The History of Enrollment Management
at
The
University of Miami
25 Years of Evolving Success
By Paul Orehovec &
Associates
April 8, 2011
For more than 25 years, enrollment management has developed, grown, and helped
create the University of Miami as it is known today. The early seeds of enrollment management at the university started
in the mid 1980s, and the success has brought the established theory of enrollment management to new heights. The University
of Miami is a much different place today than it was in the 1980s because of the enrollment management theory that came into
play. Enrollment management development at the University of Miami has not stopped; it is continuously evolving and
the enrollment management culture for the next decade is still to be determined.
In so many ways, the University
of Miami led the nation with its approach to enrollment management. There were many milestones set by the enrollment
management team that were later replicated at other universities. For many universities, enrollment management was defined
by an organizational structure. At the University of Miami, enrollment management represented a culture; a culture that
went well beyond the enrollment management division. This document traces the history of enrollment management at the
University of Miami. A few of the influential players and champions of enrollment management will be noted, but most
individuals who played such an important role will probably not be mentioned. There just is not enough time to mention
everyone. However, the names are not as important as the evolving culture that makes this a great university.
Enrollment Management
A Working Philosophy
The concept and approach of enrollment management has been evolving
for quite a number of years. In 1974, Frank Campanella and Jack McGuire introduced the concept of enrollment management
as an organizational system supporting the integration of activities associated with the overall enrollment process. Enrollment
management has emerged as a comprehensive, integrated approach toward enhancing and improving the recruitment, retention and
graduation of students.
In 1982 in an article titled The enrollment crisis: Factors, actors, and impacts (Washington,
DC: American Association for Higher Education), Kemerer, Baldridge and Green wrote, "Enrollment management implies an
assertive approach to ensuring the steady supply of qualified students required to maintain institutional vitality."
In effect, this early definition focused directly on recruiting and admitting students.
In 1984 in an article by Don
Hossler titled Enrollment Management: An Integrated Approach (New York: The College Board), he expanded on the definition:
"Effective enrollment management not only requires the marketing of the institution and the selection of students but
also involves more broadly based and all-encompassing activities." With this definition, the concept of enrollment
management had begun moving beyond recruitment to a much broader vision.
Chief among the critical elements of effective
enrollment management are leadership; teamwork; strategic planning; comprehensive programming; knowledge about the competition;
critical timing; accurate, secure and available data along with appropriate support systems; clear and workable strategies;
and the necessary resources.
True enrollment management is both concept and process. Organizational reporting structures
become transparent, while integration efforts between offices and divisions work synergistically to improve services and allow
for the strategic management of the enrollment process. Enrollment is a "cradle to grave" process that starts at
the first point of student contact (the prospect) and continues through (and beyond) graduation. After all, alumni can and
should play an integral role. In the traditional sense, enrollment management involves marketing, recruitment, pricing, financial
aid, financing, student employment, academic registration, student life, housing, career development and placement, minority
student affairs, international student affairs, research, and market research. In the nontraditional sense, it includes many
functions that cross office and divisional lines. Recruitment, retention, and student success are jobs for everyone within
the university.
Orehovec and Ingold
The Early Seeds 1984-1986
In 1984, the seeds for enrollment management were being laid at the University of Miami. Many converging
events were coming into play which opened the door for the creative beginnings of enrollment management. There was a
1,000 student shortfall in 1981 and in 1982, Admissions, Financial Aid and the Registrar were reorganized and reported through
the Provost Office. On January 1, 1984, the University of Miami won its first national football championship.
This created significant name recognition around the country. Around that same time were other significant events including:
the university's first public strategic plan; Hecht Residential College, the initial Residential College is built; placing
admissions, financial aid and registrar's offices organizationally under Jim Ash, the Associate Provost. In the winter
of 1984, Jim Ash met with Paul Orehovec in Chicago to discuss financial aid and enrollment modeling. In 1985 and 1986,
several members of the administration attended the Nantucket Enrollment Management Institute. In 1986, Jack McGuire
(McGuire and Associates) conducted a major research project which presented one of the first major observations that the administration
had to address: students outside a 100 mile radius of Miami thought the University of Miami was (1) a state school,
(2) was a huge 40,000-student campus, and (3) was located in Miami. Thus, with all of these things coming together,
Jim Ash, along with Debbe Perry, the Director of Admission, started laying the groundwork for an enrollment management foundation
that would evolve into the leading effort in the country.
In response to the revelation that the university's
image was so dramatically different from reality, a series of "Road Shows" were conducted in which many faculty
and administrators made presentations at a variety of key cities around the country. These Shows were very effective
in marketing a more accurate picture about the University of Miami around the country. It also represented a major effort
for faculty and administration to work together. Many faculty members, especially faculty masters (faculty who lived
in the residential colleges) became "regulars" on these Road Shows.
Setting
the Organizational Foundation 1986-1992
Subsequent to the McGuire study in 1986, there were several new appointments
that represented the first effort to move away from the "silo mentality" to one of building synergy among the various
offices that assisted students through the enrollment process. Paul Orehovec was hired as the Director of Financial
Assistance Services. Then in the next year or so, Thompson Biggers was named the Registrar. Debbe
Perry was appointed the Dean of Enrollments while the Office of Admissions was led by Mary Conway and Terri Lahti. This
small group of Perry, Orehovec, Biggers, Conway and Lahti, along with Jim Ash and Mary Sapp, Director of Institutional Research,
spent the next several years as a team focusing their attention on recruitment and retention. Thus the first enrollment
management team evolved into a significant force working on enrollment issues.
During this time, there were many issues
that had to be addressed. Among them were (1) financial aid stability and predictability, (2) additional funding opportunities
for students, and (3) enhancing the residential college opportunities.
It was during this time that several financial
aid models were built and linear programming (LP) enrollment models were developed. Much of this came on the heels of
a major financial aid miscalculation in the early fall of 1986. This issue brought about the first major thrust for
data collection in financial aid, enrollment and pricing. The models that were developed were quite successful in projecting
financial aid expenditures, enrollment and student quality and were used for years to come.
In an attempt to address
the issue of increased student aid funding, the Miami Commitment Program was born. Grisel Valdes (Director of Student
Employment), Paul Orehovec and Michael Deggs (student) designed a student employment program that went well beyond the typical
student job on campus. The theory was to bring career development into the student employment program. The basic
idea was to match students and employers in a much different way. Students were asked two questions: (1) What
skills and qualities do you possess? (2) What skills and qualities would you like to develop? Then employers were asked:
(1) What skills and qualities do you need for this position? (2) What skills and qualities will you teach? The best
way to illustrate this theory is to look at Michael Deggs, the very first Miami Commitment student. He explained that
he had significant spreadsheet skills. He also explained that there were many things he would like to learn including
(1) be responsible for a significant project, (2) supervise people, and (3) write a publication. His supervisor outlined
a position in which Michael (1) would help design the very first LP enrollment model, (2) he would supervise other students
in writing a publication, and (3) would help design the Miami Commitment Program. Michael's experience became the template
for the national award winning Student Employment Program.
There was also continued growth of the Residential College
system during this time period. A new Residential College was added each year until all of the traditional dorms became
Residential Colleges. These Residential Colleges each had three faculty families living in them. This faculty
was tenured, experienced and had a great grasp of the University of Miami. With the intent to provide new students with
an opportunity to attend classes close to where they live and meet other new students with whom they reside, an effort was
made to schedule new freshmen for specified classes in their respective residential colleges.
The growth of the
Residential Colleges along with the significant number of Road Shows brought about increased networking, discussion and collaboration
among faculty, Enrollment Management administrators and Student Affairs administrators. This collaboration planted many
seeds for future cooperation as the enrollment management culture was beginning to develop.
Early
Roadblocks
This was also the era of a series of events that caused negative images of the university and the city
of Miami. Some of these images hold true today and have represented the single most significant challenge facing the
Enrollment Management Team. Drugs, crimes and thugs became the image of Miami around the country and around the world.
At the January, 1987 Fiesta Bowl, the University of Miami football team decided to wear battle fatigues as they disembarked
from the plane. From this single gesture was born a negative image that has been difficult to overcome.
Where the 1984 Orange Bowl brought out great name recognition and a positive feeling about UM, this 1987 game did just the
opposite. Along with player arrests and other negative events, the University of Miami became known as a place for thugs.
The City of Miami was having its own difficulties with images of drug lords and crime. The Miami River Cops case was
getting worldwide attention. There were a series of German tourist attacks on the streets of Miami that also gained
national and international attention. The Enrollment Management team set on a path to counter these images, but it was
a most difficult time. To this day, the first question that arises at receptions around the country is, "Is it
safe in Miami and at the university?"
New
Era of Enrollment Management 1993-2011
1993-1994
Description | Prior Year (Fall 92) | Current
Year (Fall 93) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 79,346 | 84,119 | + |
Applications
* | 7,771 | 7,122 | - |
Enrollment ** | 8,584 | 8,352 | - |
Mean High School Rank * | 78.2% | 79.0% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 3.5 | 3.5 | No change |
Mean
SAT * | 1,160 | 1,137 | - |
Retention * | 81.6% (91-92) | 79.0% (92-93) | - |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
In 1993, following Hurricane Andrew (August, 1992), the
concept of enrollment management continued to evolve as a new leadership team was developed. Paul Orehovec was selected
as Vice Provost and Dean of Enrollments (later named Vice President for Enrollment Management), and a new team was assembled
that included Scott Ingold, who came to UM as Registrar in 1990, Edward Gillis, who came to UM as Director of Undergraduate
Admission in 1992, Grisel Valdes, Director of Student Employment and Martin Carney, Director of Financial Assistance Services
(later replaced by Jim Bauer). Enrollment Management, as it is more closely associated in the present day, was
established and this EM team remained together until the fall of 2010. The early 1990s was a difficult time for Enrollment
Management as the university was still recovering from Hurricane Andrew, the number of high school graduates had been on the
decline, and there had been a rash of European tourist attacks that affected the perception of safety within the community.
Coupled with these changes, the Faculty Senate was pushing for improved credentials of the student body. The new Enrollment
Management team set out to focus most of their attention on this goal.
To that end, in the summer of 1993, a group
of 25 staff members from the Enrollment Management Division set out to develop its first Strategic Enrollment Market Plan.
In an all-day retreat, the foundation was established for this first effort as it was determined how the process would unfold.
The retreat organizers created a series of stages that needed to be developed and reviewed. It was determined that the
following stages would be processed (on an annual basis):
- Current Position
- Internal Environment
- External
Environment
- Forecast
- Problems and Constraints
- Goals
- Strategies
In later years,
two more steps were included in this review:
- Financial Plan
- Assessment and Evaluation
A second
goal for the enrollment management team was to improve communication with academic units including schools/colleges and faculty.
As part of the effort, Paul Orehovec and Edward Gillis visited with each dean of the undergraduate schools and colleges.
The purpose of each meeting was to solicit ideas about marketing goals and strategies from the deans' perspective.
Another
strategy to improve this communication was for Paul Orehovec to meet with the Faculty Senate leaders to solicit their ideas.
In addition, Orehovec wanted to get out the message to the Faculty Senate that (1) the Enrollment Management Team was going
to do everything it could to improve the quality of the incoming class and (2) to constantly talk about improving the
quality of the incoming class. This second comment was to address the faculty concern that no one ever seems to talk
about improving student quality.
A third important communication effort was the introduction of the "Benchmark
Presentation," a time for the Dean of Enrollments to review benchmarked data with all who wanted to attend, including
the faculty. This annual presentation became very popular and continued throughout these years.
With the Retreat,
the dean visits, the meetings with faculty leaders, and the benchmark presentation, a new era was born. An era, that
would focus attention on student quality and later, retention and student success. There were many bumps along the way,
but the team was passionate about what was to take place. Failure was not an option.
The challenge that first
year as well as in subsequent years was to improve student quality while maximizing tuition revenue. The major effort
that first year was to increase the number of student inquiries in the admission process. It was felt that if the number
of inquiries could increase, then more applications could be obtained and therefore the process could be more selective.
By being more selective, then the quality would improve. In theory, it made a lot of sense. But how could the
number of inquiries increase? The most significant early strategy was to purchase more prospect names. The University
of Miami was historically the leading purchaser of names from Educational Testing Service from the SAT and PSAT exams.
