UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Table of Contents
Introduction
3
Overview
Part 1: Enrollment
7
Trends and targets for UAA (all campuses)
Trends, targets, and strategies for the Anchorage campus
Part 2: Retention
19
Trends and targets for UAA (all campuses)
Trends, targets, and strategies for the Anchorage campus
Part 3: Meeting UAA’s Enrollment Goals: Critical Factors
Appendixes:
Enrollment Management at UAA: A Brief History
33
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Introduction
Enhancing educational quality and increasing student success are two of UAA’s most important
institutional goals. Although not identical, the two enjoy a symbiotic relationship. Achieve one, and
the other is strengthened as well.
Enrollment management is a framework for planning, implementing, and assessing an array of
strategies that can be used to achieve those goals. UAA has been operating within such a framework
for a number of years.
Briefly, strategic enrollment management is an integrated planning and operational environment in
which a university takes coordinated steps to identify and achieve its desired enrollment profile. It
relies heavily on research and assessment to guide planning and implementation, it has deep roots in
academic programs, and it seeks to integrate all campus activities within an overriding image and
framework. A key strategy is identification of targeted learner populations for focused recruitment
and retention emphasis. (See attachments for more information on the SEM approach.)
The UAA Strategic Enrollment Management plan for the Anchorage campus was updated for UAA’s
Operational Review in April 2007 and again in February 2008. It is organized into two sections that
correspond to Performance Measures:


Part 1, Enrollment, addresses the performance measure titled “Student Credit Hours and
Headcount.”
Part 2, Retention, addresses the performance measure titled “Retention Rates for
Freshmen.”
Assessment and revision are very important parts of the enrollment management framework, and
revisions are made as often as necessary in order to keep the overall plan focused on the targets and
goals. This document, therefore, reflects a living plan, always open for re-assessment of priorities,
strategies, and results in response to changing circumstances.
The goals of educational quality and student success are fundamental to UAA’s mission. They will
not change. The strategies, however, are necessarily fluid, dynamic, and responsive. They build upon
themselves and each other, each year raising the bar a little higher in the interests of being an
efficient, effective, and responsive university for the 21st century.
Overview
Student credit hour production began its current upward trend in FY01 and has increased steadily
since the Anchorage campus created an enrollment management process, currently matching the
prior peak enrollment of the early 1990’s. The previous peak occurred ten years ago, in fall 1992,
when headcount on the Anchorage campus reached 15, 168 and was followed by a 10-year decline to
flat enrollment throughout the rest of the 1990s and into 2002. The turnaround began in 2000, as
UAA redefined its mission and goals, hired an enrollment manager, developed its first Strategic
Enrollment Management working plan, and embraced an institutional initiative to become a
“university of first choice” for Alaska. The lost ground has now been regained with fall 2007
headcount reaching 15,250.
Last updated November 2008
2
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
UAA’s MAU stretch goal was to increase enrollment 1-2% a year between FY04 and FY09. In its
Performance '07 Report published in September 2007, UAA adjusted its MAU student credit hour
production goal to 0.75% a year through FY12, with an FY08 target of 341,420.
UAA projects that ongoing increases will come from degree-seeking students, graduate students, and
improved retention.
MISSION
The mission of the University of Alaska Anchorage is to discover and disseminate knowledge
through teaching, research, engagement, and creative expression.
Located in Anchorage and on community campuses in Southcentral Alaska, UAA is committed to
serving the higher education needs of the state, its communities, and its diverse peoples.
The University of Alaska Anchorage is an open access university with academic programs leading to
occupational endorsements; undergraduate and graduate certificates; and associate, baccalaureate, and
graduate degrees in a rich, diverse, and inclusive environment.
Last updated November 2008
3
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
PART 1
ENROLLMENT
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE – ANCHORAGE CAMPUS
Trends
UAA: Projections and Targets
UAA Student Credit Hour Performance Projections (MAU)
For Fy09 through FY13 assume .8 % growth
FY 04
FY 05
FY06
FY07
FY 08
FY 09
FY10
FY11
FY12
FY13
Anchorage
Actual
263,769
Actual
272,148
Actual
277,637
Actual
279,253
Actual
279,806
Projection
282,044
Projection
284,300
Projection
286,575
Projection
288,868
Projection
291,179
Kenai
Actual
18,632
Actual
18,351
Actual
18,816
Actual
19,895
Actual
20,160
Projection
20,321
Projection
20,484
Projection
20,648
Projection
20,813
Projection
20,979
Kodiak
Actual
6,192
Actual
5,036
Actual
5,011
Actual
4,699
Actual
5,443
Projection
5,487
Projection
5,530
Projection
5,575
Projection
5,619
Projection
5,664
Mat-Su
Actual
23,426
Actual
20,168
Actual
20,641
Actual
20,161
Actual
20,898
Projection
21,065
Projection
21,234
Projection
21,404
Projection
21,575
Projection
21,747
PWSCC
Actual
11,284
Actual
10,152
Actual
9,542
Actual
10,646
Actual
11,408
Projection
11,499
Projection
11,591
Projection
11,684
Projection
11,777
Projection
11,872
MAU total
Actual
Projection
323303
325855
331647
334654
337715
340140
343,140
345,885
348,662
351,441
Sources: UAA Performance 07 and OPRA, UAA Trend Book:
The remainder of this plan reflects strategies for the Anchorage campus only. As community
campus and college plans are implemented they will be integrated with the Anchorage plan to form
an overall plan for the MAU.
ANCHORAGE CAMPUS
Trends
The Anchorage campus accounts for roughly 83% of UAA’s total credit hour production; therefore,
overall trends for Anchorage closely resemble overall trends for the MAU.
With the growth trend that began in FY02, UAA has now reversed the long decline of the 1990s to
reach its highest SCH ever in FY08, with an MAU student credit hour production of 337,715.
Last updated November 2008
4
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Student Credit Hour Production FY08
6%
2%
6%
3%
Anchorage
Kenai
Kodiak
Mat-Su
PWSCC
83%
Source: OPRA, UAATrendbook, Table B
Student Credit Hours, History and Performance Targets
Anchorage Campus
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
87- 88- 89- 90- 91- 92- 93- 94- 95- 96- 97- 98- 99- 00- 01- 02- 03- 04- 05- 06- 07- 08- 09- 10- 11- 1288 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
Source: OPRA, UAA Trendbook 2006, Table B Annual, Anchorage campus; SCH and Performance Targets do not include auditors.
Last updated November 2008
5
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Headcount Trends
Headcount trends reveal individual patterns for key segments of the student population. Like the
overall SCH trends, most of the headcount trends are positive. For example, both full-time and parttime enrollments have grown since 2001. Degree-seeking and traditional aged populations are also
on the rise, due in part to the successes of the Alaska Scholars program, high school recruitment
campaigns, and emphasis on recruitment and admissions.
Headcount Trends-Full Time and Part Time
10000
9000
8000
7000
6000
Full Time
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Part Time
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Source: OPRA, Deans Notebook-Anchorage Campus-Student Profiles1,Fall 2007 semester closing, Anchorage campus only
Asian (3%) and Hispanic (5%) populations increased since Fall 2003. African American (4%) and
Alaska Native (8%), populations also increased but then dropped in Fall 2007, a cause for concern.
Minority recruitment is a priority in the UAA Enrollment Management Division for FY07-FY09.
Headcount Trends Ethnic Minorities Anchorage Campus
Headcount
African American
1800
Alaska Native
1600
American Indian
1400
Hispanic
1200
Asian
1000
800
600
400
200
Source: OPRA, Trendbook 2007
Last updated November 2008
6
13
12
20
11
20
10
20
09
20
08
20
07
20
06
20
05
20
04
20
03
20
02
20
01
20
00
20
99
20
98
19
97
19
96
19
19
19
95
0
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Anchorage: Projections and Targets
The Anchorage campus is composed of six academic schools and colleges, plus an interdisciplinary
University Honors College. Each Dean is responsible for enrollment management planning in his or
her individual college, school, or program. College/School plans will be integrated into the overall
Anchorage campus enrollment management plan upon completion.
