The Effectiveness
of Enrollment Management Programs
In Universities and Community Colleges
August 2004
Components of Study
This study was to determine:
• the effectiveness recruitment activities had on enrollment
increases
• the effectiveness retention activities had on retention rates increases
• a best practices model for recruitment and retention activities
• and compare the enrollment management data from
• Texas institutions of higher education to enrollment management
data from across the United States.
Purpose of the Study
The primary purpose of this study was to conduct a
comprehensive study of:
• the enrollment management structure
• activities within each component
• the influence these variables have on enrollment and retention
rates of students in public universities and community
colleges in Texas
• the comparison of the enrollment management data from
this survey to the national data of the Noel-Levitz survey.
Research Questions
1. Is there a significant relationship between enrollment and
recruiting activities when controlling for organizational
structure?
2. Is there a significant relationship between retention rates
and retention activities when controlling for organizational
structure?
3. How do Texas public universities and community colleges
compare to the national statistics of universities and
community colleges in relation to the organizational
structure, activity level, and performance indicators?
Four Levels of Enrollment Management
Committee: The committee is usually charged with looking at the institution’s current
marketing and student retention efforts. Some institutions create two committees
(recruiting and retention) to focus on the individual dilemmas in these areas. The
committees usually consist of faculty members, key administrators, and students.
• Coordinator: The enrollment management coordinator supervises the recruitment and
retention efforts of the institution, and coordinates the efforts of admissions, public
relations, and retention, as well as marketing activities. This coordinator is often a midlevel manager.
• Matrix: In the matrix model, an existing senior-level administrator such as the vicepresident for student affairs or institutional advancement directs the activities of the
enrollment management matrix. Each administrative department is not reassigned to a new
vice president. Instead, each director continues to report to the original vice-president, but
also becomes part of the enrollment management matrix.
•Division: In the division model, a vice president or associate vice-president is assigned
the responsibilities for all enrollment management activities of an institution.
Four Levels of Enrollment Management
The differences within each level of organizational structure are
the major goals and activities, personnel, authority, and any
structural changes within the organizational chart.
Each level improves data acquisition and dissemination, as well as
improves communication and understanding about the
institution’s enrollment.
The components of enrollment management include the broad
categories of: admissions/recruiting, pricing/financial aid,
orientation and academic advising, campus activities and residence
life, career planning and placement, learning assistance centers,
institutional research, faculty development, retention, planning, and
student services.
Methodology
Participants
Population: Public universities and community colleges of higher
education in Texas (109 institutions). This population included
enrollment management administrators of public universities and
community colleges having a membership with the Texas
Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers,
which was 96 institutions in the academic year 2002-03.
Sample: The sample consisted of 11 public universities and five
community colleges in Texas for total of 16 institutions. (16%
return rate)
Instrumentation
Surveys used combined:
• The Noel-Levitz Enrollment Management Self Inquiry Survey
• Noel-Levitz National Survey on Enrollment Management
The combined survey used for this study was designed in five
sections to measure: (a) institutional and demographic data; (b)
institutional enrollment management planning; (c) recruiting
strategies; (d) retention strategies; and (e) recruitment and retention
results.
Data Collection
• A list of email addresses of the enrollment management
practitioners at the public universities and community colleges
in Texas were collected from the 2002-2003 TACRAO
membership directory.
• Emailed a cover letter and link to the online survey at the
www.formsite.com website.
• Information about the study was collected for six weeks
• The surveys were returned through the formsite website, and
descriptive data was initially collected.
• A follow-up email was sent to those administrators not
responding within two weeks and within four weeks of the
initial mailing.
Data Analysis
This quantitative study was designed to show the influence of
(1) recruiting activities on enrollment numbers while controlling
for each enrollment management level within the organizational
structure at the public university and community college levels,
(2) retention activities on retention rates while controlling for each
enrollment management level within the organizational structure at
the public university and community college levels, and
(3) how public Texas universities and community colleges compare
to the national statistics of universities and community colleges in
relation to the organizational structure, activity level, and
performance indicators.
