New Frameworks for
Strategic Enrollment Management
Planning
AACRAO San Francisco
April 16, 2013
Presenters
Bob Bontrager, Ed.D.
Senior Director of AACRAO Consulting and SEM Initiatives
• Institutional roles: Vice President for Enrollment Management, Director
of Admission and Orientation, Assistant Registrar
• Oregon State University, Eastern Mennonite University, Arizona State
University
Tom Green, Ph.D.
AACRAO Managing Consultant
• Institutional roles: Dean/Vice President for Enrollment
Management
• Eastern Michigan University, Seton Hall University and several
others
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What is Strategic Enrollment Management
(SEM)?
Strategic enrollment management is a
concept and process that enables the
fulfillment of institutional mission and
students’ educational goals.
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SEM Planning Framework
Sustainable
Enrollment
Outcomes
Tactics
Strategies
Campus Infrastructure
Strategic Enrollment Goals
Data Collection and Analysis
Key Enrollment Indicators
Institutional Strategic Plan
SEM Frameworks • Bontrager & Green • AACRAO 2013
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SEM Organizational Framework
SEM Steering Committee
Long-term enrollment goals, securing the approval of strategies through appropriate
institutional channels, communication with Executive Cabinet
Recruitment Council
Retention Council
Develop 3-4 strategic goals for new student
recruitment; review and approve sub-committee action
plans; recommend to SEM Steering Committee
Develop 3-4 strategic goals for retention and
graduation; review and approve sub-committee action
plans; recommend to SEM Steering Committee
3-4 Committees
3-4 Committees
Action plans, time lines and metrics for
each strategic goal
Action plans, time lines and metrics for
each strategic goal
Data Team
Environment scanning, student enrollment behavior research,
enrollment models, provide data to councils as needed
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SEM Process Framework
Performed by
Process steps
Align institutional strategic plan with
broad enrollment targets and desired mix of students
Develop action steps, accountability, and metrics
Implement action steps
Monitor progress,
Report results to campus and executive leadership
Smaller group of staff and faculty
adept at economics and data use
Goals recommended by SEM Recruitment
and Retention Councils; models developed
by Data Team
Mid-course adjustments
New or revised goals
Approve strategic goals and enrollment projection
models
Changes
to goals
Use data results to establish
focused goals each for recruitment, retention,
service, etc., and enrollment projection models
Additional requests,
clarifying questions
Data gathering and assessment:
Internal culture/ environment, student enrollment
behaviors and scan of external environment
Executive leadership,
SEM Steering Committee
SEM Frameworks • Bontrager & Green • AACRAO 2013
Executive leadership,
SEM Steering Committee
SEM councils and sub-committees
Appropriate staff and
faculty departments
SEM Steering Committee,
Chief Enrollment Officer
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SEM Planning Framework
Sustainable
Enrollment
Outcomes
Tactics
Strategies
Campus Infrastructure
Strategic Enrollment Goals
Data Collection and Analysis
Key Enrollment Indicators
Institutional Strategic Plan
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SEM Planning Framework
Sustainable
Enrollment
Outcomes
Tactics
Strategies
Enrollment Infrastructure
Strategic Enrollment Goals
Data Collection and Analysis
Key Enrollment Indicators
 Clarity of institutional
mission, vision, goals
 Core competencies
 Strategic direction
 Aggregate enrollment goals
Institutional Strategic Plan
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SEM Planning Framework
Sustainable
Enrollment
Outcomes
Tactics
Strategies
Enrollment Infrastructure
Strategic Enrollment Goals
Data Collection and Analysis
Key Enrollment Indicators
Institutional Strategic Plan
 Student categories: first
year, transfer, graduate,
certificate, continuing ed,
face-to-face/online, etc.
 Desired student groups:
racial/ethnic diversity,
academic ability, special
skills, family income
 Geographic origin: local,
regional, national,
international
 Recruitment, retention,
completion
 Institutional capacity
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SEM Planning Framework
Sustainable
Enrollment
Outcomes
Tactics
Strategies
Enrollment Infrastructure
Strategic Enrollment Goals
Data Collection and Analysis
Key Enrollment Indicators
 Internal benchmarks: KEI
numbers over the past 3-5
years
 Environmental scan
− Demographics
− Economics
− Market opportunities
− Competition
 Institutional research plan:
designated reports and
production schedule
Institutional Strategic Plan
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SEM Planning Framework
Sustainable
Enrollment
Outcomes
Tactics
 5-10 year SEI targets
Strategies
 Focus: the institution’s
desired future
Enrollment Infrastructure
Strategic Enrollment Goals
 Based on: mission, data,
and environmental scanning
Data Collection and Analysis
Key Enrollment Indicators
Institutional Strategic Plan
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SEM Planning Framework
Sustainable
Enrollment
Outcomes
Tactics
Strategies
Enrollment Infrastructure
Strategic Enrollment Goals
 Staffing: skill sets, strategic
deployment
 Systems: policies,
procedures, technology
 Capacity for making
effective enrollment
decisions : positions,
reporting lines, committees
Data Collection and Analysis
Key Enrollment Indicators
Institutional Strategic Plan
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SEM Planning Framework
Sustainable
Enrollment
Outcomes
Tactics
Strategies
Enrollment Infrastructure
 Increase new students of
specified types
 Increase retention rates,
specifically by student
types
 Expand into new markets
 Utilize emerging
technologies
Strategic Enrollment Goals
 Financial aid/scholarships
Data Collection and Analysis
 Academic programs: mix
and delivery systems
Key Enrollment Indicators
Institutional Strategic Plan
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SEM Planning Framework
 Marketing/branding
initiatives
Sustainable
Enrollment
Outcomes
 Academic program review
Tactics
 Targeted interventions for
students in high risk
courses
Strategies
Enrollment Infrastructure
Strategic Enrollment Goals
Data Collection and Analysis
Key Enrollment Indicators
Institutional Strategic Plan
 Multilingual recruitment
materials
 Enhanced academic
advising
 Streamlined admission
procedures
 Purchase a new CRM
system
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SEM Planning Framework
Sustainable
Enrollment
Outcomes
 Consistently meeting
goals over the long term
− Enabling more effective
campus-wide planning
Tactics
− Revisions to the
institutional strategic plan
Strategies
− Academic planning:
curriculum, faculty needs
Enrollment Infrastructure
Strategic Enrollment Goals
Data Collection and Analysis
Key Enrollment Indicators
− Facility planning
− Financial planning
 Achieving the institution’s
desired future
Institutional Strategic Plan
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Questions / Comments?
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Resources
 AACRAO SEM Conference, November 10 - 13, Chicago
 New SEM Quarterly journal
 College & University journal
 AACRAO books (www.aacrao.org/publications/)
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SEM and Institutional Success (2008)
SEM at the Community College (2010)
SEM in Canada (2011)
SEM: Transforming Higher Education (2012)
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Thank you!
Bob Bontrager
bontrager@aacrao.org
Tom Green
Tom.Green@aacrao.org
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