 College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
 College of Business and Public Policy (CBPP)
 College of Health and Social Welfare (CHSW)
 College of Education (COE)
 Community and Technical College (CTC)
 School of Engineering (SOE)
 University Honors College (UHC)
Overall, the Anchorage campus is targeting a 0.75 to 1.00% growth rate in student credit hours each
year through FY09.
Student Credit Hour Performance Projections, including audits
Actual
FY 04
Actual
FY 05
Actual
FY06
Actual
FY07
Actual
FY 08
CAS
134,465
138,098
138,552
137,911
138,708
CBPP
28,575
28,088
28,799
28,418
29,632
CHSW
21,990
22,373
23,101
23,271
21,781
COE
13,510
16,174
15,158
16,480
CTC
63,743
64,964
68,221
66,674
66,474
SOE
5,075
5,425
6,461
7,764
8,996
Total
Anchorage
267,358
275,122
280,292
Projection
FY 09
Source for Projections:: OPRA, Deans Notebook, Table A-2
Last updated November 2008
7
Projection
FY 10
Projection
FY 11
Projection
FY 12
Projection
FY 13
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Strategies: Overview
Marketing
Workforce
Development
•
•
Created position of
Assistant Provost for
Workforce
Development
Continue developing Career Cluster
fact sheets
Undergraduate
Education
•
•
•
•
Revise Viewbook
&Trifold brochures
On going refinement of communication plan for
perspective students
On going
improvement in our
web presence
Develop new
marketing strategies
and materials for
non-residents
Recruitment
UA Online
•
Course
Scheduling
24/7 Access
•
Develop additional
recruitment strategies
to target nontraditional-aged
students

Undergraduate
Education
•
•
•
•
•
•
•


Continue annual
Alaskan high school
visits on the road
system
Expand Fall and
Spring Pre-view Days
Expand High School
Counselor Appreciation Days
Develop recruitment
programs to target
former UAA students,
community campus
graduates, and upper
division students
Graduate
Education
•


•

•
Expand OnBase
imaging to continue
movement away from
paper
Training
Continue mailings to
UAA graduates
Work with the
Graduate Studies
Office to develop
additional program
Open Houses


Continue and
improve/develop
customer service
training
Continue and expand
cross-training
programs
Admissions
Continue mailings to
education officers in
embassy’s around the
world

Ethnic Minorities
•
Implement capability
for students to submit
financial aid,
admissions, and
records forms online
On line tutorials
On line comments/
feedback
Increase use of Pod
Casts
Continue to develop
workflows that allow
users to receive
automated email
responses to UA
Online and other web
access functions
Imaging
International
Last updated November 2008
Capacity
Workforce
Development
Graduate
Education
Revise Graduate
Education brochure
On going
improvement in our
web presence
Services
Develop ethnic
minority strategies
Attend fairs in cities
that have large ethnic
centers
8
Continue to develop
ability to import
transcripts
electronically from
Anchorage and other
School Districts
Implement Resource
25 scheduling
software on the
Anchorage campus
Class Capacity

Review class caps and
other registration
procedures to
maximize enrollment
Master Planning


Support campus
master planning/
integration of facilities
plan with academic
plan and enrollment
man-agement
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Enrollment Strategies: Narrative
The following strategies have been implemented or are planned for the Anchorage campus.
Marketing and Public Relations. UAA has developed marketing and promotional pieces for three
different major market segments: undergraduate education, graduate education, and workforce
development. Special efforts have been made to promote programs and courses that meet statewide
employment needs, have excess capacity, and/or fill unique market niches. Materials produced
include the undergraduate viewbook and trifold brochure, engineering and exchange program
brochures, a workforce development campaign for the Allied Health Sciences, a graduate education
brochure and poster, and several pieces promoting community engagement efforts throughout the
university. UAA is in the final stages of developing printing educational pathway/career cluster
brochures for each certificate and degree program.
 Workforce development
 Completion of Workforce Development and Career Pathway marketing materials
and website
 Continue developing recruitment materials for highest priority targeted programs
 Undergraduate Education
 Revise undergraduate viewbook and trifold biannually (Admissions: 2005, 2007, and
2009).
 Complete of University Honors College materials to market the programs transition
to a UAA College (Spring 2008).
 On going refinement of communication plans based on student contact and
application yield analyses.
 On going improvement of web presence
 Graduate Education
 On going revise of Graduate Education brochure bi-annually.
 Improved web presence for graduate programs with a Graduate Studies web page.
Last updated November 2008
9
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Recruitment. During the years of enrollment decline (1992-99), UAA’s recruitment program and
budgets were cut nearly to extinction. The recruitment office and budget that supported it was
rebuilt between 2000-2003. Today employs a coordinator and 2 full-time recruiters. The recruitment
program now includes high school visits, community college visits, special events such as Fall
Preview Days, and high school counselor days. A communication plan is in full operation, with a
database coordinator to manage all pre-application contacts and communications. The Enrollment
Management budget was cut in FY05, FY06, FY08 and FY09, which had some impact on that
division's ability to engage in out-of-state recruitment efforts. However, the recruitment office
received a one-time grant from the UA Workforce Programs that allowed the office staff to develop
and publish the Career Pathways brochures and website highlighting individual UAA certificate and
degree program.
 Workforce development
 Develop additional recruitment strategies to target non-traditional-aged students in
the communities UAA serves (Assistant Provost for Workforce Development:
FY07 and on-going).
 Undergraduate Education
 Continue annual visits to all Alaskan high schools on the road system
 Continue and expand Fall and Spring Preview Days
 Continue and expand High School Counselor Appreciation Days and contacts
 Continue western states campaign/visits/fairs to community colleges
 Develop recruitment programs to target former UAA students, community campus
graduates, and other upper division students to classes and programs with excess
capacity.
 Graduate Education
 Continue mailings to recent UAA graduates
 Work with the Graduate Studies Office to develop additional college and program
Open Houses for program faculty and staff to meet prospective students (Director
of Graduate Studies with Director of Admissions).
 International Recruitment
 Continue updating International Web pages and add other relevant web pages with
different language options.
 Ethnic/Racial Minorities
 Complete analysis of African American population trends statewide and in the
Anchorage community (Academic Center for Multicultural Affairs).
 Attend fairs in cities that have large ethic centers
See Addendum for current year Anchorage campus recruitment plans.
Last updated November 2008
10
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Recruitment Strategies
Activity
Lead/Participants
Timeframes
AVC Enrollment
Management, AVC University
Advancement; Recruitment
team
Using ‘Quik Start’
created real time
registration access for
non degree seeking
students-Spring 2005
Undergraduate Education
Continue annual visits to all Alaskan high
schools on the road system
Admissions; Academic and
Student Services Departments
Continue and expand Fall Preview Days
Admissions
Continue and expand Counselor
Appreciation Days
Admissions
Continue western states
campaign/visits/college fairs
Develop upper division strategy/articulate
with community campuses
Admissions
Every high school on
the road system is
visited twice a year
and four times a year
in Anchorage
Spring 2006 added
spring preview days
Fall 06 hosted College
Board meeting with
HS Counselors in
addition to ACT
Targeted to 80% fall
and 20% spring
Community college
visits in the Northwest
and visits to Alaska
community campuses
Workforce Development
Develop new strategies for nontraditional-age students
AVC Enrollment
Management; Deans;
Community Campus
Directors/President;
Enrollment Management team
Graduate Education
Mailings
Admissions; Departments;
Dean of Graduate School
Mailings to UAA graduates
Develop program Open Houses
Admissions; Departments
Dean of Graduate School
University Advancement
International
Continue mailings to education officers,
Upgrade International Web pages to include different language options
Ethnic Minorities
Continue with current efforts and develop
new ethnic minority strategies
Last updated November 2008
Annually and plan to
implement semi
annually starting in
FY08
On going
AVC Enrollment
Management; Statewide IT
Spring 07; Fall 08;
Spring 09
Admissions; Academic
Departments
Developed
recruitment plan in
FY07; Revise annually
11
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Service Enhancements. Service enhancements continue to play an important place in a wellrounded enrollment management plan. With the national recognition coming to UAA’s “one-stop”
student service center in the University Center, we are continuing to expand 24/7 service thinking to
students. UAA has taken a leadership role in statewide development of the MyUA Portal project
which will offer students, faculty, and staff access to secure sites, news, and information through a
single sign-on and customized point of entry. And UAA has served as a beta-testing site for
statewide development of imaging technology (On Base) that rolled out in FY07.