Data was retrieved from the Enrollment Management online survey
and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences 11.0
(SPSS) software program.
Data Analysis (continued)
Research Question #1 and #2
The randomized complete block design
The stepwise regression analysis
Research Question #3
This data was provided by Noel-Levitz from their 2001 National
Survey on Enrollment Management. The descriptive statistics used
in the national survey were frequency, mean, and percentages
of responses to each question. The same descriptive
statistics were analyzed with the Texas data.
Findings
Research Question #1
The recruiting activities of the Enrollment Management Survey
were broken down into four major categories to include: contact
activities – mail and online, marketing strategies, telecounseling,
and on-campus tours. Each of these categories had more than one
activity within the category. The mail category had 15 activities, the
online category had 18 activities, and the marketing category had
30 activities, while the telecounseling and tour categories had
3 activities each.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #1
Contact With Prospective Students – Mail
1. Of the 15 selections of promotional printed contact materials commonly used
2.
3.
4.
by universities and community colleges, departmental brochures and
personal letters were used by each respondent.
None of the items used alone showed a statistically significant difference on
the impact to enrollment at either the university or the community college
level.
However, when the stepwise regression analysis was run, the university and
community college enrollment increases were influenced by a number of
contact activities. At the university level, the contact activities used to
increase prospective student enrollment at the institution were: viewbooks,
searchpieces, student life brochures, a video or CD, fact sheets about the
institution, minority student brochures, and financial aid brochures.
At the community college level, the contact activities used to increase
prospective student enrollment at the institution were: student life brochures,
athletic department brochures, admissions letters, and financial aid brochures.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #1
Contact With Prospective Students – Online
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Of the 18 selections of online contact materials, all university and community
college respondents provided contact information through the institution’s
website.
Two of the individual items had a statistically significant difference toward
enrollment for universities, which were the online payment option for
application fees and an email newsletter.
At the community college level, none of the online contact items implied an
influence on enrollment increases when used as the only contact practice.
At the university level, the online contact activities used in combination to
influence enrollment increases were: an online inquiry form, online financial
aid application, online housing application, online orientation program for new
students, online payment option for application fees, virtual campus tour, email
newsletter, online “chats” with prospective students, online catalog, and online
course registration for current students.
At the community college level, the online contact activities for prospective
students to enroll at the institution were: online course registration for new
Findings (continued)
Research Question #1 - Recruiting/Marketing Strategies
1. Of the 30 recruitment/marketing strategies, all university and community
college respondents used: institutional participation in College Day/College
Night programs; direct mail; campus visit days for high school students;
meeting or events for service area counselors; and campus web pages.
2. At the university level two recruitment/marketing strategies showed a
statistically significant difference in relation to enrollment. These strategies
were revisiting a stored database of former inquiries of applicants who did not
enroll and career planning or assessment for prospective students.
3. At the community college level, the significant strategy was providing noneed scholarships to students.
4. At the university level the activities to increase enrollment were: obtaining
names of graduating seniors from service area high schools; adult information
nights or programs; point of sale posters and request cards; billboards, bus or
other outdoor advertising; flexible course scheduling (nights and weekends);
movie screen advertising; no-need scholarships; toll-free telephone numbers;
extended office hours; and one-stop-shop services.
5. At the community college level the recruitment/marketing activities used to
increase enrollment were: direct mail searches, no-need scholarships, and onestop-shop services.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #1
Telecounseling
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Telcounseling was not used as a recruiting practice by all universities and
community colleges.
There was no significant difference in the telecounseling efforts used by
universities in increasing enrollment.
The community colleges’ enrollments were influenced by having special
telethons in a concentrated period of time to increase enrollment.
In combining the telecounseling efforts the university model continued to be
unresponsive to increasing enrollment by having admissions staff or faculty
call prospective students; highly trained students call prospective students, or
hosting special telethons in a concentrated period of time.
The community college enrollment model was affected by using highly
trained students and the special telethons in a concentrated period of time.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #1
Campus Tours
1. Each university and community college respondent used
campus tours as a recruitment tool for increasing enrollment.