It was decided to increase the number of purchased names for fall 1994 from 170,000 to 300,000 by purchasing names from alternative
vendors. There was a focus on ACT, NRCCUA, summer SAT, and the Puerto Rican SAT. The strategy paid off.
For that matter, it exceeded expectations. For the fall class of 1993, the university received 84,119 inquiries.
With the added vendors, there was hope that the inquiry base could be increased to 95,000 for 1994. The number of inquiries
that was actually received was 117,597. That boosted applications from 7,122 in 1993 to 9,044 in 1994, an increase of
27% resulting in a higher quality class. The mean SAT increased by 12 points to 1,149. The mean GPA increased
from 3.5 to 3.6, and the average rank-in-class rose from 79.0% to 80.1%. This was only the beginning, but this initial
success supported the belief that a much improved student body was quite achievable.
Other Miscellaneous Strategies
and Events
There were many other strategies that were initiated that year. The Miami Circle Volunteer Admission
Network, which came into existence in the mid 1980's, was significantly enhanced. This allowed alumni of the university
to play a more active role in the recruitment of students. The Circle has grown considerably over the years with members
in virtually every major market in the United States as well as many international countries.
The Office of Admission
opened on Saturdays.
Publications were improved, especially in the area of informing prospective students about financial
aid and financing. Just seven years earlier, in the mid to late 1980's, there were virtually no publications on financial
aid options and now a well-rounded series of brochures and booklets that better describe these processes exist.
The
high school guidance counselor program was enhanced, and the number of counselors was increased from 30 to 60. In later
years, this would increase to as many as 90 counselors from around the world visiting the campus. Over the years, this
has proved to be one of the most successful marketing strategies ever conducted by the Enrollment Management team.
It
was determined that the older, traditional Road Shows were not cost effective, and they were eliminated. The original
concept of taking large numbers of UM faculty and administrators to receptions around the country was important in the early
1980s in order to spread the name of the university. There was no question, that with the Road Shows, the university
was doing something much different than other universities. Students and parents noticed and attended the events in
large numbers. However, research showed that the yield of these very costly programs was not very good. It was
determined that smaller receptions, interviews and increased mailings to prospective students would pay off more in improving
the quality of the student body.
It was also decided to decrease the number of high school visits. The research
showed that high school visits did not yield an adequate number of students. Visiting major feeder schools and local
schools remains an important strategy for the university, but smaller, out-of-state schools have been cut back.
Smaller
on-campus events were being replaced by larger Open Houses. These proved to be very successful. Because of their
size, they were seen as "events." It appeared that students liked to be a part of something special,
and these large events sent just that message.
The research showed that the communication sequence was much too late
in the process to be effective. Because of this, communication with students began much earlier - in fact, the communication
sequence actually started with high school freshmen.
Research, market research, and market testing started to become
a major part of the strategies to improve student quality. With market research comes testing, evaluating, designing new strategies
and testing all over again. Understanding the impact of everything that had been done was important. One of the
first major market tests that was conducted involved the student search mailing approach. For the fall 1994 class, the prospect
list was divided into three parts. It was important to make sure all three groups were similar in their makeup. The
first group was sent the more comprehensive and elaborate prospectus type of brochure. The second group was sent a much
less elaborate pamphlet. The third group was sent a personal letter. In all three cases, a response card was included.
The Prospectus mailing yielded an 11% response for more information. The brochure also generated an 11% response, which
meant costs could be brought down in future years if using this type of brochure was implemented. However, the real
marketing success came from the personal letter. It generated a 24% response. Thus, there were twice as many inquiries
from the personal letter as there was from either of the two other approaches. This type of market testing paid great
dividends over the next 18 years. This type of testing, along with all of the data generation produced is the hallmark
of the Enrollment Management theory.
The Division was busy with efforts to develop, encourage and support enrollment
managers. The Professional Development Program for the Division was coordinated by Grisel Valdes from approximately
1994 to 2005. The following training and career opportunities were created and offered to new divisional employees:
- Master in Science Degree in Education/Enrollment Management: A 30-semester hour (10 courses) one-of-a-kind postgraduate
program with a concentration in enrollment management exclusively endorsed by the College Board.
- Certificate of Enrollment
Management: A 12-credit certificate in Enrollment Management designed for professionals who already have a graduate degree.
- New
Employee Orientation: Held at least twice a year, participants are introduced to each of the division's areas in order to
gain a better understanding of each office's responsibility in the recruitment and retention mission of the university.
- Excellence
Training Program: Staff members are invited to a wide range of workshop presentations, which support the service excellence
mission of the Division.
- State of the Division Address: Conducted by the Dean of Enrollments, all division members
convene to review the accomplishments and challenges of the prior season and help establish the new goals for the upcoming
year.
- Strategic Planning Session: An annual opportunity for all divisional staff to contribute to the strategic planning
process for the upcoming year.
- Meet with the Dean: A handful of employees from each of the areas are invited to an
informal lunch meeting to encourage frank and open conversation, which may be the basis for important policy and/or procedure
changes in the division.
- Dean's Mini-Grants: If an office has an idea or would like to test a new strategy, the Dean's
Mini-Grant program affords the opportunity to request those funds each year.
- Information Technology End User Support
Group: Staff can enroll in courses offered by Information Technology to enhance their technical skills.
- University
of Miami's Professional Development and Training Office: The Division of Enrollments encourages the staff to review the annual
training offerings and determine the sessions that would be of interest.
Market Research Project(s) this year
included:
- Focus Group Study: Academic Advising
1994-1995
Description | Prior Year
(Fall 93) | Current Year (Fall
94) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 84,119 | 117,597 | + |
Applications * | 7,122 | 9,044 | + |
Enrollment ** | 8,352 | 8,046 | - |
Mean High School Rank * | 79.0% | 80.1% | + |
Mean
High School GPA * | 3.5 | 3.6 | + |
Mean SAT * | 1,137 | 1,149 | + |
Retention * | 79.0% (92-93) | 79.0% (93-94) | No change |
*
Data = New Freshmen.
** Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
The goal of increasing the
quality of the incoming class continued this year. A decision to increase the number of purchased names to 300,000 for fall
1994 really paid off. Inquiries jumped to 117,597, which boosted applications from 7,122 to 9,044. The mean SAT
increased by 12 points to 1,149. The mean GPA increased to 3.6 and the average rank-in-class rose to 80.1%.
In addition
to improving the quality of the incoming class, there were two issues that needed to be addressed: (1) funding new strategies,
including the purchase of more prospect names, and (2) expanding the enrollment management culture.
Based on the market
test from the previous year, all prospects were sent a personal letter. The savings paid for additional mailings to
the increasing inquiries, and more names were purchased. This led to the further designing of market testing which would
become an important ingredient for the development of the enrollment management culture.
As the number of inquiries
increased, the cost of recruiting students also increased. Budget constraints required that new approaches be developed.
Mailing costs seemed to be a good place to begin looking for some efficiencies. To that end, it was decided to test
whether the use of "windowed envelopes" could provide cost savings without detracting from response rates from students.
Conventional wisdom suggested that windowed envelopes should never be used in the recruitment process. That theory would
be challenged. For the next year's class, a sampling of prospective students was sent their personal recruitment letter
in a windowed envelope. The response rate for the windowed envelope turned out to be the same as the closed face envelope.
The cost savings was significant. Keep in mind that for the closed face envelope there were three major steps:
(1) type the letter including the address, (2) type the address on the envelope, and (3) place the letter inside the envelope,
making sure that the right letter got in the right envelope. For the windowed envelope, there are only two steps:
(1) type the letter including the address, and (2) stuff the letter in the envelope making sure the address shows through
the window. Although this seemed somewhat trivial to many, there is significant cost savings when you are sending out
hundreds of thousands of letters. The test was successful and the savings were then reallocated to other strategies
in the recruitment process.
To address the issue of expanding the enrollment management culture on campus, two gatherings
were established. The Friday Enrollments Meeting has grown into being an integral part of the enrollment management
process. Each Friday, the Vice President for Enrollment Management convenes a meeting with many of the administrators
that are involved in enrollment issues. This includes the directors (or their representatives) of admission, international
admission, financial aid, institutional research, market research, registrar, student employment, technical operations, housing,
food service, student account services, multicultural student affairs, international student affairs, intensive English and
Study Abroad, and others who have an interest in enrollment issues. The attendees share enrollment related data and
discuss relevant enrollment issues. These weekly meetings help the Division of Enrollment Management, as well as other
offices, work on strategies on a continuous basis to ultimately improve the credentials of the student body and increase student
retention while maximizing tuition revenue.
The second gathering is convened by the director of admission. He
calls together the recruitment officer from each undergraduate school and college on a monthly basis. This group of
admission "liaisons" discusses issues related to recruiting undergraduate students.
Other Miscellaneous
Strategies and Events
A linear programming predictive model was developed for the School of Music. Since music
students had audition results play a part in the admission decision, there was a need to build a separate enrollment model
for them.
Increasing the contact with different influencers was attempted. There was so much success with bringing
high school guidance counselors to campus that allowing other high school contacts to help was considered. The Division
worked with the School of Continuing Studies and the Rosenstiel School to establish a special summer course for science teachers.
This effort was conducted for two years. The science teachers loved it, but there was no evidence that it helped recruit
students.
To be considered a top private university, the University of Miami needed to act more like a highly selective
private college. This is one of the reasons why a Wait List was initially used the prior year. The next step in
this process was to become a member of the Common Application group. The best private colleges and universities in the
country used the Common App, and the University of Miami was now one of them.
Because the student interview process
was so popular and successful in small and medium-sized markets around the country, using the interview process in a major
city was tested. Boston was selected, and this proved to be quite successful.
In the early 1990s, very little
correspondence was sent to parents. Research showed that parents were not always supportive of students attending the
University of Miami. The first real effort to start bonding with parents came with what was termed the Letting Go Mailing.
Letting Go is a published book which addresses the issues that face students and parents when the student departs
the home and heads off to college. The book was sent by the Vice President for Enrollment Management along with a survey,
a Need Help card, and a cover letter. The message that was being sent was that the university really cares about its
students. It was important to make sure parents understood that.
There was a continued effort to pursue a method
to give parents more four-year cost of education information, particularly when financial aid was involved. This has been
a concern that was often noted by parents.
There was a need to enable students greater access to their educational
records. The EASY system was developed so that students could easily access their academic and biographical records
online.
The Offices of Admission and International Admission continued on a daily basis to dispel the notion that Miami
was an unsafe city.
Within the next year, the Enrollments division moved toward the purchase of "image processing".
With this technology, offices accessed files more quickly and reduced the space necessary for file management.
At this
point, students were carefully selected from the Admission waitlist by basing decisions on academic potential and ability
to pay. Staffing among the offices of Admission, Financial Assistance and Student Accounts was coordinated to facilitate
a more harmonized enrollment process from the student's perspective.
Market Research Projects this year included:
- Using Transfer GPA as an Early Indicator of UM Performance
- Analysis of Fall 1994 Completion Rates
- Transfer
Student Experience at UM
- Focus Group Study: Student Orientation
- Focus Group Study: Financial Registration
- Parents'
Survey: Letting Go
- Focus Group Study: Feedback from Black Students
1995-1996
Description | Prior Year
(Fall 94) | Current Year (Fall
95) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 117,597 | 170,573 | + |
Applications * | 9,044 | 10,564 | + |
Enrollment ** | 8,046 | 7,923 | - |
Mean High School Rank * | 80.1% | 81.3% | + |
Mean
High School GPA * | 3.6 | 3.7 | + |
Mean SAT * | 1,149 | 1,155 | + |
Retention * | 79.0% (93-94) | 79.4% (94-95) | + |
*
Data = New Freshmen.
** Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
Because of the success
of the previous year, the number of prospect names purchased was increased to 400,000. This continued to be the major
strategy influencing the goal to improve student quality. This again paid dividends for the class entering fall, 1995.
Inquiries increased to 170,573; applications increased to 10,564, selectivity improved from 59% to 58% (it was 76% two years
earlier and 80% the year before that), and quality improved once again. The mean SAT increased from 1,149 to 1,155;
the average rank-in-class improved from 80.1% to 81.3%; and the average high school GPA was 3.7.