 UA Online
 Real time degree audit functionality Fall 2009
 Processes
 Direct deposit (ACH) of disbursements to students checking accounts Fall 2008
 24/7 Access
 Continue work on implementing capability for students to submit financial aid,
admissions and records forms online
 On line comments/feedback
 On line tutorials
 Increase use of Podcasts
 Work to provide email and chat service outside the 8-6, M-F window
 Develop interactive campus maps with virtual tours available to all buildings and
sites
 Continue to develop workflows that allow users to receive automated email
responses to UA Online and other web access functions
 Imaging
 Expand OnBase imaging technology to continue movement away from paper.
 Training
 Continue to improve/develop cross-training and customer service training
programs to cultivate a knowledgeable and service-oriented staff
 Admissions
 Continue to develop capability to import Anchorage School District transcripts
through DocuFide and sweeps of other protocol such as XAP. (Statewide
enrollment management group).
Last updated November 2008
12
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Capacity. An integrated marketing approach looks inward as well as outward, and addresses issues
of capacity, scheduling, and facilities to maximize its potential to respond to market demands.
Common concerns include market niche, class availability, classroom capacity, class scheduling, and
pricing. UAA’s primary market is among high school graduates and adults who live in the
communities UAA serves. As the only public four-year university in the region, UAA’s market niche
is relatively secure locally. Our main competition comes from outside colleges (which attract students
who want to leave Alaska) and from all the other life choices available to Alaskans, including other
educational/training providers and the option of not going to college at all. As a result of the Alaska
Scholars program and a significant investment in high school recruitment programs, UAA has
steadily increased its market share of college-bound high school graduates.
 Course scheduling
 Continue to expand Resource 25 scheduling software on Anchorage campus as the
central classroom database for both central and departmental scheduled classrooms.
 Class capacity
 Review class caps and other registration procedures that encourage maximal
enrollments
 Master Planning
 Support campus master planning and integration of the facilities plan, academic
plan, and this enrollment management plan
Other Strategies: Increases in retention rates have a direct effect on enrollment as well,
particularly enrollment in upper division levels where UAA has excess capacity. Similarly, everything
we do that increases UAA’s educational quality and prestige has an effect on both enrollment and
retention, attracting more students of a higher caliber and retaining them through their
undergraduate careers. These strategies are discussed in Part 2: Retention.
Last updated November 2008
13
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
PART 2
RETENTION
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Performance Measure:
Strategic Goal:
Target:
Metric:
Retention Rates for Freshmen
Student Success
Increase/maintain 68% retention rates by FY09.
Fall-to-fall retention rates for first time, full time cohorts in
Bachelor, Associate, and Certificate degree programs.
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Trends for the MAU
Retention rates, measured fall to fall for first-time full-time freshman cohorts, have steadily improved
since 1999, the earliest year for which data exists.
Freshman Retention Rates
70.0%
68.0%
Percentage
66.0%
64.0%
62.0%
60.0%
58.0%
56.0%
54.0%
52.0%
99-00 00-01 01-02 02-03 03-04 04-05 05-06 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11 11-12 12-13
Years
Source: OPRA: Performance 07 and 08
Last updated November 2008
14
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Projections and Targets
UAA’s retention targets mirrored the UA system’s overall goal: to increase first-time, full-time
undergraduate retention rates 1% a year between 2005 and 2009, with UAA achieving a 69% rate by
2009. A sustained 1% increase proved to be an overly ambitious goal for all MAUs, given that
certificate and associate's degree-seeking students were included with the bachelor's degree-seeking
students in the annual undergraduate first-time, full-time undergraduate retention rates. Initial focus
has been on first to second year retention rates for full-time certificate and degree-seeking students.
UAA Retention Rates Performance Targets (MAU)
Baseline
FY 04
Target
FY 05
Target
FY 06
Target
FY 07
Target
FY 08
Target
FY 09
Target
FY10
Target
FY11
Target Target
FY12
FY13
64%
65%
66%
67%
67.5%
68%
68%
68%
68%
68%
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
Actual
65.9
64.6
67.5
67.6
66.7%
Sources: UA Performance-Based Budgeting Process, Implementation Summary, Appendix A and OPRA, UAA MAU Operational Review
2B: Performance Measures. Dashboard
Note: The above retention rates are for first-time full-time Certificate, Associate and Baccalaureate students combined.
A note about measurement: The specified cohorts (first-time full-time degree-seeking students)
tend to be very small at UAA’s community campuses. As campuses develop their enrollment
management plans, they may include strategies to improve retention. However, measurement at the
community campus level will remain problematic. Retention rates, expressed in percentages, begin to
lose their meaning when applied to populations so small.
Last updated November 2008
15
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
ANCHORAGE CAMPUS
Trends
With 83% of the students in the identified cohorts attending the Anchorage campus, it is not
surprising that Anchorage’s trends look very similar to the MAU trends.
First Year Freshman Retention Anchorage Campus
Percentage
80.00%
70.00%
60.00%
50.00%
40.00%
30.00%
9798
9899
9900
0001
0102
0203
0304
04- 0505 06
Year
0607
0708
0809
0910
1011
1112
1213
Source: OPRA: Campus Reports
Projections and Targets
Anchorage’s campus goals are identical to MAU and Statewide goals. In fact, Anchorage may be the
only UAA campus with sufficient and reliable cohort sizes for which meaningful retention rates can
be measured.
UAA Retention Rates Performance Targets (Anchorage)
Baseline
FY 04
Actual
FY 05
Actual
FY 06
Target
FY 07
Target
FY 08
Target
FY 09
65.3
66.6
65.4
68.1
68.0
68.0
Target Target Target Target
FY 10 FY 11 FY 12 FY 13
Source, Baseline: UA Performance-Based Budgeting Process, Implementation Summary, Appendix A
Source, Targets: Extrapolated 1% per year.
Note: The above retention rates are for first-time full-time Associate and Baccalaureate students combined
Retention Performance and Conditions: Narrative
Narrative text comes largely from the UAA Performance '07 and Performance '06 reports published by the UAA
Office of Community Partnerships.
Last updated November 2008
16
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA ANCHORAGE
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
FY09-FY13
________________________________________________________________________
Status. Our First Time Full Time Baccalaureate retention rate hit 71.3% in FY07, the highest rate
ever recorded for Anchorage. The rate has increased a remarkable 10.8% increase since FY98.
Overall, this retention rate is very good for a university with our student profile and mission.
Retention rates vary, of course, among the colleges and campuses. In Anchorage, 75.0% in the
School of Engineering, College of Education 74.6%, College of Health and Social Work 74.3%,
Community and Technical College 73.9%, College of Arts and Sciences 69.2% and College of
Business and Public Policy 62.4% in Fall 07.
