus leaders for Quad Cities to discuss outcomes for the review of

undergraduate and graduate admissions 9:45-11:15 Staff from Recruitment and Communications 11:30-12:30 Lunch with representative group of deans and program directors 12:45-2:15 Observation of Admissions operations 2:30-3:30 Representative group of staff from student transitions services (e.g., academic

advising, student services) 3:45-4:45 Undergraduate Admissions staff and those from academic units involved in

undergraduate recruitment and admissions 5:00-6:00 Graduate Admissions staff and those from academic units involved in graduate

recruitment and admissions

ADDENDUM #3: Day 4- Financial Aid Leveraging Audit (Black, 1-day) The agenda will be developed in consultation with WIU.

8:30 – 10:00 Meeting with campus leadership to discuss desired outcomes for the project and enrollment goals10:15 – 11:00 Meeting with Institutional Research and IT to discuss additional data and reporting needs, as well as

to review preliminary questions on data provided to the consultants 11:15 – 12:15 Meeting with Admissions to discuss recruitment strategies related to scholarships12:30 – 1:45 Lunch with Institutional Advancement and Foundation staff to discuss scholarship criteria2:00 – 4:15 Meeting with Financial Aid to review existing packaging strategies, processes, promotion, processes,

etc. 4:30 - 5:00 Wrap-up meeting with project sponsors

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Day4- Enrollment Performance Review (Wallace-Hulecki, 1-day) The agenda will be developed in consultation with WIU.

8:30 – 10:00 Meeting with the Directors of Admissions, Registrar, and others (as appropriate) from main campus and Quad Cities campus to understand the data base systems, reports, communications flow, and processes that manage enrollment performance throughout the student lifecycle, with particular focus on the admissions lifecycle (e.g., prospect, applicant, admit, current, and graduating student) by student segment, and identify improvement opportunities to the database system and reporting functions.

10:15- 12:00 Meeting with admissions recruitment staffs from main campus, Quad Cities campus, and admissions faculty/staff from academic units to understand data-based prioritization processes of and communication with prospects, applicants, admits, and identify improvement opportunities to the database system and reporting functions

12:15-1:30 Lunch with admissions operations staff from main campus and Quad Cities campus to understand and identify limitations, and improvement opportunities for the data base systems and reporting functions

1:45-3:00 Meeting with the Director of IT and IT staff who support the admissions database and reporting functions.

3:15-5:00 Meeting with the Director of Institutional Research to review improvement opportunities from the previous meetings, and identify additional institutional needs and limitations of the database and reporting functions

OPTIONAL SERVICES

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ADDENDUM #4:

ACADEMICA UCAS™, ADS 80 AND STRATEGIC ENROLLMENT RESEARCH SUMMARY REPORT

If OPTIONAL research is selected, SEM Works will collaborate with our strategic partner, The Academica Group, to conduct the UCAS (University/College Applicant Study™) Competitive Intelligence Report, the ADS 80 (Acceptance Declined Survey™), and provide a Strategic Enrollment Research Summary Report for both studies. This research and related reports also will enable the institution to develop research-based enrollment plans. These research tools are the most effective and affordable sources of information available on your prospective and admitted students. In-depth understanding of applicant motivations – over 340 data points, allowing you to fine-tune your

recruitment, marketing and communication strategies Insight into student perceptions of your strategic enrollment efforts – what is working and what is not Competitive intelligence – how do your prospects think of you in comparison to your competitors? Where are you

winning and where are you losing? Online Dashboard – results are delivered to you within hours of survey completion Cost efficient – actionable data to focus your resources and attain the highest ROI

UCAS™ – 2 Report LevelsCompetitive Intelligence Report Dashboard -Online on-time access to data from each major theme (Applicant Profile, Marketing Efforts, Key

Decision Factors, Reputation, and Brand Perceptions) Custom Reports -Custom reports prepared by Academica Group analysts, including your institution’s own

applicants compared to up to five (5) key competitor institutions. (May be subject to sample size limitations.)

