Higher Education Conference enrollment management

The Role of Data and Playful Experimentation in Enrollment Management A Look at Campuses and the State Don Hossler Indiana University Bloomington

An Advanced Organizer Common understanding of EM Your challenges, expectations, and goals The science of EM – information not data

Purposes of Enrollment Management Institutional PurposesInstitutional Purposes 1.Number of students 2.Characteristics of students 3. Budget strategy 4. Institutional Image State PurposesState Purposes 1.Educated citizenry 2.Efficient use of state resources 3.Effectiveness 4.Economic development

Defining Enrollment Management Organized by strategic planning & research and supported by research, enrollment management activities concern student college choice, the transition to college, student retention, & student outcomes. These processes are studied to guide campus practices in the areas of new student recruitment and financial aid, student support services, curriculum development, & other academic areas that affect enrollments

Information Resource Management FInformation Development F- research, analysis, evaluation, assessment FInformation & Systems Management F - data processing, MIS, DSS F- the networked campus, web-enabled processes FInformation Dissemination & Use : F- knowledge management systems; intellectual capital F - processes of organizational learning D. Kalsbeek, 2004

The Incentive Structures Graduation & degree completion Transfer Credit hours earned Retention

Science of Enrollment Management A caveat – information will not fix organizational structure, lack of expertise, or bad decisions Data transformed into information are essential

Relevant State Policy Trends at the National Level Constrain demands for state resources going to postsecondary education –Appropriations to institutions –Support for student financial aid Seamless transferability –Encourage transfer & articulation agreements –Mandate them All of these are likely to increase the social acceptability of starting at Two-Year Colleges

Number of High School Graduates, : Southern, Southwestern, & Western Regions Source: WICHE/The College Board, Prepared by Andre Bell, 2005 South Southwest West

Market Research No dramatic compelling advantage From a large campus…Personal attention, small classes, not fr. seminars, not theme residence halls A complex message, uncertain results, not easily implemented

The Playfulness of EM the choiceInformation delimits choices but seldom produces - the choice Seldom a sure thingSeldom a sure thing Yet, senior administrators often want, uncertainty reduction—a sure thing.

Examples of the Intersection of Science and Playfulness Using financial aid to affect access, diversity, quality, or revenue Academic success Persistence Rankings Information systems Looking across campuses for effectiveness and efficiency

Academic Rating (Based on ACT, HS Class Rank, HS GPA) / (Median ACT shown) Expected Family Contribution Average Enrollment Yield by Level of Family Resources and Strength of Academic Profile: Non-Aid Applicant Highest Mid Lowest

Academic Rating (Based on ACT, HS Class Rank, HS GPA) / (Median ACT shown) Expected Family Contribution Managing the Mix Non-Aid Applicant Highest Mid Lowest Market Merit Mission Margin

Always keep in mind, can our staffs and our systems handle this new initiative?

When Working with Aid Models Need good data, which is no easy task Need multiple years Need to carefully examine your our own past practices Need to realize that you can never predict exactly Sunk costs are largest problem Can your systems handle your plan? Can never predict your competitors’ behavior

What drives student rankings? In your cluster of institutions – really not much variance & strategies easy to copy In your cluster of IHEs – not much variance & most are easy to copy Look Under the Hood % of Ranking Variance Factor Explained Teaching quality 3% % students with jobs at graduation 0 Responsiveness of the program 2% Career services support42% Post-MBA salary 30%

“The Quality of International Students is Declining” Fr to Soph Retention Internatl 90%84%83%92%89% Domestic residents 82% 83% 84% Domestic non- residents 86% 87%86%

These New Programs at the Community College are Hurting our Regional Campus Enrollments! Actual data indicated they were enrolling students who simply had not been attending any postsecondary

This Transfer Program Is a Model Program Get our data

One Final Problem in a System Environment It’s a unit of analysis question. Always a temptation to make the results fit our beliefs or political expediency. Who controls the results?

Higher Education Conference enrollment management