 Well respected book by Spencer Johnson, M.D.  The book’s story is a parable about four mice in a maze in search of cheese. This seemingly simple story has an important message about how to cope with change.  People fear change because they believe they cannot control how or when it happens to them. The book teaches that what matters most is the ATTITUDE we adopt regarding change.

 What is Enrollment Management and its Institutional Impact?  The New “Normal” in Enrollment Cheese  Enrollment Cheese Challenges  Delicious, Cheesy Enrollment Opportunities  10 Most Effective Cheesy Recruiting Practices  Finding the Cheese! › Meeting Enrollment Objectives

The moral of the Who Moved My Cheese story is that we can effectively deal with change by : › Accepting that change happens › Anticipating upcoming change › Monitoring change in our environment › Adapting to change quickly › Actually making the change › Enjoying the change › Being ready for even more change

Enrollment management is an institution- wide, strategic, comprehensive, systematic, and research-driven approach designed to identify, recruit, and retain students who are the best fit for your college/university.

Institution-wide SystematicStrategic ComprehensiveResearch- driven

Enrollment Management is about providing strategic direction, oversight, planning, and assistance for all campus initiatives and programs related to student recruitment and retention. Recruitment Retention Enrollment Growth

Recruitment Four-Year Colleges Survey ItemYesYES and it’s of good or excellent quality My institution has a written annual recruitment plan. 89.9%59.2% (66%) My institution has a written, long-range (at least three-year) strategic enrollment plan. 74.0%45.7% (62%) My institution has a standing, campus-wide committee that addresses coordinated recruitment planning and implementation across all units. 51.8%25.2% (48%) 2012 Noel-Levitz, Inc Noel-Levitz National Research Report

Retention Four-Year Colleges Survey ItemYesNo My institution has established a goal for improved retention of first-year students 47%53% My institution has established a goal for improved degree completion 33%67% My institution has a an individual on staff that is responsible for coordinating retention efforts. 52%48% 2012 ACT Institutional Survey

Institutions that are experiencing considerable uncertainty and anxiety about enrollment Multiple forces that are at work  Economic uncertainty  Declining endowments  Decreases in state and federal support  Increasing pressure regarding tuition and institutional aid  Needier students / families with less ability and willingness to pay  Higher tuition discount rates Enrollment goals that are driven by needed budget revenue Enrollment offices that are challenged to be more strategic, efficient, and effective (spend less but enroll more!) No room for error – can’t afford to have a bad year

Recruit more students – 72% of all four-year colleges want larger enrollments Recruit better students – 58% of all four-year colleges want better academic students for retention Recruit for diversity – 52% want to increase ethnic diversity Recruit geographically – 47% want more students from outside their geographic region Recruit to increase net revenue and decrease discount rate Recruit more efficiently (spend less money) and more effectively (higher productivity)

Most colleges are as interested in shaping the student profile as meeting headcount goals (i.e. academically, by major, geographically, diversity) Enrollment goals are not well understood campus-wide Resources available to accomplish goals are limited Staff turnover in enrollment services is prevalent Adequate internal research and data to make informed decisions is lacking

Operating in a highly competitive environment Rising costs of a college education Students and parents know it is a buyer’s market– college shopping is pervasive Students expect to be courted – and not just high ability but those who are academically “average” Dealing with “stealth fighter parents” Howe Strauser book: Millennials Go To College Increasing student/parent expectations with proof of ROI (return on investment)

Far more aggressive marketing and recruiting by all colleges – public, private, two-year, four-year The addition of for-profit institutions as well as online and distance education options The cost of recruiting: Public per student = $2,000 Private per student = $3,200 Doing more with less regarding apps Public apps per counselor = 400+ Private apps per counselor = 295 Located in a highly competitive market – many other college options

Source: Noel-Levitz’s National Freshman Attitudes Report©

College enrollments plunged by nearly a half-million last fall after six straight years of growth. 62% of privates and 57% of publics did not meet their enrollment and net tuition revenue goals this year. Source: The Census Bureau: September 2013 Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education: October 2014

1960’s50% % % % Source: National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities

71% believe that students are forced to borrow too much to pay for college 67% believe access to higher education for qualified students is a problem 55% believe higher education is necessary to succeed economically 44% believe that those who need financial help to go to college won’t be able to get the loans or aid they need 34% believe that colleges care about making sure students have a good educational experiences 29% believe that qualified students have the opportunity to go to college Survey of 1,009 adults by The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education

College tuition costs have risen three times faster than the cost of living.

More students seek college in a down economy: in a better economy enrollment usually goes down As the economy recovers fewer prospects may apply unless we “cast a wider net” for prospective students Students will continue pushing for more institutional aid Prospective students will continue casting a wider search net as they shop for the best college deal Students will seek lower cost options like community colleges and regional public institutions Campuses will need to step up marketing efforts and sell the value proposition and return on investment If you see an increase in applications you may also see declines in completion and yield rates

Colleges can analyze the demographic and economic changes projected in their market and plan strategically Number of High School Grads Non-traditional Students Ethnicity Shift Academic Program Demand Price Sensitivity College Competition

For-profit institutions Not-for-profit institutions Larger institutions Smaller institutions Public institutions Private institutions Four-year institutions Two-year institutions Higher cost institutions Lower cost institutions

 College costs keep going up! › How is your college addressing this?  Families are needier and retention is adversely affected by ability to pay  Institutions must increase financial aid opportunities (easier said than done!)  Discount rate versus net tuition revenue  Establish enrollment/revenue goals

Rank4-year public4-year private2-year private or public 1.Hosting open house events High school visits by admissions representatives to primary markets 2.Campus visit days for high school students 3.Scheduling campus visits on admissions Web site Weekend visits for high school students Hosting open house events 4.Weekend visits for high school students Using current students in recruiting Tele-counseling call efforts 5.Using current students in recruitingScheduling campus visits on admissions Web site College-sponsored trips to campus for prospective students 6.Admissions decisions “on the spot” – in high schools or during campus visits/open houses Tele-counseling call effortsWeekend visits for high school students 7.Predictive modeling to determine propensity of students enrolling at your institution Calling cell phones to move prospective students to the next action step Admissions decisions “on the spot” – in high schools or during campus visits/open houses 8.College-sponsored trips to campus for prospective students Predictive modeling to determine propensity of students enrolling at your institution Using texting to notify prospective students of impending deadlines, events, acceptance, etc. 9.Mailing pre-completed application to inquiries and/or purchased names Admissions decisions “on the spot” – in high schools or during campus visits/open houses Using current students in recruiting 10.Tele-counseling call effortsPersonalized home page/portal for applicants Group area meetings for prospective students and/or their parents

The marketplace in which your college operates The institution’s unique position within that marketplace Student demand for programs and services and being responsive to those needs and interests Developing a cohesive and well coordinated approach to enrollment management within the framework of a comprehensive annual and strategic enrollment plan College pricing issues and the price sensitivity of students and families Appropriate and effective student financial aid strategies

…doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results