Reports Include: Charts and tables Data analyzed and presented in formats not available online (push-pulls, mean scores, summary charts, etc.)

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Statistical analysis to determine significant differences Each of the four section reports provided in intervals: Applicant Profile, Marketing Efforts, Decision Factors, Reputation/Brand Perceptions

Basic Demographics Gender (supplied by institution) Age Region (derived from postal/zip code) Community size Immigration status (birth location/when moved to this country) Race Primary language

Socio-Economic Characteristics

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• Marital status• Disability• Current employment status, and last time employed• Household income

Educational Profile• Grade point average last year of high school• Highest level of education mother and/or father achieved (used to derive 1st. generation applicant statistic)• Highest level of education of respondent

o Current schooling statuso Last time in schoolo Derive educational stage variable (direct entry, delayed entry, previous higher education experience)

• Ultimate degree intention

2. Marketing EffortsMeasures applicant use and influence of more than twenty (20) information sources on the decision-making process.

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Word of MouthFamily, friends, high school teachers, high school counselors

Web Number of institutional Web sites visited, pages used most Most important Web site information Relative influence, appeal of first choice institution’s Web sites Educational Web portals visited in researching institutions

Print Use, influence, and appeal of viewbooks, brochures, alumni magazine Number, appeal, and helpfulness of viewbooks Number and helpfulness of course calendars Parental involvement in reading viewbooks and calendars Where viewbooks/calendars obtained

Recruitment Use, influence, appeal, and number attended of high school presentations, information fairs, etc. Use, influence, and appeal of formal campus tour, informal campus visits, campus open houses Number of campuses visited before application Receipt and influence of contact by phone, email, and mail

Marketing Media

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Media seen, read or heard while researching institutions-including national newspapers, local newspapers, magazines, outdoor, transit, radio, television, and more.

3. Key Decision FactorsDecision-Making Process Reasons for applying to post secondary/higher education Decision-making process Shortlist applied to, first-choice institution

Subject Area Classification of program at first choice institution (also provided by institution in a form specific to the institution)

Planned Living Arrangements Need to relocate to attend first choice, and required distance if so Planning living arrangement during post secondary education/higher education Planning to work while at post secondary education/higher education

Impact Factors Academic: high admissions average, academic reputation of institutions, academic reputation of program/major,

library collections/facilities, investments in latest technology, range of program offerings, quality of faculty, high-profile research, availability of an honors program/college institutional rankings/guidebook ratings

Financial: availability of need or merit-based scholarships, assistance applying for financial aid, tuition costs, cost of attending, part-time job opportunities or work-study options, campus is close to home, flexible course delivery (evenings, weekends, online, distance, etc.)

Outcome: easy to get accepted, ability to transfer credits, relevant industry in the area, co-op programs/internships, opportunities for student leadership, graduates get into professional and graduate schools, undergraduate research opportunities, international exchange options, national/professional accreditation

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Campus: clubs and social activities, successful teams/varsity athletics, convenient public transit, campus cafeteria/food services options, reputation for student experience, access to city/urban life, attractive campus, campus housing/residences, availability of off-campus housing, recreational sports/fitness facilities, large student population, history/tradition of school, attending the school of parent(s) attended, diversity of student population, availability of child care

Nurturing: friends attending, small class sizes, faculty-student interaction, religious considerations, small student population, safety on campus, safety off campus, small surrounding community, student evaluation of professors

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Decision Factors

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4. Reputation and Brand Perceptions Comparative ratings of institutional reputation for:

o Academic excellenceo Student life experienceo Innovationo Traditiono Teachingo Researcho Affordability

Top of the mind open-ended word association for client and key competitor institutions

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UNDERSTANDING ADS™

The Acceptance Declined Survey (ADS™) examines the flip-side of enrollment—why some students shortlist your institution, may even visit your campus, yet decline your offer and pursue their education elsewhere.

