Executive Symposium
Perspectives on Executive SEM Leadership
Andrea Schokker
Executive Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs
Overview
1. Leadership
2. Cultural change and buy-in
3. Results
4. The UMD example
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The Role of Executive Leadership
1. Be clear (and honest) about the place SEM takes with respect to
other initiatives
2. Be prepared to “blow up” some things
3. Know what must be tackled immediately: prioritize
4. Lead the culture change and support/encourage
5. Understand the ROI for this type of initiative and don’t be shy
about spreading that message
6. Set expectations/goals and follow up with assessment
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Cultural Change:
Understand Your Starting Point
1. Enrollment expectations
• Need for continuous increase to meet budget?
• Who is part of the team for recruitment?
• Where does the buck stop?
• Demographic expectations?
• Is the capacity on campus consistent with expectations?
2. The leadership, staff and faculty must be on the same page with the
expectations
• Discuss and document
• Be consistent with messaging
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Cultural Change: Trust
1. Know where your trust and political capital is strongest
• Keep building it and expanding it
• Take time with the faculty and staff in key groups – not just their
directors or supervisors
• Communicate clearly and directly, then back up your words
• Get the Deans and Directors fully onboard
‒ Opinions may differ, but all must present a unified story
• Avoid excuses and the blame game: expect others to live up to this as
well
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Results
Good results are the most
direct route to solidify trust
and to change the culture
1. Know when you need outside help
2. Make sure you can get the data needed
3. Set realistic goals and don’t rest until they are met
• The honeymoon period for making the change can be very short
4. Celebrate the hard work of your team when they reach a goal
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Case Study:
the University of Minnesota Duluth
1. The basics
•
Regional comprehensive
•
On Lake Superior, major outdoor activity
focus
•
2nd largest campus in 5 campus UMN system:
11,000+ students
•
Duluth population: 86,000
•
Majority of entering class has been directly
from high school
•
Small online presence
•
Primarily undergraduate institution with
$30M research expenditures
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Enrollment / Degrees Awarded
12000
10000
# students
8000
Total Enrollment
Freshman
Degrees
6000
4000
2000
0
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Year
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Enrollment / Degrees Awarded
12000
10000
SEM Council
# students
8000
Total Enrollment
Freshman
Degrees
6000
4000
2000
0
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Year
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Strategic Enrollment Management
SEM Council appointed during the summer of 2011
• Enrollment growth was without strategy
• Opportunity: Strategic Planning initiated under new Chancellor
• Membership
‒ Faculty/associate dean reps from undergrad colleges
‒ Director of Graduate School
‒ Directors of Admissions and Financial Aid
‒ Associate VC of Enrollment and Assessment
‒ Coordinator of Retention
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Strategic Plan Support of SEM
Included Enrollment Action Steps:
1. Establish undergraduate enrollment targets based on capacity to
deliver quality programs, student and societal demands, academic
preparation of incoming students, and tuition revenue needs.
2. Identify, prioritize and assess activities that support student
achievement of UMD’s learning goals, student success,
satisfaction, and graduation rates.
3. Implement effective, measurable processes to recruit, retain, and
support diverse students, faculty and staff.
4. Implement a comprehensive plan to attract, retain, and serve high
caliber graduate students.
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Strategic Enrollment Management
2011
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SEM Phase I
1. Collection and review:
Data Analysis
Data Collection
Current Processes
Key Performance
Indicators
• Current recruitment and retention
plans
• Internal enrollment data
• External enrollment data
2. Noel-Levitz Consultant
3. Undergraduate Student Satisfaction
Inventory
4. Academic department meetings
5. Undergraduate competitor analysis
6. Graduate program directors survey
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SEM Phase 2
1. Utilized data analysis to establish
enrollment projections and 3 and 5year goals
Enrollment Goals
Enrollment Projections
Goal Setting
2. Goals established for:
• Undergrad, grad, non-degree
• New freshman, transfer, continuing
• Students of color and international
• MN and non-MN
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SEM Phase 3
1. Development of action plans
supporting each enrollment goal
Enrollment Goals
Enrollment Projections
Goal Setting
• Intensive work with Admissions
practices
2. Stakeholder involvement
3. Assigned responsibility and
timelines
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Enrollment Crisis
3000
2500
# students
2000
Lowest freshman enrollment
in over a decade
1500
1000
500
0
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Year
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What Happened?
Enrollment Culture
• Thought we were immune to external environmental changes
• No campus or system enrollment approach
• It’s the job of the admissions office
• STEM fields had been covering the problem in other areas
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Enrollment by College
10000
9000
8000
# students
7000
Science & Engineering
Educa on & Human Service
Business & Economics
Liberal Arts
Fine Arts
Total Undergraduate
6000
5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Year
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Time for Help
1. Lack of experience and personnel to make a quick turnaround
without help
2. Consulting partnership with AACRAO: Tom Green and Blake
Vawter
3. 1 year partnership focusing on Admissions and Financial Aid best
practices
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Admissions: Challenges
1. Recruitment was primarily word of mouth
2. STEM growth in new programs and a good year in athletics likely
postponed the inevitable
3. Minimal marketing plan
4. Goals and accountability for field staff minimal
5. Little use of technology
6. Slow response time for materials requests
7. Some HR issues
8. Lack of confidence from colleges
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Additional Challenges
1. Lack of support for students outside of the new high school pool
• Not a strong reputation for transfer ease
• Registrar not re-centralized until 2012
• College culture around quality of transfers
2. Disadvantaged by low discount rate compared to public campus
norms (-5%)
3. Low rate of freshman providing FAFSA/ISIR information
4. Coordination of recruitment/messaging throughout campus
5. Broken reporting lines due to retirements, failed searches, HR
issues
6. BUDGET
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Admissions Positives
1. Core group of strong staff: dedicated and experienced
2. Huge number of campus visitors
3. Attractive existing materials for visitors
4. Quick processing for students meeting regular admissions criteria
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Changes Implemented: the CAO Role
1. Met monthly with consultants during campus visit for a debriefing
2. Listen, support, prioritize
3. Find resources
• Enrollment = tuition  priority in tough budget times
• Cabinet and colleges need to understand the priority
4. Work on campus culture
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Changes Implemented: Admissions
1. Staff deployed to meet market needs
• E-recruitment.