ANALYSIS
Composition of the Cohort. The entry cohort for this metric consisted of 914 students, or about
5.99% of our student population 15,250 in the Fall 07 semester (OPRA, Fall 2007 Opening
Summary).
As in past years, the largest portion of the entry cohort (54.8%) was affiliated with the College of
Arts and Sciences (CAS), followed in size by the College of Health and Social Welfare (CHSW) with
12.9%, the College of Business of Public Policy (CBPP) with 8.5%, the School of Engineering 8.4%,
the Community and Technical College (CTC) with 6.3%, and the College of Education 4.9%.
(OPRA, Persistence Report, Anchorage)
 The School of Engineering (SOE) has seen its entry cohort grow 65.5% since fall 2002.
 CTC has seen its entry cohort grow 56.75% since fall 2002
 CHSW has seen its entry cohort grow 51.28% since fall 2002
 CBPP has seen its entry cohort grow 18.1% since fall 2002
 CAS has seen its entry cohort grow 6.8% since fall 2002
 College of Education (COE) has seen its entry cohort decrease 48.7% since fall 2002
Unquestionably, we are struggling with some of our retention rates from underrepresented
populations. Alaska Natives (59.7%) is down 2% from last year and African Americans (53.8%) is
down 12.8% from last year and both are below our cohort total. See Performance 08, page 39.
ISSUES AND CHALLENGES
Our Student Profile. 24.4% of our first-time full time degree-seeking undergraduates are enrolled in
certificate and associate degree programs. We know from both local and national data that associate
degree students have lower retention rates in general than their baccalaureate counterparts (with open
admission selectivity 53.6% in national studies). At UAA our persistence in the associate degree area
is 65.6% for FTFT and FTPT is 51.9%. The majority of our student body attends part time, lives
off campus, works, and has one or more dependents to support... all variables associated with lower
retention rates. In reviewing our peers for 2007-2008 our published FTFT Baccalaureate retention
rate is 70% and the average of our peers is 69% with a range of 59% to 86%. In reviewing peer data
it seems that one conclusion to our low 6 year graduation rate is our percentage of full time students.
UAA is at 45.4% and the average of our peers is 69.05%. As a result our graduation rate is 20% and
the average of our peers is 40%.
Mission: Because of our commitment to a mission of open access the Anchorage Campus (UAA)
cannot simply recruit students who are most likely to persist: traditional-aged full-time students, with
top high school GPAs, strong SATs, and affluent families. In UAA’s world, a good number of
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students are older and many have multiple priorities and responsibilities, less-than-ideal support,
insufficient or inconsistent financial resources, or inadequate pre-college academic preparation.
As a result, it is a continuing challenge for a university like UAA to achieve consistently increasing
retention rates. Our peer institutions typically have a retention rate of around 69%. Based on student
circumstances that can be beyond our control, our retention could decline in any given year.
Retention Strategies: Narrative
Narrative text comes largely from the UAA Performance '07 and Performance '06 reports published by the UAA
Office of Community Partnerships.
UAA has made student success central to our mission. However, Alaska’s unique geography and
demographics make achieving consistent results an ongoing challenge.
A Culture of Student Success. UAA’s culture of student success has been growing steadily for
many years. The Anchorage campus initiated its first strategic enrollment management initiative in
2002. Student Success was formally identified as one of the university’s highest priorities in 2004, and
it has remained at the core of our strategic planning ever since. Retention is just one of several
measures we use as indicators of student success; others include course completion/attrition and
graduation.
LEARNING COMMUNITIES
Successful models. We have consistently achieved great success with specialized populations in the
Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP), the Recruitment and Retention of Alaska
Natives in Nursing (RRANN) program, the UAA University Honors College, and others. These
programs employ a comprehensive array of retention strategies and student support systems,
including residential learning communities, co-enrollments, peer advising and mentoring,
supplemental instruction, and undergraduate research. Many strategies first tested in these specialized
programs were later adapted for the greater UAA student population. We continue to search for and
adapt retention models appropriate to our campuses.
Residential learning communities have been remarkably successful at enabling student success.
Students living in university housing are among those with the highest of all retention rates (70% for
first time full time baccalaureate cohorts entering in Fall 04). The earliest residential communities
(ANSEP, Nursing, University Honors, and the First Year Experience Hall) continue to grow
stronger every year. A First Year Honors community was added in Fall 03 and a First Year
Engineering wing in Fall 04.
Expand learning communities. New residential learning communities in Aviation and Psychology
opened in Fall 06, as did the new ANSEP building, increasing both capacity and opportunity for the
class of entering freshmen whose retention will be measured next year.
ASSESSMENT AND ADVISING
Over the past seven years since the first formal SEM plan was developed, we’ve strengthened our
assessment and advising strategies, increased our residential learning community options, and
initiated new academic support and transition programs. Our rising retention rates are due to the
cumulative impact of all these strategies.
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Tiered admission. The size of the entering degree-seeking cohort has grown 9.3% since tiered
admission was introduced in Fall 04. The new process eliminated open registration and required all
first time students to declare their intentions when they entered the university, thus enabling us to
identify potential degree-seeking students much earlier in their academic careers than we ever had
before.
Tiered admission creates a larger and more at-risk pool of freshmen, but it also gives us a much
better chance to assess and advise them. National research has shown that early commitments make
a difference in students’ progress toward certificate or degree completion.
Computerized assessment and placement. Appropriate course placement depends on effective
and convenient assessment. Anchorage’s Advising and Testing Center completed the switch to
computerized assessment and placement in FY06, replacing the ASSET with Accuplacer, which has
proven to be a very effective placement test for most students. Kodiak College also began switching
to Accuplacer in Fall 06, and continued that process into Fall 07.
Student Success Coordinators (SSC’s). College based SSC’s, jointly appointed to Student Affairs
and to the academic colleges, are located in the three colleges with the largest entering cohorts:
CAS, CTC, and CHSW. Their job is to meet with majors during their freshman year, to provide
consistent advising for GERs and other basic courses, to ensure that incoming students understand
basic requirements and other institutional policies, and to provide a continuous support network.
Similar positions have been funded at Kenai Peninsula College by the Kenai Peninsula Borough and
at Kodiak College by Title III grant money. Neither of these funding sources will continue
indefinitely, however: a cause for concern at these campuses.
UAA will continue to invest in its “hub and spokes” model of Student Success Coordinators as a
critical first line of support for student retention. Student Affairs received $30,000 in additional base
funding to fully-fund the contracts of the jointly appointed SSC’s in FY08. CAS and CBPP are both
looking for funding to support additional SSC’s in FY09.
The Academic Advising Committee. The Academic Advising Committee works together to share
advising best practices, consult on common student issues, and review and recommend approaches
to improve processes, procedures, and policies that impact advising. The committee is composed of
the SSC’s along with
 Advising coordinators from COE, CBPP, and the School of
 Nursing
 Faculty advisors from SOE and the community campuses
 Associate Director of the University Honors College
The Advising Committee, with representation from each major unit, will continue to oversee all
advising. This network will be necessary as the university attempts to secure the needed funds to
transition to a mandatory orientation and advising environment in FY09.
Academic Advising Technology. In FY08, Enrollment Management will implement a powerful,
sophisticated set of advising and auditing tools (Banner Student software) called Degreeworks that
allow students, faculty, and staff to understand exactly where students stand in relation to their
degree requirements. Its Web-based output shows not only what has been completed, but provides
easy-to-understand advice on what classes still remain to be completed. Degreeworks also contains
detailed academic advice for students on future course options.