Dashboard 80Understand your declined applicants in terms of:

Did they accept an alternative college/university or choose not to attend post secondary education at all? Their level of interest in your institution when they applied Where they will be attending (Which of your top competitors?) Were they influenced to decline you because of their perceptions about:

o The quality and timing of your communication?o The quality of your print materials, Web site, and recruitment activities?o Your campus?o Your reputation?o Your programs?o Your location?o Other financial aspects?

Did they visit institution’s campus and how satisfied were they with the experience? How does your scholarship strategy compare?

o Did you offer them a scholarship?o Did their institution of choice offer them a scholarship?o How large was each scholarship?

How does the timing of your offer of admission compare to your competitors? Qualitatively:

o Why they were satisfied or dissatisfied with the way your institution communicated with them?

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o What one thing could you have done to change their mind?

Full report 80Full report 80 includes dashboard 80 plus several custom reports prepared by Academica Group plus index scale

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prioritizing all of the approximately 45 factors from most important in the decision to the least important overall and by up to five key variables.

Exploration of index scores by up to five key variables: Level of commitment Grad point average Area of Study Top competitors, etc.

Data Report and Strategic Research Summary ReportAcademica Group will provide a summary of the findings from the UCAS™ and ADS™ surveys. The summary will offer a

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high level view of key findings and related recommendations that will inform the strategy and development of publications, collaterals, and media associated with this project.

Financial Factors Analysis We will provide a recommendation on establishing an effective pricing structure including tuition rates, student fees, financial aid, and other factors that influence achievement of desired enrollment goals. Informed by the enrollment performance reporting review, by SEM Works and Academica’s UCASTM, Dr. Black will work with the Academica group to establish an effective pricing structure that will help UCD achieve desired enrollment outcomes.

The Academica Group provides comprehensive financial factors analysis research. There are two levels of analysis that can be subscribed to, separately, or in combination. Below we provide a brief overview.

Financial Factors Report

Level 1: Customized UCAS™ Financial Factors ReportThe UCAS™ instrument examines WIU’s applicant perceptions and preferences concerning all relevant financial factors, ranging from scholarship awards through to perceptions of tuition, and other costs associated with your institution. With WIU’s subscription to the 2010 UCAS™ study and the Financial Factors Report, Academica Group includes the development of 6–10 custom questions designed to explore your unique financial issues. The Financial Factors report includes in-depth analysis of all financial questions in order to more fully explain their impact on key applicant segments.

Level 2: Consumer Panel Financial Model TestingStep 1—Building on the learning from Level 1 research report (above), we would work with WIU’s SEM leaders and student awards team to develop customized financial offers designed specifically to appeal to high-value student segments (targets). The WIU team develops a series of offers representing various combinations of service and key price points. For example, the target may be applicants to specific programs, with selected combination of grades and SAT scores. For this target group WIU then develops several service/value combinations of scholarship value, tuition, and/or residence choice combinations.

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Step 2—Involves recruiting a consumer panel of 5–7 student segments to participate in the research. We have several approaches to panel design to consider. Typically we recruit applicants that participate in the UCAS™ study. This provides a very representative sample of students who have just gone through the thought process, providing a highly credible and knowledgeable panel of participants.

Step 3—Using our sophisticated proprietary survey software (SMS™), we survey consumer panel participants to measure interest and perceived influence of predetermined financial models to various segments.

Step 4—Academica Group consultants provide detailed conjoint analysis and a recommendation concerning the relative effectiveness of the tested financial offers to each of the targeted segments.

Addendum #5: An example of one-day Fundamentals of Student Recruitment Seminar which will be customized for WIU.

1. Introduction2. Influencing Student Choice3. The Recruitment Funnel4. Inquiry Generation Strategies5. Inquiry Capture Strategies6. Inquiry Cultivation Strategies7. Applicant Completion Strategies8. Admitted Student Conversion Strategies9. The Principles of Communications Flow10.Multi-channel Communications11.Audience Segmentation12.Relationship Management13.Best Practices in Web Design14.Best Practices in Student Recruitment

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15.Next Steps

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