Another major goal
for the year was enhanced strategic planning. The 1995-1996 Annual Plan document developed by the Division of Enrollments
expanded considerably from the initial plan in 1993. As noted by the Vice Provost, "It represents an excellent benchmark
of where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. It will expand even further in future years and will become
the working document for each office in the division. After all, as the great American philosopher, Yogi Berra,
once said, ‘If you don't know where you're going, you could wind up someplace else.'"
Other
Miscellaneous Strategies and Events
In AY 1995-1996, the university was seeing an increase in the number of transfer
students applying.
There were also increasing numbers of commuter students due to the perception that living off-campus
was less expensive.
Current trends showed that students were applying to more schools and "comparison shopping".
They were more closely evaluating their list of schools and many did not have a "first choice" school.
The
Guidance Counselor Weekend proved to be so successful that a third weekend was added by bringing the total counselors from
around the world to 90.
The division attempted the first parent group meeting in Chicago. This retention strategy
was held in Chicago where 25 parents of current students came to listen to the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management speak
about the current status of the university.
Since the "customers" expect UM to keep up with technology, the
Enrollments Division completed a multi-phase network installation. One network was installed to service the offices of Admission,
the Registrar, and Student Account Services. The second network was installed in the Office of Financial Assistance Services.
In addition, voice response technology was implemented in the Office of Financial Assistance Services as well as the Office
of the Registrar.
Due to the changing federal financial aid application procedures, the process of sending out financial
aid awards was examined. A method to obtain FAFSA records electronically from the Federal Aid processor was implemented.
This enabled the Office of Financial Assistance Services to begin sending financial aid award letters six weeks earlier than
previous years.
Some of the research projects included: Analysis of fall completion rates; Transfer Student experience
at UM; Student Orientation; Financial Registration; Images of UM by high school juniors; Time it takes for FAFSAs to be completed
and processed through the federal government.
Many efforts were made to publicize the Miami Commitment Program.
This very unique student employment opportunity won two national awards this spring. The first, sponsored by Sallie
Mae, was for financial aid administrators ("Making Work Study Work"). The second, sponsored by USA Group/Noel
Levitz, was for retention excellence (The Miami Commitment Program: A Model of Retention").
Market Research Projects
this year included:
- Focus Group Study: Financial Registration
- Focus Group Study: Images of High
School Juniors (Spring 1995)
- Focus Group Study: Images of High School Juniors (Spring 1996)
- Focus Group Study:
Learning Communities-"Influences of Psychology and Public Relations on Cinema and Society" and "Why are your
parents so weird: The 1960's"
- Focus Group Study: Learning Communities-College of Engineering's IMPACT Program
1996-1997
Description | Prior Year (Fall 95) | Current
Year (Fall 96) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 170,573 | 185,511 | + |
Applications
* | 10,564 | 10,112 | - |
Enrollment ** | 7,923 | 7,957 | + |
Mean High School Rank * | 81.3% | 80.8% | - |
Mean High School GPA * | 3.7 | 3.7 | No change |
Mean
SAT * | 1,155 | 1,147 | - |
Retention * | 79.4% (94-95) | 79.5% (95-96) | + |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
The student quality goal continued this year, but for the first
time since 1994, the quality dipped. The number of prospect names purchased was increased to 475,000. This did
helped increase the number of inquiries to 185,511 for the fall of 1996. However, the number of applications decreased
slightly to 10,112, and the mean SAT dropped to 1,147 with a mean rank of 80.8%. The GPA remained at 3.7.
It is important to note that this was the only year between 1993 and 2011 that applications decreased.
A second goal
for the year was to use market research to (1) better understand summer melt, (2) find out what students were thinking, and
(3) develop a probability model for freshman retention.
A statistically based predictive model, based on historical
data was developed to estimate a student's probability to enroll at UM after paying an enrollment deposit. The model
was quite successful in predicting students who enroll and those who "melt." However, there were no effective
strategies to reduce the melt.
A wide range of on-campus focus groups were held to gain feedback from students regarding
issues from within and outside the Enrollments Division. In addition, comparison of UM's top competitors (both private and
public institutions) were evaluated. Attributes included pricing, admission and financial aid deadlines and protocols, product
and presentation.
One of the most important probability models developed over the years was successful in identifying
at-risk students. This allowed the division to develop strategies to monitor and affect student retention. This
effort helped increase the freshman retention rate from 79.5% to 82.1% in one year.
The Enrollment Management Team
had discussed the concept of an Enrollment Center for many years. The plan for such a center became the third major
goal of the year. After much discussion, a paper was written recommending a unique concept of an Enrollment Center.
The Center would have two "front doors." One would be for prospective students, and the other would be for current
students. Currently, the Enrollments Division is spread around the campus, which has a negative impact on how the students
are served. Space limitations are part of the problem. The new Enrollment Center would bring together in one location
the operations of admission, registration, student records, financial aid, student accounts and student employment, streamlining
the entire enrollment process for students, faculty and staff. A well located Enrollment Center would alleviate the
confusion prospective students and parents face when arriving on campus. The plan was completed, but the Center never
materialized.
Other Miscellaneous Strategies and Events
For AY 1996-1997, there was a decrease in
the number of transfer students applying.
UM was attracting more international students and more Florida students (primarily
from the tri-county area).
More students were applying for financial aid and debt increased for students and parents.
There were more high-level university administrators, faculty and alumni recruiting overseas as well as an expansion
occurred in the number, size and scope of recruitment tours.
Exposure to the Miami Commitment Program continued with
many efforts to work with colleagues from the Admission Office and the Career Planning Office as well as off campus employers.
A video outlining the benefits of the Miami Commitment Program was produced and distributed to 150 students admitted to UM
through the early action process.
Several financial aid and scholarship market tests were conducted during this year.
The Division of Enrollment Management and the Residence Halls Office coordinated their efforts to examine admission
and residence halls data to determine students who would probably enroll (or not enroll) for the fall term.
The Office
of Financial Assistance Services established the Financial Assistance Services Time-Saver (FAST) line which allowed a quick
response for students to check on the status of their aid applications.
The University of Miami Financial Aid Application
was eliminated after the Financial Aid Form (FAF) was not required by the federal government. This was done to make
the financial aid application process as simple as possible for students and families. Publications were rewritten and
made more user-friendly and less technical.
Programming the Registration Voice Response System was completed for the
grade and schedule components. This continued to expand student access to their records.
A push was on to enhance
the Miami Commitment Summer-At-Home program. Students worked with a student employment advisor to locate a summer
job in their home town. However, this program was more than just job placement. The program was particularly important
for students who wanted to expand network opportunities for employment after graduation. The students met with Miami
Commitment staff to discuss topics such as targeting specific industries, the initial telephone call to a company, telephone
interviews, informational interviews, and networking tips in social settings.
The Miami Commitment Program
also offered an early start for newly admitted students. Local new students were offered the opportunity to start working
in the Early Miami Commitment Program during the summer prior to their enrolling at UM.
A special focus
was placed on the highest caliber applicants. The first step was to develop an honors program brochure, outlining prestigious
graduate-level scholarships.
In 1996, the Wellness Center opened its doors for the first time. Norm
Parsons, the director of the program worked many years with students to make this facility a reality. It provided students
access to a facility that promoted physical well-being and general good health. The Wellness Center was an instant success.
This became the natural meeting place for students, faculty and administrators. The Enrollment Management Team walked
prospective students through this facility and started using it for Open House events.
Market Research
Projects this year included:
- Parent's Survey
- Accepted Student Telephone Survey
- New Student's
Survey 1996
1997-1998
Description | Prior Year (Fall 96) | Current
Year (Fall 97) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 185,511 | 159,954 | - |
Applications
* | 10,112 | 11,036 | + |
Enrollment ** | 7,957 | 7,955 | - |
Mean High School Rank * | 80.8% | 82.2% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 3.7 | 3.8 | + |
Mean
SAT * | 1,147 | 1,155 | + |
Retention * | 79.5% (95-96) | 82.1% (96-97) | + |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
The student quality strategies were back on track.
The additional names purchased helped raise the SAT mean to 1,155 (from 1,147), the rank-in-class to 82.2% (from 80.8%) and
the high school GPA to 3.8 (from 3.7).
Freshman retention was a specific goal for this year. The university
had many different effective retention programs, but the division recognized the importance of having one area coordinate
retention efforts and take ownership of retention issues. One important factor was to communicate more frequently and
effectively with the parents of the students. A good step in the right direction was the Provost's letter to parents
of continuing students as well as the Dean of Enrollments' letter to the parents of incoming freshmen, which included the
Letting Go book and a questionnaire requesting feedback. Additional retention strategies were implemented such
as the "Three-Week Checkup" to help smooth the transition for new students, the development of statistically predictive
models for "at-risk" students and four types of personalized academic warning letters. In conjunction with
the Provost's office, a targeted mailing was sent to those students receiving academic warnings during the course of fall
and spring semesters. This allowed for lines of communication to be established with these students as well as in some cases,
with their parents. These strategies, along with others developed over the past couple of years had a major impact on retention.
Retention took a precipitous jump in the fall of 1997. After hovering around 79%-80% (for 4 years), the freshmen retention
rate jumped to 82.1%.
Another goal was to bring together systems staff in the various enrollment offices. During
1998, System Analysts and Programmers for the offices of Admission, Financial Assistance Services and the Registrar got together
and formed the Office of Enrollment Systems. This merge allowed collaboration among all three student systems when it came
to new solutions and/or implementation of strategies from the beginning of student recruitment all the way through graduation.
Also, data interfaces among all three systems were successfully enhanced after cross training was completed and staff was
aware of changes happening within their individual student system.
Other Miscellaneous Strategies and Events
All
future term inquiries were invited to all information sessions.
The Jenkins Scholarship was initiated.
This full scholarship program funded through Publix Charities focused attention on students with hardships who demonstrated
perseverance in overcoming financial and personal hardships. This is just the type of program that assists the Enrollment
Management Team in ensuring diversity on campus.
Also introduced for the 1997-1998 academic year were the three-quarter
tuition Bowman F. Ashe and one-third tuition Alumni and George E. Merrick scholarships.
For the first time, names were
purchased through Phi Theta Kappa, which is an academic honorary on Community College campuses.
President Clinton's
America Reads work study program was implemented in 32 elementary schools selected by Dade County Public Schools. Included
in the 1998 federal budget, President Clinton reflected his vow to make education the "Number 1 priority" of his
second term.
The Community Service Program component of Federal Work Study (FWS) was established at the University of
Miami with a requirement of 5% of the total FWS allocation having to be spent in community service efforts. This percentage
was later increased to 7%. The new requirements brought about systematic and programmatic changes to the Office of Student
Employment.
There was a growing uncertainty about the future eligibility of financial aid for legal residents.
The
number of colleges/universities to which students apply was clearly increasing.
The use of the internet during the
admission and financial aid process had increased.
A slow growth in international students existed for US colleges
and universities. Factors contributing to this trend included the rapid growth of universities in developing countries,
the opening of foreign universities in host countries, a lack of funds to support study abroad and increased competition from
other countries in recruiting international students. The University of Miami felt the effect of the decreased student
flow from Asia, but there was an increase in student enrollments from China at the graduate level.
The first academic
course in Enrollment Management was offered through the School of Education in the spring of 1998.
Market Research
Projects this year included:
- Aerobics/Fitness Classes Study
- Housing Cancellation Survey
- Focus
Group Study: Students Moving Off Campus
- Focus Group Study: At-Risk Students and Persisters
- Architecture Survey
and Report
- Focus Group Study: Learning Communities
- Focus Group Study: Dade County Students Moving Off Campus
- Telephone
Survey of Students Who Moved Off Campus
- Focus Group Study: Feedback From Resident Assistants
- Enrollment Management
Survey
- Employer's Views of College Students: A Survey of Perceptions and Hiring Practices
1998-1999
Description | Prior Year (Fall 97) | Current
Year (Fall 98) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 159,954 | 179,132 | + |
Applications
* | 11,036 | 11,418 | + |
Enrollment ** | 7,955 | 8,016 | + |
Mean High School Rank * | 82.2% | 82.6% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 3.8 | 3.8 | No change |
Mean
SAT * | 1,155 | 1,170 | + |
Retention * | 82.1% (96-97) | 82.5% (97-98) | + |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
The goal of improving student quality continues with the primary strategy
to increase the purchase of prospect names to over 600,000. This helped generate 179,132 inquiries and 11,418 applications.