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Advising Training Seminars for Faculty/Staff
The Advising and Testing Center offered a series of seminars in March and April 2007 that were
videotaped and are now available in the Consortium Library:
 Module 1: The Basics: Policies, Rules, and Regulations
 Module II: Advising for Student and Institutional Success
 Module III: Advising for Student Growth and Development
Student Affairs also sponsored the Noel-Levitz 2007 Advanced Advising Webinar Series that began
in March and continued through October 2007.
With so many courses at the freshman level taught by adjuncts, there is also real potential to increase
the retention rates of our students by providing additional training workshops for part-time faculty to
introduce best practices and interventions that will increase student success and retention.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT
Supplemental Instruction (SI). Based on a nationally-designated Exemplary Education program,
Supplemental Instruction provides additional tutoring and resources to students in high attrition
math and science courses. UAA piloted the SI program in Fall 2005 with two sections and 28
students, and expanded it in Spring 2006 to five sections and 79 students. Students who participated
in SI study sessions earned significantly higher course grades than those who didn’t, and we know
from our 2003 study on course attrition that this result is likely to have a positive impact on student
persistence. Our SI program was founded on Performance Enhancement funds, and continued with
support from a UAA Strategic Opportunity Fund award.
The SI program received $50,000 in Strategic Opportunity Funding in FY07 and expanded from
seven to 16 sections. A further expansion is planned for FY08, with $80,000 of SOF funding to
support SI leaders in 17 of UAA’s highest attrition courses in math, biology, chemistry, and statistics.
Freshman Seminar courses. UAA expanded its offerings of Guidance 150 (a 3-credit college
"survival skills" course for incoming freshmen) from 10 sections and 204 students in FY05 to 14
sections and 262 students in FY06 (an enrollment increase of 28%). Space was renovated in the First
Year Experience residence hall to create a smart classroom; new sections of Guidance 150 were
offered there for the first time in Spring 2006.
Enrollment in Guidance 150 increased dramatically in FY07, from 14 sections and 262 students in
FY06 to 18 sections and 368 students in FY07 (an enrollment increase of 40%). New sections were
delivered in the First Year Experience hall, and the course became mandatory for new freshmen in
the residence halls beginning in Fall 2006. We expect this strategy to have a positive effect on next
year’s retention rate. Fifteen sections were scheduled for Fall 2007, including two late-starting
sections and one on-line section.
TRANSITION PROGRAMS
Orientation programs. UAA’s new student orientation programs grow stronger every year, reaching
more students and placing a greater emphasis on developing realistic academic expectations, advising,
and college survival skills. The Fall 2005 orientations served 512 people (including 420 students and
92 family members), the largest attendance to that date.
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UAA’s new Book of the Semester program was introduced and a new student resource guide called
Paw Print was distributed in the Summer 2007 Orientation programs. In a survey of participants, the
overwhelming majority (94%) found the orientation experience to be rewarding and said they were
glad they attended. The Summer 2007 orientation program was the biggest ever, reaching nearly
1,000 participants (including both students and their parents and supporters). Students who attended
received a copy of one of our Books of the Year, connecting them to that program as well.
We expect the successful Summer/Fall/Spring orientation programs to continue to have a positive
impact on the students returning each fall. On-line orientation and advising programs are in
development and piloting stages in FY08. A team of business majors produced a plan for creating
and implementing an on-line orientation program that UAA is developing in FY08.
Planning is also underway to implement mandatory orientation programs (including assessment,
academic advising, and introduction to campus) for all new degree-seeking students beginning in
FY09, pending approval of additional funding to handle the increased advising, assessment, and
orientation demands from more than 1,500 incoming freshmen.
Freshman Convocation. UAA held its first ever Freshman Convocation for the Fall 2005 entering
class. The event featured keynote speaker Alan Lightman and was followed by a reception where
students and their families could mingle with faculty and staff. A fixture at many campuses across the
country, this event at the beginning of the academic year helps students connect to the campus,
understand the new environment they are entering, and embrace the sense of inquiry, discovery, and
creativity that are integral parts of the undergraduate experience.
This very successful program is hosted by UAA’s University Honors College. The featured speaker
for Fall 06 was Nobel Laureate Dr. Paul Nurse; for Fall 07 it was paleontologist Donald Johanson.
Freshman Convocation received funding in the FY08 Strategic Opportunities Fund cycle to continue
to inspire and connect students. It will be considered for base budget funding in next year’s PBAC
discussions. The Convocation has widespread support across the Anchorage campus.
The Alaska Native Rural Outreach Program (ANROP). The Fall 2005 cohort was also the first
freshman class to have access to the Cama’i Room, a study center and social gathering place in the
residence halls. The Cama’i Room was created in response to a study that found rural students feeling
homesick and isolated, unable to stay in tune with their heritage or the Native community, and
misunderstood by the university system. The pilot program welcomed 500 visitors and facilitated 150
educational and cultural programs in FY06. It is likely that this program was contributing factor to a
5% increase this year in Alaska Native student retention.
During the FY07 budget request process Student Affairs sought base funding to hire a retention and
cultural coordinator, housed in the Cama’i Room, to continue this successful initiative for Alaska
Native, Native American, and other students from rural communities living in the residence halls.
The funding was not received. However, Student Development reallocated base budget in FY08 to
institutionalize this important retention program for Alaska Native and rural Alaskan students
coming to UAA.
COLLEGE/SCHOOL/CAMPUS-SPECIFIC STRATEGIES
In addition to the Anchorage campus-based strategies described above, individual colleges and
campuses practiced retention strategies of their own.
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



CTC implemented a retention toolkit strategy in Fall 06 that included a CD with an
introduction to the college and links to important campus resources. Student response was
underwhelming (they found the toolkit to be too generic and too redundant), so CTC now
steers new students to an improved and updated advising website. Being able to revise and
improve a retention strategy based on customer feedback is one of the strengths of CTC,
and one of the keys to their continuing success.
KPC identifies students who haven’t been attending class at the 2-week, 6-week, and 9-week
points. Student Services personnel call these students individually to offer services that might
assist them in being successful. Students who drop classes are required to get either the
faculty member’s signature or the Student Services Director’s signature so that they can be
counseled on available tutoring and other support services.
Mat-Su College has developed an Early Alert Retention System (EARS) intervention
program to identify and target high-risk students early and provide them with assistance they
may need. This hands-on approach enables MSC staff to know these individuals and needs
before they may experience problems in college.
PWSCC has developed a President’s Forum that began in FY05, where the College President
meets with students once a month to discuss any student concerns. This personalized
strategy connects students to “their” campus, and surfaces concerns before they become big
issues.
OTHER IMPORTANT RETENTION STRATEGIES
Student Engagement. Campus Life, Student Leadership, USUAA, Club Council, and Greek
Council collaborated to open a new Student Organization Center in the Student Union. The Center
is home for 80 student organizations (Spring 2003). A Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory
was administered in Anchorage and the community campuses during the fall 2003, fall 2005, and fall
2007 semester. There was evidence that there was increased student satisfaction with a number of
academic and administrative areas since the fall 2003 semester. Student participation increased in
leadership positions including USUAA (student government), Club Council, Greek Council,
Residence Hall Association, Honors Committee, and the USUAA Board of Cultural Awareness. As a
result, new advisor position for Student Clubs and Greek Life was established and filled after a
national recruitment process (Spring 2007). The Student Union was remodeled and a new Office for
Student Clubs and Greek Life was opened to provide expanded space for student engagement
opportunities (Spring 2007).
Co-curricular transcripts were established to document student leadership involvement for use in the
graduate school admission process and in job searches after graduation (FY04). The campus
conducted a renaming process that engaged students. The Campus Center was renamed to the Student
Union to reflect the student-centered mission of the building and services (Fall 2004). UAA
revitalized its voter registration efforts to increase voter awareness and participation that involved
students, faculty, and staff beginning in the Summer 2004. Tanaina Child Development Center
added evening childcare services (FY04). Tanaina received national accreditation (Spring 2004).