2. There was no significant difference in the training of current
students as tour guides at the university or community college
institutions in relation to enrollment.
3. When the stepwise regression analysis was performed,
neither the university or the community college institutions
reflected a significant difference in the training level of current
students as tour guides for campus tours.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #2
Retention Activities - Service Offered
1.
2.
3.
4.
Of the six selections of services offered to students as retention strategies
commonly used by universities and community colleges, academic advising
by faculty; career planning and counseling; and academic assistance
programs – tutoring, study skills, test taking skills, and mentoring were
used by each respondent.
None of the other items defined a statistically significant difference on the
impact to enrollment at either the university or the community college level.
However, individual universities listed supplemental instruction, living
learning communities, and advising by a professional staff member as other
services offered to students as retention strategies.
The same results were found with the stepwise regression; therefore, there was
no combination of retention services offered to students that affected retention
rates at the university or community college institutions.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #2
Retention Activities – Non-classroom Activities
1. In the area of non-classroom activities used to foster student
relations, there was no evidence that any activity was used by all
institutions responding to the survey.
2. At both the university and community college levels, there was
no significant difference for any of the activities listed on the
survey used as the only retention activity or in combination of
non-classroom activities.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #2
Retention Activities – Evaluative Activities
1.
2.
The university and community college respondents have incorporated student
satisfaction surveys and evaluation of faculty by students as a common
practice.
The student exit interview process was not significant at either the university
or community college institution with the random block design analysis, as
well as with the stepwise regression analysis.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #2
Retention Activities – Combination of Services Offered, NonClassroom Activities, and Evaluative Activities
When the retention categories were combined using the stepwise regression, the
following activities made a significant difference on university retention rate
increases: academic advising by faculty, career planning, academic assistance
programs, student satisfaction surveys, evaluation of faculty, no-need
employment, early alert/intervention, faculty sponsors of clubs/org, mentoring
in residence halls, on-going orientation sessions, student exit interviews, and
student representation at Board meetings.
The following activities made a significant difference on community college
retention rate increases: academic advising by faculty, career planning,
academic assistance programs, student satisfaction surveys, evaluation of
faculty, no-need employment, early alert/intervention, on-going orientation
sessions, and student exit interviews.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #3
Based on the analysis of the data, the comparison of the current study
to national data is important to monitor how Texas institutions of
higher education are improving enrollment and retention rates
with recruitment and retention practices.
1.
2.
3.
The response rate for the national survey was 15 percent,
while the response rate for the current study was 16 percent.
Of those that responded to the national survey, 22 percent
were from university public institutions and 13 percent were
from community college public institutions.
The current study received 64 percent of the responses from
the university public institutions and 29 percent from the
community college public institutions.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #3 – Planning for Enrollment Management
1. Approximately two-thirds of institutions across the nation have a “formal,
2.
3.
4.
5.
written, enrollment management plan”, as compared to 80 percent of the
institutions in Texas. According to the national data, two year institutions are
less likely to have a plan than universities; however, in the current study, all
community colleges reported having a plan.
Of those institutions that have enrollment management plans of the national
and Texas institutions, nearly all include goals for admissions and recruiting.
Within the national results, about three-fourths of the plans include retention
and enrollment-related marketing goals, whereas the institutions in Texas have
a somewhat higher rate at 80 percent.
The number of institutions in Texas with goals for financial aid is less that the
50 percent for the national results.
However, the number of institutions incorporating information technology and
outcome assessment goals is higher in Texas than across the nation.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #3 – Planning for Enrollment Management
6. Most institutions in the Texas study with enrollment management plans involve
the board of trustees and faculty /staff in the implementation of the plan; which
is different than the national results. However, the national and current study
results report that alumni and students are not included in the implementation
or reporting of the plan. In the national survey results, more community
colleges indicated that support staff was involved in developing goals and
objectives of the enrollment management plan. The current study did not
indicate this outcome.