The recruitment and retention strategies continued to be successful. Retention moved to 82.5% from 82.1%. The
quality of the incoming class improved with the SAT moving from 1,155 to 1,170, the rank-in-class from 82.2% to 82.6% and
the high school GPA remaining at 3.8.
Another goal for the year was to increase activities and scope of the Miami Circle
alumni recruitment organization. In this particular year, enhancement of the International Miami Circle Program was
assisted by including 250 international members in the program.
Increasing transfer student interest in the University
of Miami was a third major goal for the year. A concerted effort was made to increase recruitment activities.
A newsletter for transfer students was designed and mailed this year. There were also a series of luncheons held around
the state for transfer counselors. Some local road shows were held at community college campuses, but these road shows
did not prove to be successful.
Other Miscellaneous Strategies and Events
In 1998, faculty and administrators
were used again to recruit in selected cities.
This was a time when the university was experiencing an increase in
the building and renovation of new facilities including the Academic Development Center, the Storer Auditorium, the James
W. McLamore Executive Education Center, a large addition to the School of Business, a new athletics center, the Wellness Center,
the Toppel Career Planning and Placement Center, the L. Austin Weeks Music Recital Hall, and a multi-story parking garage
and administrative building.
The academic reputation has improved over the past 15 years. This was due
to a smaller and more selective undergraduate student body, an increase in the number of applications, the rise in ACT/SAT
scores, an expanded scholarship program and the start of a wait list. Abroad, the academic reputation has been made
stronger due to the fact that the top programs are in important and prestigious fields.
A special effort was made in
the telecounseling program for students with incomplete applications. The telecounseling effort was quite successful.
A
brochure detailing the Federal Work Study Program was developed and mailed to all new work study eligible students, which
helped to provide more information about the student employment opportunities at the university. A Student Employment
at the University of Miami folder was created, which included a brochure of each program, a general brochure on services
and the Miami Commitment application.
From the Office of Financial Assistance Services, personalized letters were sent
to financial aid applicants introducing them to their financial aid advisor and emphasizing the deadline dates.
The
Office of Financial Assistance Services website established direct links to the top five preferred lenders. An automated
loan processing system was developed and promoted, which enabled staff to process hundreds of loan applications daily.
The
use of EASY was expanded by adding other departmental functions and including new services for students and faculty.
An
enhanced division-wide orientation program was developed. A New Employee Orientation handbook was created and
the division conducted a spring semester day-long orientation for all new employees. A series of workshops were developed
that focused on goal setting, time management, developing a professional image and change in the workplace. Each office
in the division developed official mission statements.
The first California grant strategy was piloted with special
grants awarded because of the long distance required to attend UM. This strategy did not prove to be successful and
was eliminated the following year.
University of Miami students benefited from Florida's newly established Bright Futures
Scholarship Program. In its first year, 1997-1998, the program distributed almost $71 million in merit-based awards
to about 40,000 students. The Legislature agreed to raise spending by $45 million for AY 1998-1999.
Market Research
Projects this year included:
- Housing Intervention Project
- Focus Group Study: Students Living On
Campus
- Mail Survey of Students Living On Campus
1999-2000
Description | Prior Year (Fall
98) | Current Year (Fall 99) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries
* | 179,132 | 204,362 | + |
Applications * | 11,418 | 12,264 | + |
Enrollment ** | 8,016 | 8,235 | + |
Mean High School Rank * | 82.6% | 83.8% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 3.8 | 3.9 | + |
Mean
SAT * | 1,170 | 1,171 | + |
Retention * | 82.5% (97-98) | 82.9% (98-99) | + |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
The student quality goal was met successfully due to an increase
in freshman applications. This time it was a 7.4% increase to 12,264. The SAT moved up a point to 1,171, the rank-in-class
moved up just over a percent to 83.8% and the high school GPA moved from 3.8 to 3.9.
There were two strategies in the
area of financial aid that addressed a goal of increasing financing opportunities for students and parents. A scholarship
website was established that assists students to search for scholarship opportunities. Initially, scholarships that
came through the Office of Financial Assistance Service, the Office of Student Account Services, and the Office of Multicultural
Student Affairs were listed on the website. This amounted to more than 250 scholarships. In addition, links to
individual UM School and College scholarships were added. Lastly, links to over 1 million outside scholarship opportunities
were included.
There were several loan program enhancements this year. First, the PLUS Loan application and the
Signature Loan application were included in the Office of Student Accounts Services' alternative financing packet mailing
to students. This proved to be very successful. Second, UM collaborated with USA Group and Chase Manhattan Bank
to improve their websites so students could conduct entrance interviews and exit interviews on the web. Both sites were
improved and links to the Office of Financial Assistance Services and the Office of Student Accounts Services were established.
Third, a loan processing page was established on the Office of Financial Assistance Services system which automated loan processing
for new students.
A goal to establish enrollment management as an academic discipline was met when the Division of
Enrollment Management, the School of Education and the School of Business Administration collaborated and establish a master's
degree program in the School of Education. This interdisciplinary master's degree program with courses in the School
of Education and the School of Business Administration was the first of its kind in the world.
Other Miscellaneous
Strategies and Events
A more intense focus began on the efforts to recruit Early Decision applicants, since they
had the highest yield rate, followed by Early Admits and then Regular Decision.
A separate email communication sequence
was created for the international applicants.
The email communication with applicants was enhanced in order to encourage
application completion.
An email address directory of approximately 75% of students was now available in the system.
The EASY system now allows students to gain access to learn about course availability.
A relationship with the
National Student Clearinghouse was established to automatically process student enrollment information to federal and state
agencies and to financial lenders, which enhanced services to the students.
A page was added to the Office of Admission
website, which included information about specific transfer student concerns.
The delivery of job information to a
student was improved by offering student employment services on the web. The Office of Student Employment also rearranged
their reception area, reorganized staff responsibilities and obtained two additional computers for student use.
The
Office of Student Employment facilitated the placement of students enrolled in the program into graduate assistantships. Students
were able to test firsthand some of the knowledge acquired in the classroom, while the offices, mostly in the Divisions of
Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, benefited greatly from the students' contributions to a good number of projects.
The Enrollment Management Library was established in the Office of the Dean of Enrollments.
The Dean of Enrollments
Office developed the "Latin American Trend Analysis" document which reviewed the Economic, Educational, Social and
Political trends in each of the Latin American countries. This data was critical in further developing the strategies
in Latin America. This document was discontinued after two years because other sources of information were located.
Market Research Projects this year included:
- Comparison of Enrolled and Not Enrolled Transfer Students
1996-1998
- Fall 1999 Image Focus Group Study
- New International Student Survey
- Mail Competition Review
- Family
Survey
2000-2001
Description | Prior Year (Fall 99) | Current
Year (Fall 00) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 204,362 | 186,689 | - |
Applications
* | 12,264 | 13,080 | + |
Enrollment ** | 8,235 | 8,576 | + |
Mean High School Rank * | 83.8% | 83.9% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 3.9 | 3.9 | No change |
Mean
SAT * | 1,171 | 1,183 | + |
Retention * | 82.9% (98-99) | 82.3% (99-00) | - |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
Although the student quality remains the highest priority for
the division of enrollment management, freshman retention had a slight drop, where it would remain for two years.
An
additional 50,000 prospect names from PSAT of current juniors in high school were purchased. Additionally, 100,000 high quality
search names from ACT of current juniors were purchased. Lastly, an additional 20,000 prospect names from Summer Search SAT
were purchased. All of these additional names had a positive impact on the quality of the incoming class. There
was a 6.7% increase in applications from 12,264 to 13,080. The selectivity improved from 55% to 53%. The SAT improved
from 1,171 to 1,183. The high school rank remained around 84%, and the GPA remained at 3.9.
A second goal for
the year was to address specific communication strategies for the highest quality inquiries. A "Signature Series"
communication was developed. This series was in addition to the normal direct mail sequence. The series included:
- Academic Excellence brochure focusing on undergraduate research, "hands-on early-on" opportunities,
honors program and learning communities
- Residential College brochure for parents
- Letter from a prominent alumnus
This
series was well received and assisted in recruiting a higher quality freshman class.
A third goal for the year was
to enhance electronic communication with students. This was represented by a series of specific strategies:
- Much
time and effort was being spent on responding to email inquiries with the goal of creating innovative, effective communication
sequences with students.
- A process was designed which allows students to request transcripts online as well
as apply for graduation. With the goal to better serve students, all Registrar functions were centralized by merging records
and registration staffs and services into one location.
- UM launched its Spanish language website in April
2001, becoming one of only a handful of US schools offering online information in a foreign language. The new website was
an effective way of serving not only Latin American students but also their families.
- Sending an email to
22,000 prospects was tested. The electronic mailing was done concurrently with the traditional direct mail approach. The test
was deemed very successful.
- Video-streaming technology available in the School of Communication was used
to present information sessions, open houses and other admission events online for prospective students. The admissions video
was also streamed.
- With email becoming prevalent, an email communication sequence was added to the traditional
mail communication sequence.
- The Office of Student Employment developed a Miami Commitment Listserv to improve
the communication sequence and reduce mailing costs. UM Works, an employer newsletter, was developed and distributed.
- The
development of an Enrollment Management website was initialized. The website included a link to the electronic Enrollment
Management Library as well as a link to the Enrollment Management Program in the School of Education. The site featured the
Dean and the work that has gone on for the last 13 years in Enrollment Management at the University of Miami.
As
part of a goal to establish new tuition revenue streams, a new admission concept was developed. For some students who
applied for fall but were placed on the wait list, the option of a spring admission was offered. This strategy had limited
success in the beginning, but would eventually expand and generate additional revenue.
Other Miscellaneous Strategies
and Events
An ongoing analysis was being conducted to examine the decisions of transfer students who did not come
to UM after paying a deposit. The goal was to build a statistically based model for indentifying the cohort.
During
Orientation, information sessions were provided about EASY, student email and PINs. As a result, these sessions dramatically
increased student access to email and the EASY system. In addition, a process was established to provide new students
with their PINs prior to their arrival on campus. This helped students find information on their own.
The America
Reads program was established. Up to 100 students were placed in local elementary schools as reading tutors. The
program included a training component, as well as intense work in the community to ensure positions are available to UM students
as UM competes with other institutions for those spots.
A mechanism was developed whereby faculty could submit grades
electronically. In addition, a training session for the faculty was developed.
A successful process was developed
to establish the Summer VISTA program, targeting 5 UM undergraduates to become AmeriCorps workers for a summer stipend and
scholarship. The Summer Vista (VISTA) Associates worked eight to 10 weeks beginning in June, on a full-time basis.
The Office of Financial Assistance Services and the Office of Student Employment began imaging student records. The
goal eliminated the hunt for paper documents when needed to respond to a telephone, email or walk-in inquiry. Imaging began
in 2001.
The Office of Financial Assistance Services changed its preference from paper to electronic financial aid
applications. The office had been dealing with extremely high call volume each year beginning in January, immediately after
the FAFSA could be filed. The vast majority of the call volume consisted of requests for assistance in resolving application
problems or rejects, most of which would have been dealt with in edits found in the web-based application. Call volume dropped
precipitously beginning the first year and an emphasis was placed on electronic filing.
Market Research Projects
this year included:
- New Student Survey (Fall 1999)
- Student Employment Survey
- University
Excellence Survey
- New Student Survey (Fall 2000)
- Family Survey
- New International Student Survey
- International
Admission Web Focus Group
- Image Focus Group Study: Spring and Fall 2000
2001-2002
Description | Prior Year (Fall
00) | Current Year (Fall 01) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries
* | 186,689 | 203,412 | + |
Applications * | 13,080 | 14,716 | + |
Enrollment ** | 8,576 | 9,020 | + |
Mean High School Rank * | 83.9% | 86.0% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 3.9 | 4.0 | + |
Mean
SAT * | 1,183 | 1,202 | + |
Retention * | 82.3% (99-00) | 82.0% (00-01) | - |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
The focus on improving the quality of the credentials for the incoming
class continued. Applications were up 12.5% from 13,080 to 14,716. This dropped the selectivity under 50% for
the first time in UM's history. The selectivity was 46.2%. The quality improved once again with the SAT increasing
19 points to 1,202, the first time in history it was over 1,200. The rank-in-class went from 83.9% to 86.0%, and the
high school GPA rose from 3.9 to 4.0, the first time in history it reached the 4.0 level.