 Commuter Student Services
 Establish a Commuter Student Services office to provide outreach and needed
services to students who do not live on campus (Student Development: FY 08).
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
Continue to increase participation rates in the Tanaina Child Development Center
evening childcare services (TCDC, Student Affairs, USUAA: FY05-FY09).
 Establish and grow a need-based childcare tuition discount fund from donations to
the Tanaina Child Development Center (TCDC, Student Development, USUAA:
FY05-FY09).
 Voter Registration
 Increase percentage of student registered to vote and voter turnout in national, state
and local elections. (Student Affairs and USUAA: Fall 2004-Fall 2008)
 Counseling Services
 Identify funding to increase counseling services for commuter students and for
students living in the residence halls (Student Development Counseling Services,
Student Health and Counseling Center: FY08-FY09).
Course Completion. UAA has taken a leadership role in recognizing course completion/course
attrition as the most fundamental measures of student success. These measures are common to all
students (regardless of age, educational level, or workforce/degree intentions) and common to all
components of UAA’s mission (access, excellence, and service to Alaska). Course completion is the
most basic building block upon which retention, graduation, and other student educational goals rest.
A comprehensive study of course attrition at UAA (Increasing Student Success: Focus on Attrition) was
completed in AY03 as a joint project of the Vice Provost, Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence
(CAFÉ), and Office of Institutional Planning, Research and Assessment (OPRA). The report
featured student and faculty survey data and included a three-year trend analysis that examined the
problem from both curricular and student-centered viewpoints. A key finding is that students who
“attrit” from even a single course are less likely to persist than non-attritors, and the more classes
they attrit, the less likely they are to return the following year.
A Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Course Attrition convened in AY04 to analyze the findings
and develop strategies and recommendations. They became so engaged in this effort that they
requested re-appointment to lead the campus-wide implementation and follow-up efforts in AY05.
This Enrollment Management plan includes several of the Committee recommendations, which
appear under the strategies to which they pertain (Advising, Placement Testing, Orientation, etc.).
See attachments for executive summaries from the Attrition report and full text of faculty
recommendations.
Also to assist in course completion, campus-wide enhancements were made to expand options for
walk-up and web access to adaptive computer technology for students experiencing disabilities
(FY03, FY04). The Disability Support Services staff established a partnership with the Anchorage
School District to produce alternate format materials for high school students using the same
software that they will use when the attend UAA to ease the transition to college and increase the
likelihood for success in their first year of college (FY04). A new learning strategy, called Typewell,
was implemented to provide “real time access” in the classroom for students who are hard of hearing
or deaf and do not know or use American Sign Language (Summer 2004).
Scholarly Programs and Opportunities. Improvements in educational quality can have a powerful
effect on both enrollment and retention by enhancing UAA’s reputation and by engaging talented
students in academic pursuits that prepare them for graduate school and successful professional lives.
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UAA established the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship in AY01 to further the
vision of incorporating serious research and scholarship into the undergraduate experience and to
provide stability and continuity for faculty and students. The University Honors Program
(established AY99) and the Undergraduate Research and Discovery programs (established AY01)
have created exceptional opportunities for students. The Northwest Association of Schools and
Colleges commended the Honors program in 2000 for increasing UAA’s attractiveness to
academically outstanding students and for creating a locus of activity for student inquiry and
research. UAA also established a Center for Community Engagement and Learning in FY01, which
engages students in active learning on projects that have real impact in the community. These efforts
led UAA to be named one of the nation’s top 100 Colleges with a Conscience (Fall 2004).
 Undergraduate Research
 Develop strategies and incentives to expand undergraduate student/faculty research
partnerships (Vice Provost, OURS, Faculty Associate, and Task Force on
Undergraduate Research and Scholarship: AY05)
 Develop a fundraising campaign to increase support for undergraduate research,
scholarship, and creative activities (OURS: AY05 and Beyond).
 Develop an expanded Undergraduate Research symposium as a showcase for
student work and faculty involvement (OURS: AY05 and Beyond)
 National Scholarship programs
 Develop programs to help students gain access to national and international
scholarship programs like Fulbright, Marshall, Truman, etc. (OURS, FY05 and
Beyond).
DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS
Making the right kind of data even more accessible. Strategic Enrollment Management is a datadriven approach that uses a wide range of data sources to inform decision-making. We are
continually refining the kinds of data we need to collect, and the best ways to present that data to
executives so that they can make effective use of it. The problem is mostly one of volume and
selectivity. If we collect too much information, it can be hard to determine what is most relevant.
On the other hand, if we present only summary data, then it’s not detailed enough to see exactly
where to direct our attention and resources. Finding the balance is an on-going process, and we
expect to continually modify and adjust our data presentation capabilities in the years ahead.
External data describing marketplace characteristics and conditions that are especially useful in
recruitment planning:
 Regional economic indicators
 Regional population trends
 High school graduation rates
 Market penetration rates
OPRA has compiled an annual “Dean’s Notebook” for each college/school dean and community
campus director that includes many of these external data resources, along with internal data
resources. OPRA also compiled the same data for the Anchorage campus for the Anchorage
campus SEM plan. The Dean's Notebook was constructed by treating each campus or college as an
independent academic entity. Notebooks include data for campuses, colleges or schools related to:
 Performance Metrics: An historical review of unit performance outcomes on UA metrics
 Campus Service Area: Service Area Characteristics, Alaska Dept. of Labor Borough Profile,
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Elementary/Secondary Education, UAA Participation Rates by Campus, UAA Students 20
or Under
 Students: Reports on the characteristics of students enrolled in courses delivered by the unit
 Degree/Certificate Programs
 Curriculum
 Retention/Degrees Earned
 Personnel
 Financial
 Space/Equipment
 Profiles: Cohorts Comparison by Characteristic, Enrollment & Academic Performance
Summary Report, Persistence Summary Report
Refine the Dashboard technology and other data collection and presentation formats to be
maximally useful to deans, directors, and other university executives.
Support and encourage the overall planning process. Units with existing plans will be
encouraged to implement, evaluate, and update those plans on an on-going basis. Units writing new
plans will be encouraged to develop those plans in accordance with UA’s Strategic Plan, UAA’s
Academic Plan, and UAA’s Strategic Plan.
Other Measures. In addition to the cohorts and methods defined for this metric, UAA has long
measured retention rates for other student populations of interest, with cohorts selected by OPRA
and retention defined as those who return the following year to our MAU.
A few observations from FY04 to FY07 include: Retention rates are significantly higher for
bachelor's and full-time students than for associate and part-time students.
In both cases, this mirrors national trends.
 Significant predictors of retention include being an Alaska Scholar, having a high school
GPA over 3.0, living on campus, and receiving financial aid.
 International students have excellent retention rates.
 Retention rates are almost always higher for females, and for students carrying 15 or more
credits.
 Retention rates are lower for Alaska Natives than for any other ethnic group, but they
improved markedly in the most recent year.
UAA also tracks many other student success measures, including
 Placement test scores
 Course completion/Course attrition
 Retention/persistence of special populations (Native students, under-represented minority
students, UA Scholars, part time students, etc.)
 Grade point average
 Certificate/Degree completion (graduation) rates
 Graduation Efficiency Index
 Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory
 National Survey of Student Engagement
 Community College Survey of Student Engagement
 Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement
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

Student Opinion Surveys
UAA Alumni Career Survey
See Addendum for current year Anchorage retention program examples.