7. About 50 percent of all institutions with an enrollment management plan
indicate that they have been involved in formal planning for over three years in
Texas; however 40 percent of institutions in the national study have been
involved in formal planning for over five years. Less than 10 percent of the
institutions in the national study have been involved in formal planning less
than one year. In Texas, 17 percent of the institutions have less than a year of
experience in formal enrollment management planning.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #3 – Organizing for Enrollment Management
1. The national and current study results indicate that over 80
percent of institutions have an individual with “overall direct
responsibility for enrollment management.”
2. At the universities for both studies, the most often title used is a
“vice president.”
3. The national study reported “dean” to be the most popular title at
community colleges, but the title of “director” is used in Texas
for those institutions.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #3 – Enrollment Management Goals
1. The goal most likely to be set by institutions with an enrollment
management plan is for first-time, full-time students.
2. At least three-fourths of the universities had a goal for this group
of students in the national results, whereas over 90 percent of the
Texas universities had incorporated this goal into the plan. The
survey data for community colleges was the same for the national
and Texas survey results. Less than half of these institutions had
set this goal.
3. Of the universities with this goal for the national and Texas
results, over 80 percent met the goal of the freshman incoming
class.
4. The Texas community colleges that set this goal in the enrollment
management plan exceeded the goal set for this group.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #3 – Enrollment Management Goals
5. The practice of retention goal setting has not received the same
amount of attention as the planning of the recruiting goals. The
Texas university respondents had an 80 percent rate of setting a
retention goal as compared to the national group that had a 50
percent rate.
6. Of the community colleges, the response rate was the same for
the national and Texas groups at 25 percent.
7. Fifty percent of the universities met the retention goal in both
groups, whereas the community colleges met their goals in full.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #3 – Enrollment Management Goals
6. Few of the institutions surveyed set a graduation rate goal. About
50 percent of the Texas universities set a graduation rate goal.
7. One community college set a graduation rate goal within the
Texas community colleges.
8. Of those that set a graduation rate goal in the Texas survey
respondents group, 50 percent met the goal, whereas the national
university cohort had a goal success rate of less than 50 percent.
9. Over half of the community college national group met the
graduation rate goal. The Texas community colleges exceeded the
graduation rate goal set in the enrollment management plan.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #3 – Enrollment Management Results
1. When comparing the increase in the number of new first-time,
full-time freshman from one fall semester to the next, university
public institutions had an average increase of four percent for
Texas institutions with the national average increase being three
percent.
2. Community college public institutions in Texas had an average
increase of 11 percent, while the community college public
institutions in the national survey was around nine percent.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #3 – Enrollment Management Practices
1. The recruiting piece used most often by universities is the
viewbook, reported by the national and Texas survey results.
2. The Texas community colleges use the poster/request cards more
often, while across the nation, community colleges reported using
the catalog as the most used recruiting piece.
3. Nearly all of the universities in Texas use a formal telecounseling
program, while only 50 percent of the universities from the NoelLevitz survey use formal telecounseling. Telecounseling is not as
popular at the community colleges as reported in both the current
study and the national study.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #3 – Enrollment Management Practices
4. Formal campus visit programs are popular at both university and
community colleges in Texas and from the national survey with
all reporting over 80 percent having such a program.
5. The most frequently mentioned recruiting activity used by both
types of institutions in both surveys was visits by admissions
representatives to high schools.
6. Off-campus recruitment programs were the next activity most
frequently mentioned for national university and community
colleges, including community colleges in Texas.
7. Universities in Texas reported frequent use of programs targeted
at adult and other non-traditional students.
8. Using currently enrolled students in recruiting activities was the
least used activity for community colleges.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #3 – Enrollment Management Practices
9. Nearly all universities from both surveys have a page for
prospective students on their website.
10. Seventy-five percent of community colleges have a page for
prospective students.
11. Most public university and community college institutions have
basic information and processes available to their students on
their Web site. These areas include admission information, cost
information, institutional catalog, admissions application, inquiry
form and course registration for current students.