This was a year of enhancing
everything electronic. Technology at UM was advancing rapidly. A "Wireless Cloud" was implemented allowing
anyone with a laptop and a special network card to have the ability to surf the web while on campus either indoors or outside.
An eManager was appointed within the division to help develop and organize the division's web pages. An emphasis was
placed on the university's audiences, rather than its offices. To help affect yield, the "FutureCanes" site
was developed and implemented for accepted students. A number of campus events, including the UM campus video, an Office
of Admission Open House, and last spring's commencement, have been streamed for viewing on the web. A personalized web
portal for students, faculty and staff was being investigated. UM's website was awarded the Standard of Excellence Award
in the university category in the Web Marketing Association's 2000 WebAward Website Competition. As of
fall 2001, more than half of the general purpose classrooms were equipped with the latest in visual and computer resources
to assist in students' learning.
Several university offices, including the Registrar, Financial Assistance Services
and Student Employment, were using Document Management, the process of electronically capturing and storing documents to improve
productivity and response time while reducing the need for filing space and copying of documents.
All of these efforts
assisted in the recruitment and retention and improved efficiency dramatically.
Other Miscellaneous Strategies and
Events
The Office of Admission sent an email to all accepted transfer students prior to May 1 to remind them about
the deadline and the enrollment deposit. Additionally, a brochure was developed for transfer students from Florida to
educate them about available state funds.
Different types of student mailing lists such as using new vendors as well
as obtaining the names of community college graduates throughout Florida for a direct mail campaign were tested.
A
new UM Admission video was created with lively, student-focused content depicting life at UM. The video was streamed
for viewing on the web.
An email cycle calendar was established as part of the overall communication sequence calendar.
As a result, more than 165,000 emails were sent in a variety of different forms to students in various stages of the college
search.
Market Research Projects this year included:
- New International Student Survey
- Student
Employee Satisfaction Survey
- Fall 2001 Impressions Study
- Miami Commitment Focus Group Study
- Retention
Cohort Study
- "Save List": A Compilation of Cases
2002-2003
Description | Prior Year
(Fall 01) | Current Year (Fall
02) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 203,412 | 209,127 | + |
Applications * | 14,716 | 15,903 | + |
Enrollment ** | 9,020 | 9,418 | + |
Mean High School Rank * | 86.0% | 87.7% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 4.0 | 4.0 | No change |
Mean
SAT * | 1,202 | 1,216 | + |
Retention * | 82.0% (00-01) | 86.5% (01-02) | + |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
Pushing the primary goal of improved quality continued in the fall
of 2002, and it was a successful year. Applications increased 8% to 15,903. The SAT jumped from 1,202 to 1,216 and the
rank-in-class increased from 86.0% to 87.7%. The high school GPA remained at 4.0. As successful as the recruitment
activity was, freshman retention had a huge increase rising from 82.0% to 86.5%.
A second goal was to rebound from
the tragedy of 9/11. International students and their parents throughout the world expressed concern about security issues
in the United States after September 11th. As a result, universities in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada,
France and Germany focused their recruitment around this issue, stressing their perceived advantage of a safe environment.
September 11th forced the cancellation of recruitment trips scheduled by the Office of International Admission.
However, independent schools in the Northeast were visited to try to ameliorate the effects of the 9/11 tragedy, which deemed
highly effective. In addition, a group of key Middle Eastern advisors/counselors were invited to a campus visitation program
in May 2002, which was extremely successful.
A third goal was to hire two retention advisors and develop strategies
to increase retention and ultimately, graduation rates. The advisors focused on case management while developing and
employing university-wide strategies to affect the freshman-to-sophomore retention rate as well as the six-year cohort graduation
rate. As a result, a timeline of interventions was developed that ultimately effected systemic change at the university.
Other
Miscellaneous Strategies and Events
In an effort to improve communications to students, the Division of Student
Affairs, with the assistance of Information Technology and the Division of Enrollment Management, launched Ibis News.
A team of Admission Counselors proposed a new communication sequence and themes for publications. With input from the
Office of the Dean as well as all divisional offices, an outside vendor was hired to develop UM's brand and create a new prospectus
and a road piece for recruitment trips.
The important "brand" messages were incorporated onto the web from
the Viewbook. Included were Faculty profiles and examples of faculty-student research collaborations for prospective students
and their families. A website was developed that allowed interaction between prospective students and the President's
100 students, which included photos and descriptions of campus, faculty and friends that were produced by the P-100s.
The
Office of Financial Assistance Services improved their ability to respond to student inquiries about data or documents submitted
for review as well as the movement of these documents through the process, by implementing document imaging. The office also
continued to improve the timeliness of student awards by reducing or eliminating unnecessary and redundant data and document
collection.
By moving the Harambee program, a program aimed at recruiting African-American students, to the weekend
of the Accepted Open House, it offered a more positive environment and resulted in a higher percentage of African-American
students enrolling at the university.
The Office of the Registrar redesigned student schedules to include helpful information,
such as the names of classroom buildings.
In preparation for a new generation of communications from the division, information
was gathered from high school students, current students, and incoming freshmen and their families to help focus the "message"
and image, and to ensure these themes are carried throughout the publications.
FERPA training was instituted for faculty
and staff throughout the university to support efforts to keep student record information confidential.
The Legacy
Admission Program was implemented to encourage the children and grandchildren of UM alumni to consider the University of Miami.
The new name, the Division of Enrollment Management, was born and represented a timely reflection of the national leadership
in Enrollment Management and the important role in UM's School of Education's ground-breaking academic Enrollment Management
program.
Market Research Projects this year included:
- Mail Competition Review Report
- Freshmen
Survey
- Miami Commitment Focus Group Study
- Image Focus Group
- University Logo Recognition
2003-2004
Description | Prior Year (Fall 02) | Current
Year (Fall 03) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 209,127 | 226,850 | + |
Applications
* | 15,903 | 16,844 | + |
Enrollment ** | 9,418 | 9,636 | + |
Mean High School Rank * | 87.7% | 88.2% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 4.0 | 4.0 | No change |
Mean
SAT * | 1,216 | 1,230 | + |
Retention * | 86.5% (01-02) | 86.6% (02-03) | + |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
The goal to improve quality continued. The fall of 2003
brought another nice increase in freshmen applications. There was a 6% increase to 16,844. This helped bring in
the highest quality class with the SAT up 14 points to 1,230, the rank-in-class at 88.2% and a high school GPA remaining at
4.0. Freshman retention had a slight increase from 86.5% to 86.6%.
With the success of the retention advisors,
it was important to establish a better way of focusing on students who needed assistance. An entirely renovated logistic
regression model was produced to ensure that it would assist in targeting new groups of at-risk students for retention strategies.
Other
Miscellaneous Strategies and Events
On June 1, 2003, Paul M. Orehovec became Vice President for the Divisions of
Enrollment Management and Continuing & International Education. Immediately following, a "Marketing & Communications"
office was formed.
The international recruitment efforts expanded in the Caribbean, Scandinavia and South Asia.
Attendance occurred at a Tri-Association Conference in Mexico to meet with counselors from Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic,
Mexico, Ecuador and Venezuela. This event deemed to be extremely productive.
In order to raise the selectivity in the
Early Decision and Early Action pool, a category of students who would have been admitted previously was eliminated.
With
the goal of publicizing other opportunities for employment, a communication series was developed for students not admitted
to the Miami Commitment Program.
Based on findings from a focus group conducted by Market Research, it was concluded
that the Miami Commitment Program needed to be a smaller group to maintain quality and ensure that the "commitment"
to students can be kept. To that end, it was planned to offer the program only to Early Decision students.
The process
was re-evaluated by which schools/colleges schedule classes to ensure students greater access to classes needed for graduation.
A professional photographer was hired to capture special events on campus and in the classroom that were previously
missing from the domestic prospectus, which helped to build a substantial photo library.
Market Research Projects this
year included:
- Continuing Education Survey: Weston
- Miami Commitment Focus Group Study
- Registrar's
Freshman CD Focus Group
- Subsequent Enrollments of Minority Students
2004-2005
Description | Prior Year
(Fall 03) | Current Year (Fall
04) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 226,850 | 218,418 | - |
Applications * | 16,844 | 18,490 | + |
Enrollment ** | 9,636 | 9,741 | + |
Mean High School Rank * | 88.2% | 88.5% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 4.0 | 4.1 | + |
Mean
SAT * | 1,230 | 1,250 | + |
Retention * | 86.6% (02-03) | 87.3% (03-04) | + |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
The emphasis for the division of enrollment management continued to
be student quality. There was another nice increase in freshmen applications with a 10% increase to 18,490. The
selectivity dropped to 42%, the lowest in UM history. The quality improved once again with the SAT increasing 20 points
to 1,250, the rank-in-class moving up to 88.5% and the high school GPA moving up from 4.0 to 4.1. Freshmen
retention improved from 86.6% to 87.3%.
Last year's goal of improved retention efforts continued into this year.
Outreach grew as more sources referred students to the Retention Office. Full-time students with fewer than 90 credits
who requested academic transcripts were contacted with regularity. A new Withdrawing Student Responsibility form was created
to help identify why students leave. It was discovered that many of these students wanted UM to stay in touch with them.
Over time this resulted in an increase in retention/persistence through graduation.
Other Miscellaneous Strategies
and Events
An in-house application was devised by the Office of Admission and implemented by Technical Operations
and Information Technology, eliminating the need to outsource at a cost of around $5 per application. Students
can complete the entire application online including submitting the application fee, writing the essay and listing extra-curricular
activities.
A search engine service was purchased to maintain UM's web presence in French, German, Spanish, Portuguese,
Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Korean. An organized tour of India was undertaken for the first time. A new letter was
written in three Asian languages for insertion in the International Admission Guide.
Student awards were delivered
earlier than ever. Enhancements to EASY allowed students to readily find award information.
A new "Earning
Experience" brochure was developed to promote advisory and guidance roles and career-building strategies for students
seeking jobs. A communication sequence was created to prepare first-semester sophomores for off-campus internships and
career-related jobs in their junior year.
Transcripts in microfilm archives were converted to digital documents and
this process was under way with the student folders as well. The Bulletin was converted to electronic and PDF formats
to reduce mail costs and decrease dependency on paper documents. A student resource CD was introduced at UM's Orientation
in fall 2003.
The Division of Enrollment Management migrated to the central server, helping provide sufficient data
storage for employees, automated backups, anti-virus protection, improved PC support and Windows updates.
Efforts were
organized and activities were held for the first time by the Professional Development team representing both Enrollment Management
and Continuing & International Education. Activities included: The UM Bus Tour, Brown Bag Lunches, Monthly Conference
Talks, Book Club, Technical Training and the Distinguished Speaker Luncheon Series.
In an effort to streamline an office-centric
document imaging process within the division, a collaborative decision was made to merge these functions into one coordinated
operation. The proposed centralization of hardware and personnel, and cross training, allowed the commitment of all
imaging resources to the disparate peaks in demand. The Enrollment Document Management Area (EDMA) began operations in Rhodes
House in July 2004, serving all division offices except the Office of Student Employment.
Market Research Projects
this year included:
- New Freshman Survey Report Fall 2004
- Engineering Trends 1989-2004
- Advanced
Placement Report
2005-2006
Description | Prior Year (Fall 04) | Current
Year (Fall 05) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 218,418 | 220,273 | + |
Applications
* | 18,490 | 18,810 | + |
Enrollment ** | 9,741 | 10,132 | + |
Mean High School Rank * | 88.5% | 88.8% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 4.1 | 4.1 | No change |
Mean
SAT * | 1,250 | 1,258 | + |
Retention * | 87.3% (03-04) | 89.2% (04-05) | + |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
Although freshmen applications did not increase very much this year
(from 18,490 to 18,810), the quality push continued as the SAT jumped 8 points to 1,258. The rank-in-class slightly
increased to 88.8% and the high school GPA remained at 4.1. The freshman retention increased a few percentage points
to 89.2%.
