East Carolina University


STRATEGIC ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

TASK FORCE

 

 

 

Preliminary Report To Faculty Senate

 

October 2008
Task Force Challenge

 

•         Develop a plan to direct ECU’s efforts in enrollment management and student success

 

•         Ensure recommendations are consistent with ECU Tomorrow, UNC Tomorrow,  the Engaged University Carnegie Classification, SACS accreditation and the expectations of a graduate research university

 

•         Solicit input from a broad range of constituencies across the university through vigorous and informed debate

 

•         Utilize special topic subgroups to provide expertise in key areas

 

•         Recommend strategic initiatives for enrollment, retention, and graduation which build upon ECU’s reputation as a university of choice

 

 

 

                                          Key Overarching Principles

 

•         SEM involves making choices

 

•         Strategic decisions that support ECU’s commitment to providing a quality university experience to many people will not allow us to be all things to all people

 

•         ECU must squarely face the tradeoffs and make decisions through informed thought and action rather than deciding through inaction

 

•         The process is not without risk, but the benefits are far greater than the risks

 

•         SEM is an iterative process – ever changing and flexible

 

•         The SEM process must be driven by hope in the future, not by fear of tomorrow

 

 

 

Current Enrollment Data

 

•         ECU’s 2017 enrollment projections  submitted to UNC General Administration  are:

 

              Undergraduates         26,082

              Masters/Doctoral       10,989

              First Professional            578

              Total                          36,018

              DE Only                     11,805

                        

•         ECU’s fall 2008 census of 27,703 exceeds Fall 2008 projections by 1,052 students.  The 2008 incoming freshman class of 4,516 exceeded our year 2012 FT/FT freshman projection of 4,510 students.

 

•         The challenge is to determine a recommended enrollment growth process consistent with our mission and the quality experience we desire for students

 

 

 

Critical Issues Identified

 

•         The most critical issues impacting Strategic Enrollment Management in our institution are:

 

Ψ     Defining and Embracing our Access Mission

Ψ     Improving Student Retention and Graduation

Ψ     Determining Effective Academic Mix

Ψ     Providing Optimal Infrastructure

 

•         These issues are inter-related and a recommended solution for one issue will affect another

 

•         Thus, the recommendations need to be considered in the context of the whole and implemented with an understanding of the impact of one on the implementation of others

 

•         The committee purposefully does not provide specific enrollment targets since that decision must be informed by faculty and programs and data.


ISSUE 1:  Defining & Embracing our Access Mission

 

•         We are known for our commitment to “access” for students throughout the state, particularly in Eastern NC

 

•         More than 60% of our students come from west of I-95

 

•         ECU must adopt a common definition of access as it implies different things to different people

 

•         For the purposes of SEM:

Access is defined as setting reasonable admissions standards and admitting those who meet those standards

 

•         Those academic standards will become more rigorous over time, with a tension between improving quality and sustaining our commitment to access

 

•         With an increase in standards, ECU may experience an initial enrollment decline in first time/full time freshmen and transfer students. 

 

•         A proactive plan to assist potential students in meeting ECU’s admission requirements is critical to honoring our commitment to access.

 

GOAL:

 

To be the leader in providing a quality university experience to students who meet reasonable admissions expectations while ensuring that all students are prepared to meet these standards and to succeed academically.

 

 Representative Recommendations:

•         Create gateway programs targeted at under-represented students and families

•         Continue to expand  statewide outreach through distance education programs

•         Increase integration and cooperation with Community Colleges and UNC institutions

•         Increase students and faculty from under-represented groups

•         Establish the “Pirate Promise” Scholarship Fund

 

 

 

ISSUE 2:   Improving Student Retention and Graduation

 

•         Our admissions and retention standards, as well as pressure to grow, often conflict with the political, financial and social realities of improving student retention and student graduation

 

•         In the future, our success and state funding will be measured by how well we attract, keep and graduate our students

 

•         We must maintain and improve the academic standards that faculty believe are appropriate to our programs and student body

 

•         Task force recommendations are appropriately more-focused on the undergraduate population

 

 

GOAL:

 

Increase student retention and graduation rates

 

 

 Representative Recommendations:

•         Slow the rate of growth

 

•         Admit students with increased academic qualifications

 

•         Create programs targeted at recruiting and retaining high performing students

 

•         Support students in achieving academic success

 

•         Implement academic policy changes

 

•         Enhance student financial and operational support services

 

•         Expand and enhance programs and support functions in Student Affairs

 

 

 

ISSUE 3:  Determining Effective Academic Mix

 

•         Decisions are often made based on the overall mix of academic programs, specifically the balance between graduate and undergraduate and their relative funding streams

 

•         ECU can no longer afford to make significant program resource allocation decisions without obtaining and using program – related financial and operational data.

 

 

 GOAL:

 

Strategically evaluate and re-evaluate the breadth and depth of our programs and degrees.

 

 

 Representative Recommendations:

•         Support graduate programs without negatively impacting undergraduate programs, undergraduate teaching, or ECU’s  mission

 

•         Establish and implement program financial and capacity metrics and standards

 

•         Assess efficiency and effectiveness of current support structures and operations of graduate education

 

•         Improve ECU’s position as the predominate provider of online and off-campus distance education in the UNC system

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ISSUE 4:  Providing Optimal Infrastructure

 

•         ECU’s academic, support services and physical infrastructure has not kept pace with its rapid growth

 

 

GOAL:

 

Rebuild a university infrastructure sufficient to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff.

 

 

Representative Recommendations

 

•         Create and appropriately staff an Office of Enrollment Management

 

•         Provide resources to accommodate space needs

 

•         Enhance Instructional Technology services

 

•         Strengthen the Office of Institutional Planning and Research

 

•         Implement industry best practices with respect to responsiveness, accuracy, customer satisfaction, timeliness and operational accountability

 

•         Enhance all aspects of safety for faculty, staff , students and visitors

 

•         Create university-level operational process review and improvement team to evaluate cross-unit policies and operations to identify and eliminate bottlenecks, redundancy and inefficiency

 

 

 

 

 

 

Report Format:

 

•         Draft report is organized by the 4 primary issues with each issue having a set of recommendations

 

•         Timeline (immediate, short term and long term) is proposed for each recommendation

 

•         Responsible parties are identified for each recommendation with office/unit listed first being one to initiate work on recommendation

 

•         Appendices are provided that list the recommendations without discussion and also classify the recommendations by timeline and by responsible parties.

 

 

Task Force Timeline:

 

•         SEM Task Force will solicit input through various means, including faculty, staff, and student forums.  Comments may also be sent to the Task force at SEMTF@ecu.edu 

 

•         Forums are scheduled on: 

October 15, 2008, 2-4 pm at Mendenhall Great Rooms 1 and 2

October 16, 2008, 3:10 – 5 pm at Health Sciences Building 1120

October 23, 2008, 3-5 pm at Mendenhall Student Center 244

Students/Grad Students forum:

October 28, 6:30-8:30 pm at Mendenhall Student Center 212

 

•         Draft report is available on Enrollment Management website at www.ecu.edu/enrollment

 

•         Preliminary report to Trustees in November 2008

 

•         Final report to Trustees in February 2009