• Visit experience.
• Largest population center is in the Twin Cities.
2. Communication plan development
• Focused student search purchase.
• Crisp, segmented messages aligned with student choice factors.
• Web, email and direct mail channels.
3. Reduction in recruitment travel
• More focus on follow-up and conversion.
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Changes Implemented: Admissions
1. All field staff trained to recruit transfers
• Pre-admissions advising.
• Community college relations.
2. Community college partnership program initiated to increase
transfer enrollment.
3. Implemented CRM (SalesForce) technology to track effectiveness
of communications and manage search list, inquiry, visit data and
create better data resources for admissions staff.
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Changes Implemented: Financial Aid
1. Increased communication/follow-up to increase FAFSA/ISIR results
2. Redistributed merit awards to remove sharp gap between very
large awards and minimal awards
3. Varied awards based on discipline
• To address capacity discrepancies
• Significant endowments focused in certain disciplines that already
have high demand
4. Increased focus on high-need students
5. Increased focus to meet needs of under-represented groups
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Where we are now
1. Strong SEM framework to address rapidly changing higher
education environment
• 8.5% increase in freshman enrollment from previous year
2. Major issues identified and on path of correction
3. Continuing to implement and refine
• It will take time, but we now have a plan
4. Addressing budget challenges
• Program prioritization
• Move to being a data-driven campus
5. Recruitment is everyone’s job
• Admissions takes the lead on recruitment
• Colleges take the lead on retention
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Enrollment / Degrees Awarded
12000
10000
# students
8000
Total Enrollment
Freshman
Degrees
6000
4000
2000
0
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Year
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Graduation Rates
70
% gradua ng of entering class
60
50
4 year
5 year
40
30
20
10
0
2001
2002
2003
2004 2005 2006
Entering Year
2007
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2009
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Retention Rates
90
% retained of entering class
80
70
60
50
40
1st year
2nd year
3rd year
30
20
10
0
2002
2004
2006
2008
Entering Year
2010
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Prioritizing: Part of the Strategy
1. Budget issues are providing opportunity for a comprehensive look
at efficiency and quality
• Degree programs
• Non-degree, support services, administration
2. Enrollment is directly tied to budget
• 80% tuition, 20% state support
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0
*basic overview as example: not complete picture
Psychology
Geography
Communica on
Anth/Soc/Crim
Math & Stat
Philosophy
Economics
Wri ng Studies B A
Accoun ng, B. Acc.
History
Health & PE & Rec
Poli cal Science
Physics
Biology
Finance
English
Educa on
Art & Graphic Design
Chemistry & Biochem
Foreign Lang Studies
Management
Marke ng
Geological & Env Sciences
Theatre
Civil Engineering
CSD
Music
American Indian Studies
Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
Computer Science
Women's Studies B A
Chemical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Tui on/Cost per SCH
Tuition/Cost Program Snapshot*
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
3
2.5
0
*basic overview as example: not complete picture
Psychology
Health & PE & Rec
CSD
Educa on
Geography
Communica on
Anth/Soc/Crim
Philosophy
Wri ng Studies B A
History
Poli cal Science
English
Foreign Lang Studies
American Indian Studies
Women's Studies B A
Economics
Accoun ng, B. Acc.
Finance
Management
Marke ng
Math & Stat
Physics
Biology
Chemistry & Biochem
Geological & Env Sciences
Civil Engineering
Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
Computer Science
Chemical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Art & Graphic Design
Theatre
Music
Tui on/Cost per SCH
Tuition/Cost Snapshot by College*
Education &
Human Services
Liberal Arts
Business &
Economics
2
Science &
Engineering
Fine Arts
1.5
1
0.5
$0.0
MATH
PSY
EDUC
BIO
CHEM
HPER
WRIT
SOC/ANTH
COMM
ART
ECON
FMIS
ACCT
MU
PHYS
GEOL
MGT
CS
MIE
PHIL
CE
GEOG
TH
ENGL
POL
HIST
MKTG
LANG
SW
EE
AMIN
CSD
CHE
MBA
WS
MAPL
Tui on in $ Millions (based on SCH)
Tuition Revenue by Department
$10.0
$9.0
$8.0
$7.0
$6.0
$5.0
$4.0
$3.0
$2.0
$1.0
Department
Summary
1. Strategic Enrollment Management requires
• Full support from leadership
• Clear expectations on goals, accountability and resources
• Education of all of campus on the need and benefits
• A combination of the ability to move fast, be decisive when given
information, AND have patience
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Thank you!
Tom Green and Blake Vawter: our consulting partners
Mary Keenan, UMD Director of Enrollment Management and
Institutional Research
Admissions staff, especially Scott Schulz and Ian Pannkuk, UMD
Associate Admissions Directors
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Questions and Discussion
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Andrea Schokker
aschokke@d.umn.edu
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