The goal for improved retention continued this year. The retention team conducted a telephone survey
of new freshmen during the first few weeks to illuminate concerns and provide assistance earlier in the transition to college.
This project was successful in helping to identify issues affecting new students. The distribution of the "Need
Help?" card was a valuable resource for students and parents since the information gathered from this process contributed
to the increased ability to address retention related issues in a timely manner. Retention improved.
Other
Miscellaneous Strategies and Events
The Miami Commitment Program revised the Career Stages model to further incorporate
other university resources, in particular from Toppel Career Center, such as CaneZone. Each stage provided activities and
programs that addressed the four career development components: 1. Commitment to orientation and adjustment. 2.
Commitment to career exploration and reaffirmation of career goals. 3. Commitment to Career Action, and finally,
4. Commitment to goals after graduation.
One of the admission officers was assigned to be primarily responsible
for electronic communication with prospective students and coordinate incoming emails, chat rooms, etc. more efficiently and
proactively.
An email was sent in late May/early June to rising high school seniors encouraging them to apply online,
which resulted in a 67% increase.
The ability to allow students to pay their enrollment deposit online was implemented.
A Miami Commitment website was developed that is distinct from Student Employment and an online program application
was added.
EASY was enhanced to include a verification screen displaying side-by-side information from the FAFSA and
verification documents, allowing students to see the differences between the original and verified data.
Market Research
Projects this year included:
- Retention Case Studies
- Open House Survey
2006-2007
Description | Prior
Year (Fall 05) | Current Year (Fall
06) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 220,273 | 206,917 | - |
Applications * | 18,810 | 19,031 | + |
Enrollment ** | 10,132 | 10,190 | + |
Mean High School Rank * | 88.8% | 89.7% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 4.1 | 4.1 | No change |
Mean
SAT * | 1,258 | 1,269 | + |
Retention * | 89.2% (04-05) | 89.6% (05-06) | + |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
With student quality as the most important goal for the division, the
fall of 2006 saw a small increase in applications, going from 18,810 to 19,031. While the rank-in-class improved one
percent to 89.7%, the high school GPA remained at 4.1. The SAT improved 11 points to 1,269. The freshman retention
increased to 89.6%. When rounded off, retention would remain at 90% for the rest of the decade.
The other major
goal for the year was to expand awareness through the Miami Circle program. The domestic Miami Circle expanded its coverage
by holding 12 information meetings around the country. A mailing occurred that resulted in 75 new members, parents of current
students were actively recruited, membership increased from 179 to 297 members, and Miami Circle covered 165 vs. 121 college
fairs.
Other Miscellaneous Strategies and Events
By integrating content from EASY and the UM website,
the new campus portal, myUM, was launched.
Parents were incorporated into communication sequences that were appropriate
and a newsletter specifically directed to parents was created.
In order to maintain diversity while continuing to improve
the quality of the incoming class, recruitment was expanded and focus was on inner city schools.
A high-volume
monthly newsletter, Eye on Miami, was launched to thousands of prospective audience subscribers, including parents,
guidance counselors, transfer students and international students.
With the intent to motivate campus visits, refute
myths about location, tout opportunity based on the location and increase applications, a "Plan Your Visit" site
was created.
An "important dates" email was created and sent to all students and faculty to remind them about
critical deadlines during the semester, which was successfully received by the university community.
The Student Employment
Online Training Program project was completed and made available to students. It includes eight separate training modules
ranging from customer service to career planning. The program is required for Miami Commitment students and opened and
encouraged for all student employees. A Supervisor Training module was also developed and made available to all student
employee supervisors, focusing on mentoring and retention strategies for supervisors.
Market Research Projects this
year included:
- Secret Shopper Project: Admission
- Orientation/Registration Parent Interviews
- New
Freshman Survey Report Fall 2006
- Secret Shopper Project: Schools/Colleges
- Secret Shopper Project: Financial
Aid
- UM Web Site Questionnaire
2007-2008
Description | Prior Year (Fall 06) | Current
Year (Fall 07) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 206,917 | 236,795 | + |
Applications
* | 19,031 | 19,809 | + |
Enrollment ** | 10,190 | 9,997 | - |
Mean High School Rank * | 89.7% | 89.3% | - |
Mean High School GPA * | 4.1 | 4.1 | No change |
Mean
SAT * | 1,269 | 1,275 | + |
Retention * | 89.6% (05-06) | 90.4% (06-07) | + |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
Applications saw a 4% increase to 19,809. The SAT moved from
1,269 to 1,275 while the rank-in-class had a slight drop and the high school GPA remained at 4.1. The freshman retention
increased from 89.6% to 90.4%. The goal of improved student quality continued.
Social networking and other means
of communicating electronically with students was a major goal for the year:
- As a means to enter the social network
world and advertise to prospective audiences, several videos about the University of Miami were uploaded to YouTube. Unfortunately,
this also included negative press submitted by current UM students that needed to be counteracted. Therefore, content about
UM's eight undergraduate schools and colleges, academics in general, student life, sports and activities, and presentations
from information sessions were all uploaded.
- Between September 2006 and May 2007, the Office of International
Admission in conjunction with the Office of Admission hosted 9 chats for students at different stages of the funnel. International
students were invited to participate in the chats as well.
- The Office of Admission created a group called
"Future Canes" on Facebook, which was a private group for accepted students only.
- The Office of
Admission coordinated the first private online social network for accepted students. This was a password-protected portal
that would facilitate admitted students, current students and university personnel to connect through a social platform similar
to Facebook.
- E-Communications launched the first current student, news and photo blogs from the university,
aimed at communicating with prospective audiences using this relatively new form of electronic communication.
- E-Communications
coordinated the university's first-time participation in CollegeWeekLive's virtual college fair. Prospective students were
invited to attend an online college fair with hundreds of participating colleges/universities and their booths.
- Created
and launched instant messaging for prospective students and parents on Thursdays from 3-5 pm, generally hosted by the eManager
for E-Communications.
Other Miscellaneous Strategies and Events
In order to decrease the summer melt
of transfer students, the Office of Financial Assistance Services worked with 25 transfer students who indicated their primary
reason for not enrolling was cost/financial assistance. Ultimately 7 students, out of the 25, enrolled.
The names purchased
were increased from 800,000 to 900,000 for direct mail purposes. In addition, 5,500 Hispanic Merit names were purchased.
In order to enhance the experience the visitors have, the Admitted Student Open House at the Convocation Center was
held as a test.
The campus visitation program was evaluated and revised. The division continued to test via a
student poll to help determine which photo would be best to use on the cover of the Prospectus. The division was even
tested by becoming a secret shopper of the following areas at UM: Admission, Financial Aid, and Schools and Colleges.
Results included the analysis of phone responses and email inquiries, time lag in response, type of response, and content
of response.
The Singer Scholarship competition was implemented, which was successful and allowed more high quality
students in the freshman class to enroll. A website for the Singer Scholarship Competition was also created.
The
askUM link was placed on the website to create the ability for students to let the university know if they needed help immediately.
Due to a request to enroll 100 freshmen each spring, a strategy was implemented to admit students from the fall waitlist
and offer them spring admission.
Students outside the United States no longer were required to submit SAT scores.
Management
of undergraduate endowed scholarships was moved from the individual schools and colleges to the Office of Financial Assistance
Services. The intent was to use them "strategically" by incorporating them into the financial aid strategy.
Market
Research Projects this year included:
- Singer Scholarship Competition Analysis
- New Freshman Survey 2007
- myUM
Online Registration Survey
- OFAS Web Site Usability Interviews
- Eye on Miami Mini Surveys - How Heard and Preferred
Communication Method
- Student Case Studies
- University Logo Recognition and Perceptions
- Student Employment
Survey
- Admitted Student Questionnaire Analysis - African-American Respondents
2008-2009
Description | Prior Year
(Fall 07) | Current Year (Fall
08) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 236,795 | 226,042 | - |
Applications * | 19,809 | 21,774 | + |
Enrollment ** | 9,997 | 10,008 | + |
Mean High School Rank * | 89.3% | 89.6% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 4.1 | 4.2 | + |
Mean
SAT * | 1,275 | 1,282 | + |
Retention * | 90.4% (06-07) | 90.4% (07-08) | No change. |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
The goal of improved student quality continued and the results were
successful. There was a 10% increase in freshman applications this year to 21,774. The selectivity was 38.6% which
helped improve the quality of the freshman class with the SAT increasing to 1,282, the rank-in-class improving to 89.6% and
the high school GPA increasing from 4.1 to 4.2. The freshman retention remained at 90.4%.
Other Miscellaneous
Strategies and Events
A freshmen-to-sophomore retention model was developed and used to identify students
at-risk of withdrawing from the university.
A steady increase in applications occurred from international students.
China was the major source of increase with a record number of over 250 applications for FY09.
For the first time,
the online common application became more popular than the online UM application.
Due to the changes in technology,
the college search process was affected resulting in stealth applicants no longer becoming traditional inquiries, which increased
the need for more web presence.
For direct mail purposes, 100,000 names were purchased with a focus on senior AP names
as well as African American students.
The international version of the "At a Glance" brochure was developed
for use with students on all recruitment trips and college fairs. A Chinese version of "At a Glance" was developed
for use on a joint recruitment trip to China with the Intensive English Program in October 2008 and again in April 2009 as
part of the yield visits. It was distributed to independent counselors throughout China to be used in their advising offices
with prospective students and their families.
Before each international recruitment trip, each admission officer
sent counselor packets ahead of their visit. In total, 273 counselor packets were delivered throughout Africa, Asia,
the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East.
An online job assignment confirmation process was completed
and implemented for employment assignments, improving the accuracy and speed of communication between the Office of Student
Employment and employers. This process reduced printing costs by 20%.
Student Employment Training Courses were
successfully set up and organized on Blackboard.
The Office of the Registrar enhanced communication between the students
and faculty by sending more personalized emails, automating the grade change notification process, and clarifying the differences
between degree completion and commencement participation.
In an ongoing effort to better understand the brand, Market
Research conducted a "blind" logo study that helped determine the images the audiences have with the University
of Miami's green bar logo and the "U".
The Registrar website was changed from audience-focused to topic/subject-focused.
This new format made it easier and quicker to help internal and external customers locate information. The academic
calendars were also reformatted to provide internal and external customers to quickly and easily find dates and deadlines.
Market Research Projects this year included:
- Singer Scholarship Competition Analysis 2008
- New
Freshman Survey 2008
- Student Case Studies
- Letting Go Survey
- 2008 Freshmen Phone Campaign
- Student
Employment Survey
- Focus Group Image Perceptions of Photos
- Admitted Student Open House Survey
2009-2010
Description | Prior Year (Fall 08) | Current
Year (Fall 09) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 226,042 | 203,817 | - |
Applications
* | 21,774 | 21,845 | + |
Enrollment ** | 10,008 | 9,855 | - |
Mean High School Rank * | 89.6% | 88.5% | - |
Mean High School GPA * | 4.2 | 4.2 | No change |
Mean
SAT * | 1,282 | 1,273 | - |
Retention * | 90.4% (07-08) | 89.6% (08-09) | - |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
This was one of the most challenging years in history for the Enrollment
Management Team. The bottom fell out of the economy, and unemployment increased to record levels. Office budgets
were cut by 7%, virtually all building projects were on hold and salaries were frozen. The fact that the enrollment
budget was met and the discount rate was kept around 30% is close to a miracle. This year of economic worries pushed
the Enrollment Management Team to the brink of brainstorming and establishing quick, on-going strategies that paid significant
dividends. Although student quality started out as a major goal, it quickly became secondary to making budget
targets. There was only a slight increase in applications for the fall of 2009. The applications went from
21,774 the previous year to 21,845. The enrollment management team had to go into the wait list in huge numbers.
The SAT fell 9 points to 1,273, the rank-in-class fell a percent to 88.5% and the high school GPA remained at 4.2. The
freshman retention slightly dropped from 90.4% to 89.6%. To be able to "hold our own" was a significant feat.
Other Miscellaneous Strategies and Events
Initial Freshman Financial Aid Award alerts were delivered
to students for the first time via email, allowing the reader to view the award content through the secure myUM site. Use
of this method, combined with the absence of any confidential data in the alert, allowed a copy of the alert to be sent to
the parent's email address provided on the FAFSA.