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FUNDING CRITICAL RETENTION STRATEGIES
FY06 Performance Enhancement Funds
 Supplemental Instruction for English, Math, and Science ($50,000)
 Reading and writing across the curriculum ($50,000)
 Peer advising ($35,000)
 Freshmen Convocation ($25,000)
 Faculty support through the Technology Fellows program ($20,000)
 Preventive mental health services for Alaska Native/ American Indian students ($15,000)
 Support for urban family project for Alaska Native freshmen ($13,000)
 Laboratory tutors for Computer Science ($10,000)
 Pilot program to pair academic and study skills courses at Kodiak College ($7,000)
FY06-07 Strategic Opportunities Funds
 Transition and support program for Alaska Native and rural students living on campus
($53,377)
 Pre-College Academic Enrichment program in rural Alaska ($50,000)
 Bonner Leaders and Civic Engagement Certificate programs ($50,000)
 Supplemental Instruction ($50,000)
 Alaska Native Oratory Society ($45,000)
 Encountering Controversy: faculty development intensive ($25,000)
 Cabin Fever intramural debates ($7,100)
 Major Scholarship initiative ($4,500)
FY07 Budget Allocations
 Performance-based, One-time Allocations awarded for performance on the metrics
($1,475,000)
 Additional base funding for ANSEP ($75,000)
 Honors Program Support ($100,000)
FY08 Budget Allocations
 Honors College; Freshman Convocation ($50,000)
 Enhancing Year-round Academic Advising ($30,0000)
FY08 Strategic Opportunities Funding
 Pre-college Academic Enrichment for Rural Alaska – Phase II ($75,000)
 Supplemental Instruction ($80,363)
 Developing a Diversity Team at UAA ($44,465)
 Creating a Framework for Diversity Outcomes ($14,119)
 Civic Engagement Certificate ($35,850)
FY09 Operating Budget Requests
(Tentative List Presented in Performance '07 Report)
 Mandatory Advising and Orientation ($235,000)
 University Honors College ($130,000)
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

MSC Career Services Center ($90,000)
KOC Rural Access Coordinators ($65,000)
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PART 3
MEETING ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT GOALS
CRITICAL FACTORS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------UAA’s ability to increase enrollment by a fixed annual percentage and increase first time full time
degree seeking student retention to nearly 70% is affected by a variety of factors that are beyond the
control of any single administrative structure. The Anchorage campus is at or near capacity in many
critical areas, including core courses that freshmen need and certain programs that are considered
high demand for Alaska such as the nursing and health sciences. In order to meet our targets, we
must increase capacity in high demand areas and/or develop strategies to target areas with excess
capacity such as upper division or graduate level offerings.
A summary of critical factors UAA faces in meeting its enrollment goals includes the following.
 Capacity/Commitment of Resources. UAA can only grow where capacity exists. Many
freshman-level foundational courses such as English and Math routinely close early in the registration
period, an indication that we don’t have enough capacity to meet the demand. Similarly, the ability of
high demand programs in the health sciences to enroll more students is limited by the number of
available slots for internships in local health care settings, faculty and facilities. Increasing capacity in
areas like these will require additional faculty, additional classroom space, and additional supervisory
arrangements with local business and industry, all of which will require long-term resource
commitments from the highest levels of the university.
Enrollment and retention increases also require additional resource commitments in support staff,
admission, financial aid, one-stop, and processing technology. If we enroll too many students to be
able to serve effectively or advise properly, then more of them will have negative experiences, more
will drop out early in their careers, and retention will suffer. This starts a spiral that ultimately leads
to decreased enrollment, particularly in the upper division courses that already have excess capacity.
UAA is committed to continuously improving its student and academic support services as part of its
enrollment management plan. But those services can’t exist without appropriate resources.
 Access and Affordability. Maintaining “access to excellence” remains a driving principle
underlying UAA’s mission, values, and goals. Admission and enrollment policies continue to support
access, but there is evidence that recent tuition increases are having a negative impact, particularly for
lower income families and traditional community college (workforce development) students and
programs. If these trends continue, tuition and fee costs may negatively impact UAA’s ability to
enroll and retain growing numbers of students.
“Alaska has lost ground in making higher education affordable over the past decade,” notes the
National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education in its Measuring Up 2004 publication. The
organization gives Alaska an “F” on measures of affordability, and notes that things are getting worse
rather than better here. Of particular concern is the lack of need-based financial aid. “Alaska has
made no investment in need-based financial aid, and does not offer low-priced college
opportunities,” notes the Center.
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National data indicate that most students from low-income families never go to college, and those
who do tend to choose community colleges and for-profit colleges. UAA’s community campuses
offer programs and serve populations that largely resemble community colleges, and yet UAA’s
tuition rates (while somewhat low for a university) are significantly above average for community
colleges nationwide. The community campuses are currently experiencing enrollment declines, and
College Directors cite rising tuition costs as a major factor in this decline.
UAA’s tuition discounting practices (department tuition waivers and the Alaska Scholars Program)
have traditionally been used as recruitment enticements and a means of shaping enrollment. UAA
has begun serious discussion on how to obtain more need-based aid to increase access and offset the
negative effects of tuition increases on Alaska’s neediest students. The success of these efforts will
have a direct effect on UAA’s ability to enroll and retain these important student populations.
 Academic Plan and the Strategic Plan. In separate efforts outside the enrollment
management plan, UAA developed an academic plan that will shape academic strategies in the years
to come. Additionally, a strategic plan was finalized in 2007. As the university commits itself to the
programs and disciplines it intends to invest in and grow, this enrollment management plan needs to
be reviewed periodically to align UAA's enrollment goals with its academic goals and strategic plan.
 Community Campus Plans. UAA’s community campuses operate with a high degree of
autonomy under College Directors who are familiar with local populations and conditions in the
communities they serve. Strategies and plans appropriate to Anchorage may not be effective in the
community campus environment. Therefore, each campus has developed its own enrollment
management plan. UA Statewide expects significant enrollment growth to occur at community
campuses in the coming years, with each campus having its own unique set of critical factors that
affects its ability to meet projected targets. Community campus goals and strategies need to be
combined with Anchorage goals and strategies to form an articulated enrollment management plan
for the entire MAU.
 School and College Plans. UAA’s academic schools and colleges have completed or are in the
process of completing individual enrollment management plans. As these are completed, school and
college goals and strategies will need to be meshed with the overall campus and MAU goals and
strategies.
 Multiple Student Bodies. Unlike most universities, UAA cannot afford to think of its student
population as a “student body.” There is simply too much diversity in our student population to
design one-size-fits-all strategies. This presents special challenges for enrollment management,
particularly with regard to marketing materials, recruitment strategies, and support services
appropriate to different goals, preparation levels, and learning abilities. Current resources limit us to
addressing issues and populations in succession. As we address those with the highest priorities, the
others must necessarily wait.
 Mandatory Assessment, Advising, and Orientation. Appropriate and timely comprehensive
advising strategies are known to increase student retention and student success. Financial support is
needed for the implementation of 2005 Faculty Senate recommendations to increase access to
orientation, enhance course placement, increase general and academic advising, reinforce effective
educational practices, and strengthen academic support. (Faculty Senate ad hoc committee, CAFÉ:
AY05).
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FY09-FY13
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 Wellness. The availability of ration of personal counselors to FTE has declined dramatically
since the 1990s. In the early 1990s, there were 10 faculty counselors available to serve the Anchorage
campus. Today, there is 1 faculty counselor, 1 licensed professional counselor, and 2.5 psychiatric
nurse practitioners to serve the mental health needs of Anchorage's 15,000 students. In the early
1990s, Anchorage had no residential student population (the residence halls opened in 1996). Today,
about 950 students live on campus. This increase in the residential student population requires a reevaluation of UAA’s professional counseling infrastructure. Students still experience personal crises
as they adjust and matriculate at UAA. This is a specialized, licensed area that must be addressed if
UAA is to even maintain its current enrollment, much less continue to grow. This is of particular
concern in light of the tragedies at universities across the U.S., Virginia Tech, where students with
mental health issues have been involved in homicidal and suicidal acts on campus.
