Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Students: Why it’s Different and The Same Presented by Sylvia R. Carey-Butler, PhD Assistant Vice Chancellor, Academic Support of Inclusive Excellence

Today’s Non-Traditional Student: If you build it they will come!

“Institutions that want to stay competitive, that want to be the first choice of potential students (and their parents), also need to focus on how they recruit those students and on the environment they create to retain them.” Sylvia Carey-Butler ‘09

Institutional Intent Barriers: 1. Lack of Self-Efficacy; 2. Need to Work; 3. Fear of Failure; 4. Prior experience Opening the Door: 1. Review institutional policies; 2. Decide if it aligns with institutional mission; 3. Accountability Establish expected Outcomes: 1. Enrollment and completion targets; 2. Institutional support; 3. Close the achievement gap on your respective campuses

Percentage of 25- to 29-year-olds with selected levels of educational attainment High school completion or higher 90% 91% Bachelor’s or higher degree 34% 34% Master’s or higher degree 7% 8% Percentage of the population 25 to 34 years old who completed high school 89% 89% Percentage of the population 25 to 34 years old who attained a bachelor’s or higher 33% 34% Median annual earnings for 25- to 34-year-olds Total $38,600 $40,000 With less than high school completion $23,200 $23,900 Who completed high school as highest level $30,400 $30,000 Who attained a bachelor’s or higher degree $50,700 $50,000 Employment Rates and Unemployment Rates by Educational Attainment Unemployment rates of 25- to 34-year-olds Total 8.0% 7.4% With less than high school completion 15.1% 13.7% Who completed high school as highest level 12.1% 10.5% Who attained a bachelor’s or higher degree 3.6% 3.7% The Condition of Education 2015 At-a-Glance, US Dept. Of Education

College Enrollment Projections Year Total Enrollment Full-time Part-time Percent Males Females Percent Public Total Part-time Females Private ,266,000 13,112,000 8,154, ,073,000 12,193, ,319,000 5,947,000 — — ,586,000 13,278,000 8,308, ,146,000 12,441, ,545,000 6,041,000 — — ,946,000 13,468,000 8,478, ,243,000 12,703, ,802,000 6,144,000 — — ,227,000 13,618,000 8,609, ,323,000 12,904, ,004,000 6,223,000 — — ,512,000 13,774,000 8,737, ,408,000 13,104, ,208,000 6,304,000 — — ,797,000 13,929,000 8,868, ,491,000 13,306, ,410,000 6,388,000 — — ,141,000 14,122,000 9,020, ,599,000 13,543, ,652,000 6,489,000 — — ,499,000 14,329,000 9,170, ,712,000 13,786, ,905,000 6,594,000 — — ,834,000 14,520,000 9,314, ,817,000 14,017, ,143,000 6,691,000 — — —Not available. SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Biennial Survey of Education in the United States; Enrollment component; and Enrollment in Degree-Granting Institutions Projection Model, 1980 through (This table was prepared July 2014.)

Recruiting Non-Traditional Diverse Students to Your Campus What’s the same: Institutions must have a diversity recruitment plan; Intentional recruitment; know the type of student that will be successful at your institution; Highlight your academic programs and the success of your graduates; Identify returning adults and business and industry prospects who may want to complete a baccalaureate degree. Provide guidance and support in completing required admissions and financial aid form s; The difference: Create recruitment plans that meet students within context; Utilize current students to recruit; Ensure that prospective students see themselves in your “brand”; Ensure that you a formal orientation program that goes beyond highlighting campus resources; Meet students where they are both figuratively and academically

Retraining Non-Traditional Diverse Students What’s the same: A welcoming student-centered environment where “great” customer service is the norm; An established place on campus that is designated just for non-traditional students; Great academic advising; An established academic monitoring system The Difference: A designated person or office to address their needs; Intrusive advising; Academic support services; A pathway to completion; Acknowledgement of milestones

Promising Practices for Recruiting and Retaining Students of Color Recruitment :  Recruit the entire family;  Engage faculty, students and alumni of color in the recruitment process;  Identify business and industry prospects who may want to partner with you in offering continuing education classes;  Implement a more aggressive pre-and post-application communication system to increase conversion yields;  Consider offering evening and weekend programs for non-traditional students;  Host recruitment fairs or presentations at different locations within the community and provide tentative acceptances on the spot. Retention :  Create a comprehensive three-to-five year retention plan that identifies the expertise and resources needed to ensure student success;  Identify risk factors that impede student retention and incorporate into plan;  Provide strong academic-support systems;  Follow-up on “early alerts” with both students and faculty  Ensure campus climate is welcoming and supportive along with good customer service in key offices;

Recommendations! Assess current campus efforts and determine institutional commitment; get leadership buy-in; Develop a recruitment and retention plan for the campus and ensure you engage colleagues from across campus in the development of the plan; Review and revise campus admissions policies to incorporate prior learning credit; Increase representation of faculty and staff of color on campus; Assess institutional progress and student success on a annual basis.

Questions and Answers!

Contact information: Sylvia Carey-Butler, PhD Assistant Vice Chancellor, Academic Support for Inclusive Excellence Center for Equity and Diversity