Availability of private education loans has constricted with fewer
participating loan providers using more stringent credit criteria and charging higher fees and rates.
During the early
part of 2009-2010, there was an increased demand for student employment jobs, which is believed to be caused by the economic
situation.
This was the first year in university history where Chinese students made up the largest group of international
freshmen.
All freshmen residing on campus were not allowed to have an automobile.
All undergraduate students
were given the opportunity to register for their courses online. The Deans from each of the schools and colleges finally
supported this significant change.
A letter campaign was implemented to high school counselors congratulating them
on the stellar students they already referred to UM as well as asked them to continue to refer students in the future with
the same academic caliber.
In June 2009, the fully functional Virtual Tour was completed and available to prospective
students to explore the campus and encourage them to visit in person.
In 2009, the university moved to a new web Content
Management System. E-Communications, in conjunction with other Enrollment Management departments, was integral in launching
the top-tier pages of the university website, namely the pages relating to Admission, Academics and Parents.
By
surveying the new freshmen, the division was able to identify the key reasons the new students enrolled at the university
as well as the similarities/differences amongst certain demographic groups such as high quality students versus the overall
population.
Through the use of primary and secondary research, key attributes that are most important to prospective
students were identified so that a cohesive communication strategy could be put in place for the Enrollment Management Division.
Pin codes were implemented for market research surveys which provided more respondent information and ensured greater
efficiency in emailing non-responders.
Personalized in-person visits for high quality prospective juniors and seniors
was developed and implemented.
Midway through the year, international students who were not fully proficient in English
were assigned a new admission status; "F" to denote "conditionally admitted." For the first time
in many years, students who were enrolled in IEP were no longer eligible for on-campus housing.
Market Research Projects
this year included:
- Singer Scholarship Competition Analysis (Long & Short version)
- Freshmen
Phone Campaign - Fall 2009
- Student Case Studies - AY 2009
- Fall 2009 New Freshmen Survey
- Campus Tour
Experience Survey
- Winter Open House
- Focus Group Study Image Perceptions of Photos (Boston & Houston)
- Cane
4 A Day & You at The U 2010
2010-2011
Description | Prior Year (Fall 09) | Current
Year (Fall 10) | Change (+ / -) |
Inquiries * | 203,817 | 183,906 | - |
Applications
* | 21,845 | 25,899 | + |
Enrollment ** | 9,855 | 9,903 | + |
Mean High School Rank * | 88.5% | 89.1% | + |
Mean High School GPA * | 4.2 | 4.2 | No change |
Mean
SAT * | 1,273 | 1,293 | + |
Retention * | 89.6% (08-09) | 89.7% (09-10) | + |
* Data = New Freshmen.
**
Data = Total Degree Seeking Undergraduates.
Although the economy was still in a questionable area, along with continuing
high unemployment, the Enrollment Management Team reestablished student quality as its highest priority. The Team had
another challenging year ahead of them. Yield rates were almost impossible to predict based on the previous year's experience.
Having said all that, it was a very successful year. Applications jumped 19%, and quality jumped right along with it.
The SAT increased by 20 points to 1,293, the highest in UM history. The rank-in-class was at 89.1% and the high school
GPA remained at 4.2. The freshman retention increased slightly from 89.6% to 89.7%.
Other Miscellaneous Strategies
and Events
More students were admitted from the waitlist than at any other time in UM's history.
UM
is now listed as a top tier institution in U.S. News.
This is the second year in university history where
Chinese students made up the largest group of international freshmen (43).
Graduation rate is the highest ever, at
79.5% (rounded to 80%) for the 2003 cohort; and, the preliminary graduation rate for the 2004 cohort is 80.1%, also the highest
ever.
A sophomore-to-junior persistence model was developed to identify those sophomore students at risk of leaving
the university.
Online registration for all students resulted in a rise from 34% of the undergraduates registering
online to 80% in the fall semester and 86% in the spring semester.
General purpose classrooms were distributed to the
respective departments based on efficient space utilization. Enrollment was matched to classroom capacity.
A
master calendar was created to reflect the specifics of how prospective students are contacted. The document shows communications
sent by the Division of Enrollments as well as the Schools and Colleges.
An online face-to-face interview session via
Skype with an admission officer was developed to provide additional application resources for the international students.
To help target melt during the summer months, the division identified students' interest and extra-curricular activities
(included in the admission application) and developed a process to match those with existing UM organizations, clubs and extra-curricular
activities.
The Office of Retention developed an email campaign aimed at those students who are "inactive"
for the current semester.
Various assessments were completed including Facebook-Undergraduate Admission, the Virtual
Tour and askUM. The results are being used to develop or enhance marketing strategies to further attract and engage
prospective students.
An online survey of current sophomores to assess their level of academic and social involvement
and commitment to UM after they finished their first year was conducted.
A Market Metrix was developed for the
Division of Enrollment Management, which provided another perspective on the market, competition and the environment.
Market
Research Projects this year included:
- Focus Group Current Students
- Competitive Analysis from the
Perspective of the Prospective Student
- Focus Group Stealth Applicants
- Singer Scholarship Competition
- Freshmen
Phone Campaign - Fall 2010
- Case Study Summary Report
- Sophomore Survey
Taking Enrollment Management Theory to the Classroom
There
were many internal discussions in the eighties and nineties about developing a Master's Degree program in Enrollment Management.
Scott Ingold and Paul Orehovec talked often about young professionals in the field and their lack of understanding enrollment
management. In the mid nineties, the higher education program was looking for some change. Most of the students
in the program had their tuition covered through a tuition remission program, and the School of Education could not sustain
the program without increasing the number of students who would pay tuition. In 1997, the department chair, Tom Angelo
called for an all day working colloquium for current faculty, current students, alumni and administrators with a focus on
developing strategies to enhance the program offerings and thus, increase revenues for the program. Out
of that retreat came the concept for the development of the Enrollment Management program.
Paul Orehovec and Scott
Ingold searched the nation for similar type programs. None could be found. The closest venture into Enrollment
Management was at Georgia State University where Ernie Beals had an outline for a program. However, due to budget constraints
the program was never implemented. Orehovec and Ingold began to develop an enrollment management based curriculum for
a Master's Degree program. Critical to the program development was the desire to provide an interdisciplinary component
with coursework in Education as well as in Business. Research was also a central theme in the development of the curriculum.
A third major ingredient was the teaching of enrollment management through case study management. The case study approach
would be taught in the introductory enrollment management course, and it would be the focus for the advanced course, a one
semester long case study. This was the capstone project for the entire program.
There were several internal political
issues surrounding the initial stages of the program. At first, the Dean in the School of Education did not want to
start the Enrollment Management program. The concept was then presented to the Dean in the School of Business who liked
the idea very much. However, he felt it should be in the School of Education. He contacted the Dean in the School
of Education, indicating that he was very supportive of this interdisciplinary graduate program. At the same time, the
faculty in the School of Education was lobbying for the program with their Dean. The Dean of Education then decided
that it would be appropriate to pilot the program since no additional faculty would need to be hired. If the program
could generate revenue in the first couple of years, he would consider establishing the program on a more permanent basis
and allow for the hiring of a full-time instructor. This was critical because, during that same time, Tom Angelo had
announced that he was leaving the university.
The initial program was a 30-credit, 10-course Master's program in Higher
Education with a concentration in enrollment management. It included two required enrollment management courses, two
required research courses, two required education courses, two required business courses and two elective courses. Degree
candidates also completed a comprehensive exam.
The cognitive criteria embedded in the program were as follows:
Enrollment
Management Component
1. Be able to demonstrate their knowledge
about:
•a. Historical foundations of enrollment management
•b.
Organizational approaches in enrollment management
•c. Leadership
issues in enrollment management
•d. Assessment and evaluation processes
2.
Have a thorough understanding about the components and process involved in the development of a strategic plan
3.
Understand the relationship of marketing and market research in the recruitment and retention of students
4.
Understand the role of evaluation and assessment in enrollment management
5.
Be able to develop enrollment models
6. Understand the
relationship between pricing and enrollment
7. Be able to develop
a comprehensive enrollment market plan
Research Component
1.
Have a thorough working knowledge of appropriate research designs
2.
Understand the basic components of statistics
3. Understand
the relationship between research, data, and statistics with marketing and modeling
4.
Be able to use research in decision-making
Education Component
1.
Understand the relationship between student characteristics and demographic trends
2.
Be conversant in theories and models dealing with student development
3.
Be conversant in theories relating to organizational development
4.
Understand the role that student values, needs, and goals play in the retention of students
Business
Component
1. Develop knowledge and skills relating to marketing
and management
2. Understand the role that service plays in determining
product value
3. Understand the relationship between data analysis
and operational initiatives
4. Be conversant in theories relating to management theory
Orehovec and Ingold taught the very first course, an introductory survey course in enrollment management in the spring
of 1998 as an elective in the higher education program. The first cohort for the full Master's program started in the
fall of 1998. At a later date, the four-course Certificate in Enrollment Management was offered for colleagues who already
attained Master's, Specialist or Doctoral degrees.
During those early years, because Tom Angelo left the university,
Bob Gropper and Anne Hocutt were the School of Education professors of record who took on the academic oversight of the program
while Paul Orehovec, Scott Ingold and others were adjunct professors who taught the Enrollment Management and higher education
courses. In subsequent years, Carol-Anne Phekoo was hired as a full-time professor to oversee the program.
There
were many students, faculty and administrators involved in developing the strategic enrollment market plan for the program,
and the implementation of the effort was coordinated by Colee Splichal. The recruitment process was underway, and it
was quite successful. The program has had many fewer tuition remission students thus turning a nice profit, and the
academic credentials of the students have been very strong. Most importantly, the graduates of the program have gone
on to be quite successful in their enrollment management careers.
Roadblocks Along the Way
There were certainly roadblocks to success over
the 25 years of developing the premier enrollment management organization in the country. A critical part of the enrollment
management process was the on-going practice of strategic planning. As a part of the process, the enrollment managers
would carefully review the internal and external environments impacting the recruitment and retention of students. This
is a review of a few of the most critical issues that were dealt with throughout the years.
External
Miami Vice:
From 1984 to 1989, one of the most popular television shows was Miami Vice. Each week
Crocket and Tubbs would solve criminal cases in Miami. From a marketing standpoint, this represented a major hurdle
for the enrollment management team. Each week there was a reminder that Miami was a very unsafe place to be. The
image was that crime was everywhere. This image continues today with the first question oftentimes asked at out-of-state
receptions is about the safety of coming to Miami.
Miami River Cops Case:
On July 28, 1985, three bodies
were discovered floating in the Miami River. This led to one of the largest police corruption and cocaine cases in the
country. National media portrayed this case on a nightly basis ensuring that the nation understood that Miami was a
very dangerous place where drug lords and dirty cops were present. This added fuel to the image already set by the Miami
Vice TV program.
European Tourist Attacks:
In 1993, there were a chain of European tourists killed on
the streets of Miami. In most cases, the tourists, renting cars, got lost on the streets or were caught in a "bump-and-rob"
ploy. The media coverage was worldwide, and Miami was once again portrayed as a very dangerous place to be. The
enrollment management team spent much of their time during these years developing media pieces and message points to counter
the awful (but in many cases true) image of Miami being a dangerous place. There were three major message points regarding
the university in those days (and still true today). Most people saw UM as a huge, public university in Miami.
Much was done to alter this image to one of medium size, private and located in Coral Gables.
Federal Student Aid
Computers Break Down:
There was a year when the federal processor of federal financial applications could not get
the machinery working. Instead of the normal January start to providing financial aid eligibility, the notices were
not sent out until summer (June/July). While other colleges were waiting for the documents to arrive, the enrollment
management team at UM decided to design, mail, receive and analyze its own proprietary document. Thus, aid awards could
be sent out to prospective students starting in February while other colleges were waiting until summer. This took some
imaginative, strategic planning with a lot of risk. However, it was determined that there was greater risk of waiting until
summer like the competition. Prospective students and parents, along with high school counselors just couldn't believe
that UM could get aid awards out while other colleges could not. This was a great example of taking a major crisis and
turning it into an opportunity, a quality that the UM Enrollment Management team oftentimes accomplished.