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FY09-FY13
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APPENDIXES
Appendix A:
Enrollment Management at UAA: A Brief History
The enrollment management strategies UAA has adopted have been based on extensive research and
the best practices of successful colleges and universities throughout the nation. A full analysis of
these research findings and strategies would fill many volumes. This plan contains only the
highlights of the enrollment management culture that flourishes at UAA.
1998-2001: Administrative Realignments. UAA began this effort by establishing and
strengthening administrative structures responsible for supporting enrollment,
educational quality, and student success. Key enrollment management operations such
as Admissions, Financial Aid, and Advising moved from Student Services to Academic
Affairs in 1998, and a new division of Student Affairs was created.
 University Honors Program (1998)
 Academic Center for Excellence (1998)
 Chief Enrollment Officer (1999)
 Student Recruitment Office (2000)
 New Student Orientation Office (2000)
 Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (2000)
 Center for Community Engagement and Learning (2000)
 Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship (2001)
2000-2001: Preliminary research and analysis. The Office of Institutional Planning, Research,
and Assessment (OPRA) produced seminal studies of attrition, retention, and graduation
efficiency, engaging the campus in discussions of these student success issues and their
impact on enrollment and retention. Emerging from these discussions was an
understanding of what data we don’t have, and plans to increase UAA’s data collection
and reporting capabilities.
 Course Attrition and Student Characteristics (2001)
 Student Persistence at UAA (2001)
 Graduation Profile at UAA (2001)
2001-2002: A Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Task Force was convened in Fall 01 to
develop the university’s first enrollment management working plan.
 Renee Carter Chapman, Vice Provost
 Linda Lazzell, Dean of Students
 Rick Weems, Chief Enrollment Officer
 Vara Allen-Jones, Assistant Vice Provost, Academic Center for Excellence
 Gary Rice, Director, Office of Institutional Planning, Research, and Assessment
 John Dede, Director of Marketing, University Advancement
 Peggy Byers, Recruitment Manager, Admissions
 Kay Landis, Research Analyst, Office of the Vice Provost
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2001-2002: External consultants review UAA’s practices and introduce systematic SEM strategies.
 Michael Dolence, Dolence and Associates
 Lana Low, Vice President, Noel-Levitz
 Juliet Mattila, Consultant, Noel-Levitz
 Don Hossler, University of Indiana
 Shannon Ellis, University of Nevada
 Doris Ching, University of Hawaii
2002-2003: A Statewide Enrollment Management Symposium, proposed by OPRA Director
Gary Rice and funded by Statewide, brought representatives from the statewide system
and all three MAUs to UAA’s Anchorage campus to hear presentations by Dr. Rice and
outside consultants Richard Howard (Montana State University) and Gerald McLaughlin
(Northwestern University). The seminar offered participants an introduction to strategic
enrollment management principles and the latest data tracking capabilities.
2002-2004: Student Success was elevated to the institution’s number one priority for FY03 and
FY04, and campus-wide involvement in enrollment management/student success issues
increased dramatically.
 Chancellor’s Leadership Retreats (Fall 2002, Spring 2003, Fall 2003): topics for
discussion include Admissions, Course Attrition, Best Practices for Student
Retention, and Graduation Efficiency. See attachments.
 Five CQI teams met to address admission policies, advising practices, registration,
kiosk, and orientation (Fall 2002). Development of a Tiered Admission proposal.
 CQI Advising Team creates first-time freshmen advising model (FY03).
 Faculty Senate Advising, Placement, and Assessment committee considers Tiered
Admission proposal; Faculty Senate adopts 10 recommendations (Spring 2003). See
attachments.
 Increasing Student Success: Focus on Attrition report produced by Vice Provost, Center
for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFÉ) and Office of Institutional Planning,
Research, and Assessment (OPRA). Distributed at Chancellor’s Leadership Retreat,
(August 2003).
 Center for Community Engagement and Learning hosts a Symposium on the
Engaged University (August 2003).
 The SEM team and OPRA sponsor the Your First College Year national survey
(Spring 2003).
 Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Course Attrition analyzes Attrition report,
develops findings and recommendations (FY04). See attachments.
 Faculty Senate analyzes and approves the Secondary School Student Enrollment
policy proposal (FY04).
 Anchorage opens the First Year Experience Hall living/learning residence hall
community with peer mentors, tutoring, and academic assistance (Fall 2002).
 UAA expands the University Honors living/learning community (Fall 2003) and the
Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (Fall 2004) living/learning
community by adding First Year Experience wings.
 New Student Orientation and the Colleges and Schools implement school- and
college-specific new student orientation sessions, increasing new student
participation rates by 25% (Summer 2004).
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2005-2007: Updates since implementation of the original UAA SEM Plan
 Administrative Realignments. Enrollment Services, Financial Aid, Advising and
Testing, TRIO Programs, Native Student Services, AHAINA Student Programs,
and other key enrollment and student services moved from Academic Affairs and
were merged with Student Affairs. A new administrative unit called Student Affairs
was created, comprised of newly reorganized divisions of Student Development,
Enrollment Management, Academic and Multicultural Student Services, and the
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs (March 2005).
 Between 2005 and 2007, three reorganizations occurred within the Enrollment
Management Division. Among other innovations, an expanded customer service
team was formed to be first points of contact for walk-ins, telephone calls and
emails. Enrollment Management was reorganized to manage the recruitment and
admission of students. New areas departments created were Student Financial
Assistance and Information, Electronic Student Services, Registrar (Records and
Registration), and the Office of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Services.
 Princeton Review names UAA a “College with a Conscience” (July 2005).
 Center for Community Engagement and Learning hosts the 2nd Symposium on the
Engaged University (August 2005).
 OPRA Topic Paper-Student Persistence Rates at UAA, An Analysis of this UAA ‘Success
Metric” (February 2006).
 OPRA Topic Paper-Student Graduation Rates at UAA, An Analysis of this UAA ‘Success
Metric” (February 2006).
 Dave Davenport, University of Idaho, is hired as a consultant to visit UAA to study
admissions application processing procedures and make recommendations for
improved services to students and reduced processing times (May 2006).
 UAA established new living/learning communities in the residence halls for
Psychology and Aviation. West Hall was transformed into a First Year Emphasis
learning environment (Fall 2006).
 Community campuses complete enrollment management plans (Fall 2006).
 OPRA Topic Paper-Course Attrition, Six-Year Retrospective Profile (September 2006).
 UAA publishes Performance '06: Measures, Targets, Strategies report on UAA's
performance on the 7 UA performance measures (September 2006).
 UAA was designated a “Community Engaged University” by the Carnegie
Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (December 2006).
 New Student Orientation and the colleges and schools implement school- and
college-specific new student orientation sessions, increasing new student
participation rates by 25% (Summer 2005-Summer 2007).
 Colleges complete or in process of completing SEM plans (Spring 2007).
 University Honors Program becomes University Honors College (March 2007).
 Retention and learning community expert Dr. Vincent Tinto visits the UAA
Anchorage campus for a daylong seminar on student success (March, 2007).
 Provost names a UAA Student Success Committee (Fall 2007).
 UAA publishes Performance '07: Measures, Targets, Strategies report on UAA's
performance on the 7 UA performance measures (September 2007
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2007-2008: UAA Strategic Enrollment Management Plan Evaluation Committee is convened
in Spring 2008 to evaluate UAA campus and unit enrollment management plans.
 Rick Weems, Associate Vice Chancellor, Enrollment Management
 James Lizska, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
 Dennis Clark, Director, Matanuska-Susitna College
 Yuan-Fang Dong, Research Associate, OPRA
 Linda Lazzell, Vice Chancellor, Student Affairs, Ex Officio
 Renee Carter-Chapman, Sr. Vice Provost, Academic Affairs, Ex Officio
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