12. The most popular on-line pieces used for all institutions on the
college’s web site are the online inquiry form, online application
for admission, online catalog, and online registration for current
students.
Findings (continued)
Research Question #3 – Enrollment Management Practices
13. The on-line pieces not available at all institutions are online
roommate selection and “chats” with faculty.
14. Of the institutions that have enrollment management software,
the respondents were asked to rate the effectiveness of the
software in use on their campus. The majority of the
responses were below the level of two on the three point
scale.
15. Community colleges reported lower ratings of
effectiveness than universities.
Conclusions
Best Practices Model for Universities
Recruitment Activities
Departmental Brochures
Viewbooks
Fact Sheets
Financial Aid brochures
Online Financial Aid App
Online Housing app
Online payment options
Email Newsletter
Online catalog
College Day/Night Programs
Campus visits for HS students
Extended Office Hours
Billboard Advertising
Career Planning
Posters/Request cards
Flexible course schedule
No-need scholarships
Extended Office hours
Personal Letters
Student Life Brochures
Searchpieces
Video/CD
Minority student brochures
Online Reg. - New
Online Inquiry form
Online Orientation
Online Scholarship App.
Online Visit Inquiry
Online Financial Aid Estimator
Broadcast Advertising
Virtual Campus Tour
Online “chats” w/students
Online registration – current
Direct Mail
Meetings for service area counselors
Obtaining Names from Lists
Using Current Students to Recruit
Adult information nights/programs
Using Current Faculty to Recruit
Movie screen advertising
Toll-free number
One-stop-shop services
Conclusions
Best Practices Model for Universities
Retention Activities
Academic Advising by Faculty
Career Planning
Academic Assistance Programs
Student Satisfaction Surveys
Evaluation of Faculty
No-need employment
Early alert/intervention
Faculty sponsors of clubs/org
Mentoring in Residence Halls
On-going orientation sessions
Student Exit interviews
Student Representation at Board meetings
Conclusions
Best Practices Model for Community Colleges
Recruitment Activities
Catalog
Viewbook
Athletic Department Brochures
Factsheet
Departmental Brochures
Personal Letters
Admissions Letters
Student Life Brochures
Financial Aid Brochures
Virtual Campus Tour
Online Registration – New
Online Payment Option
Payment of Deposits
Recruitment of Underrepresented Pop
No-need Scholarships
One-Stop Shop Services
Special Telethons in Concentrated Period of Time
Calls Made by Trained Students
Conclusions
Best Practices Model for Community Colleges
Retention Activities
Academic Advising by Faculty
Academic Assistance Programs
Evaluation of Faculty
Early alert/intervention
Student Exit interviews
Career Planning
Student Satisfaction Surveys
No-need employment
On-going orientation sessions
Conclusions
Enrollment Management in Texas vs. United States
Texas institutions are in line with the national survey results.
More institutions in Texas have enrollment management plans to include
goals for admissions/recruiting and for information technology than
those in the national survey. Goals for retention, financial aid, and graduation
were less in Texas than the national results.
Institutions in Texas have not had formal written plans as long as
those in the national survey.
Most institutions in Texas have a person with direct responsibility
over enrollment management – universities as a Vice President and
community colleges as Directors.
All institutions have a goal for first-time, full-time students, and
Texas institutions have a better fall to fall increase in this population.
As in the national survey results, campus visits to high schools is the
most used recruiting tool, with off-campus programs next.
Texas institutions have a lower rate of using retention software.
Conclusions
Enrollment Management in Texas vs. United States
Overall, Texas institutions are in line with the national survey
results, except in the areas of: length of time of formal written enrollment
management plans; not having goals set at each institution for retention,
financial aid, and graduation; and not having a specific enrollment
management/retention software program.
Summary
As enrollment management becomes more prevalent in the
world of higher education, not only are institutions having to
change the organizational structure to accommodate the
field, governing bodies and membership organizations are
also having to review and restructure themselves. This study
provided effective recruiting and retention activities
within enrollment management for public universities
and community colleges in Texas.
Questions ?