Hurricane
Andrew:
On August 24, 1992, as new students and parents were arriving on campus, Hurricane Andrew hit Elliot Key
with 165 mile-per-hour winds. This was a category 5 hurricane. Fortunately, the university did not get the brunt of
the storm, but it was surely impacted. Students were sent home until the campus could be shored up. As much as
the campus could be fixed, and in some cases improved, the faculty and staff were impacted personally. In some cases,
it took years to rebuild homes and rebuild lives.
For the Enrollment Management team, it was a huge challenge.
Enrollment models and econometric models were developed to try to project the impact on fall enrollment and revenue.
The Enrollment staff and student affairs staff worked tirelessly at communicating with students and parents in hopes of minimizing
any loss of enrollment. The senior leadership of the university did an outstanding job of leading through this devastation.
The Enrollment Management team was exemplary as was the Student Affairs staff.
One of the most fascinating enrollment
events happened when students returned to campus. Telephone campaigns and other market research efforts projected a
5-10% loss in enrollment. As it would turn out, there was a net plus 5 of students for the semester. The one thing
the team could never have anticipated was the fact that many local students changed their minds and decided to attend UM rather
than go out-of-state. Some had already started attending other colleges. These students wanted to be home to help
their families rebuild their homes and their lives.
9/11:
On September 11, 2001, the world forever changed
when al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked commercial airliners, two of which struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New
York City. The impact on the university was significant because of the international student population on campus. The
Intensive English program was devastated. The enrollment dropped precipitately and faculty had to be laid off.
Undergraduate
enrollment for international students was impacted, but not as severely as Intensive English. Mark Reid and his colleagues,
along with the Enrollment Management team were able to develop strategies that contained any loss. Where other universities
saw a major drop, the international student population on campus dropped less than five percent. Where it took
years for the Intensive English Program to build its enrollment back to pre-9/11 levels, the undergraduate enrollment shortfall
was short-lived.
Economic Downfall:
In the midst of recruiting the class of fall 2009, the country experienced
the most severe economic downfall since the Great Depression. For the Enrollment Management team, it meant meeting daily
to find out the answers to the following questions:
- Will many students delay college?
- Will many students
forego private colleges for public colleges?
- If the Ivy League colleges have to dig deeper into their pools, will
it impact UM?
- Will there be enough financial aid to assist families?
- Will current students transfer to public
universities?
- Will any current students "stop out" until the economy improves?
- Will the yield dip?
- Will
more students have to be admitted in order to hit the enrollment targets?
- Will the makeup of the student body change?
Throughout
the spring and summer months, the market research arm of the enrollment management team focused all of their attention on
these questions. The enrollment management team met daily to analyze data in order to make the best decisions possible.
Changes were made on a daily basis all the way up to the start of classes (and beyond). It might have been the most
successful Enrollment Management effort in the history of the university.
Stealth Applicants:
With
the coming of social networks, a new phenomenon of inquiring evolved. Many students no longer contacted the university
to request materials and information. Rather, they used every electronic means available to them to learn more
about the university. For the marketing team, this meant the university could no longer control the message to prospective
students. Gail Blyden, the enrollment manager responsible for market research, brought together Market Research, eCommunication,
Publications and Assessment in an effort to monitor and utilize social network opportunities in the recruitment process.
Their efforts were extremely successful. As formal inquiries started decreasing, applications were increasing.
The enrollment management team found ways of communicating with students beyond the formal inquiry process.
Internal
Decision to get much smaller:
In 1980, the Mariel Boatlift brought 125,000 Cubans to the US, most of whom
came to Miami. This brought about worldwide media exposure to this part of the country. President Tad Foote saw
that this would impact enrollment and made the decision to announce to the world that UM would become smaller and better.
This wise decision was probably the first significant event leading to the improvement in student credentials at the university.
UM Football:
The 1983 football team won their first national championship game. It came at a time
when the city needed a lift, and the team delivered. For the Enrollment Management team, it provided "name recognition"
throughout the US. This was a very positive day for the marketeers of the university.
At the 1987 Fiesta Bowl,
the football team was playing for another national championship. The players walked down the steps from the airplane
wearing army battle fatigues. They lost the game. The image of those fatigues, along with other behaviors at the
Fiesta Bowl, continually hindered the image of the athletic program and the university to this day. The image of the University
of Miami conjured up either feelings of love or hate. Over the years there continued to be questionable behaviors by
players and fans that further reinforced the "thug" image around the world. Although the program has changed
significantly over the past few years, the image of "thug U" will continue to be alive in the minds of many.
For the Enrollment Management team, it was quite a challenge (1) to disassociate the academic program from the athletic program,
and then later (2) to educate the world that this was no longer a place for thugs.
Recruitment Efforts in the Convocation
Center:
Perhaps one of the greatest marketing and recruiting ideas developed by the Enrollment Management team was
never implemented. On January 4, 2003, the University of Miami Convocation Center opened its doors. This was a one-time
event and would represent a great opportunity for the Enrollment Management marketing team. In the years preceding the
event, the Enrollment Management team spent significant time outlining a strategic marketing plan to take advantage of the
Center. The team understood that they had to be involved in the Convocation Center right from the beginning in order
to take advantage of the opportunity. In simple terms, the team would purchase one of the suites, in addition to 10
reserved seats in the main bowl. For each game (or public event), representatives from a local high school would be
selected to join the UM Enrollment Management team and attend. Focus would be on the high school principal, head teachers
and counselors - those who could influence the enrollment of their students. The suite would be decorated with memorabilia
recognizing the respective high school (which means it would be changed for each event) as well as with University of Miami
memorabilia. The focus would be on academic achievement, which would include the identification of University of Miami
graduates who also attended the visiting high school. The message would be about the success attained by those students
due to the influence of the university. Joining the enrollment management leaders and their guests would be current
university students who attended the hosted high school. These students would attend the pregame, halftime and postgame
discussions in the suite. During the game, they would go back to the student section. Faculty would also be invited
to join in the discussion, particularly faculty who have been productive scholars and have recently published a book.
They would be introduced to the high school representatives, and a copy of their book would be included in the "goody"
bags. This event would focus on academics, student success and faculty expertise.
Unfortunately, this concept
was rejected by the senior leadership team.
Student Employment Systems:
The university has never
wanted to build or purchase a computer system for student employment. Instead, it always imposed the university HR and
Payroll systems on the student employment program. This has always created roadblocks because student employees
have different schedules, needs and requirements than are provided through systems for full-time employees.
Enrollment
and Visitor Center:
Some would say it is a miracle that UM Enrollment Management has been successful considering
the fact that the reception area for prospective students is lacking and the enrollment related offices are spread all over
campus. Many years ago, a proposal was forwarded to senior management outlining what an enrollment center might look
like. It was a concept where there would be two front doors; one for prospective students and one for current students.
It would be located in a location that was convenient for current students and simple for prospective students to find.
Although recognized as a good idea, money could not be found to support the proposal.
There was an opportunity to develop
a visitor center when the new alumni building was being designed, but this never took hold.
Football Player Murdered
on Campus:
In April of 1996, a UM football player was bludgeoned to death on campus in Apartment 36C. This
was by far the most tragic day in over the past 25 years. To the best of everyone's knowledge, this was the first murder ever
to happen on campus. To add to the challenge for the Enrollment Management team was the fact that it happened in early
morning hours on the day for the annual Open House Yield Program, where admitted students from around the world were on campus
to take one last look at the university. President Foote did a masterful job as the keynote speaker. He knew that
families staying in hotels may have seen the morning news; and if not, would certainly hear about it later in the day.
He put the topic right at the top of his presentation. He told the audience as many of the facts as he knew them.
Although it was unsettling for everyone in attendance, they understood that it was a "love triangle" that could
not have been prevented by the university. It could have happened anywhere. And yet, the Enrollment Management
team understood that there would be a severe impact on recruitment. The Market Research arm of Enrollment Management
immediately began to measure (1) the awareness of the incident, and (2) the potential impact. There were four distinct
cohorts to look at: (1) current students, (2) prospective students who were visiting that day, (3) prospective
students not visiting that day who lived in Florida, and (4) prospective students not visiting that day who were out-of-state.
Communication strategies were designed for each cohort group.
Changing Administrative Culture:
Over the
past few years a new administrative culture developed, which created a significant amount of control by some of the senior
leadership. This control culture has produced a significant set of bureaucracies that has resulted in a dysfunctional
organization. This structure has made it very difficult to accomplish important strategies on a timely basis.
Taking
Donor Scholarships away from Schools and Colleges:
Senior leadership decided to take all donor scholarships out
of the hands of the schools and colleges. It was felt that the deans were not awarding funds strategically.
The donor funds represented a very small percent of the overall aid awarded. Deans resented this change, and this made
it quite difficult to continue a positive, ongoing relationship with the schools and colleges.
Look at the Data What a remarkable run it has been over the past 25 years, especially
since 1993 when the Division of Enrollment Management set out to significantly improve the credentials of the freshman class
and freshman retention. Just look at the data. From 1993 to 2010: - Freshman inquiries increased
from 84,119 to over 200,000
- Freshman applications increased from 7,122 to 25,899
- Freshman selectivity went
from 75.6% to 39.2%
- The Mean SAT went from 1,137 to 1,293
- The Mean ACT went from 25.1 to 29.5
- The
mean high school rank-in-class went from 79% to 89%
- Students in the top 10% of their high school went from 41% to
68%
- Students in the top 5% of their high school went from 24% to 46%
- The mean high school GPA went from 3.5
to 4.2
- The students from out-of-state or international went from 50% to 63%
- Transfer student applications
increased from 1,994 to 4,637
- Transfer student selectivity went from 64% to 35%
- The mean college transfer
GPA went from 3.0 to 3.3
- Fall-to-fall freshman retention went from 79% to 90%
- Six year graduation went from
61% to 80%
None of this was an accident or circumstance. The Enrollment Management culture through
its data driven decision-making, creative energies and strategic enrollment market planning helped bring about much of this
success. Enrollment Management Theory and other important developments |
The
Next Important Position on the Enrollment Management Team
One of the more unique aspects of the UM Enrollment Management
Team has been the giving up of positions in various offices in order to help the overall effort. In effect, directors
would look at each new open position to determine if someone new had to be hired to fill every new opening. In most
cases, the position was filled, but in many cases, the director would determine that because of efficiencies or other changes,
the position did not need to be filled. Thus, they would donate the position to the Division of Enrollment Management.
At the same time, the directors, as a group, would always discuss the "next important position needed on the Enrollment
Management Team." These new positions were rank ordered, and when a position was donated from an individual department,
the new position was filled.
This became a critical trait for the Enrollment Management Team. Without this team
effort, the growth of the Enrollment Management Team could never have taken place. It is estimated that over 20 positions
were started because of this effort to reallocate resources. Here are some of the newly created positions:
- Market
Research Analyst
- Manager of eCommunication
- Assessment Officer
- Several lines in Technical Operations
- All
lines in the newly created office of the Enrollment Document Management Area (EDMA)
Hiring of a "Creative
Thinker and Doer"
In 2000, a Creative Thinker and Doer was hired. This role may have been one of the
most important new positions established at the time. His role was to look at everything the Enrollment Management Division
does, especially in the area of electronic communication, and come up with creative ways in which recruitment and retention
could be enhanced. The first person in this role was a very creative person who graduated from the UM Higher Education
Program in Enrollment Management. This was a perfect example of taking someone from the Program and hiring them on the
Enrollment Management Team.
Wonderful relationship with Student Affairs, Student Accounts and the Schools/Colleges
When Colleges and Universities establish enrollment management divisions, it can oftentimes be threatening to other
offices and divisions within the organization. It was apparent there were some concerns initially about enrollment management
at the University of Miami. However, the concept of enrollment management was very inclusionary and was not focused
on the organizational chart. This was especially true after 1993. Rather, the attention was focused on the development
of an Enrollment Management Culture on campus, regardless to whom an individual or office reported. Thus, it was about
trying to get everyone on campus to see that recruitment of high quality students and retention was everyone's job.
That's easy to say, but difficult to pull off. It is about establishing a culture. As the culture grew at the
University of Miami, and people were not threatened by the organizational model, the relationships developed in ways that
could only be imagined on other campuses. Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, Schools and Colleges, Student Accounts,
Institutional Research and Institutional Technology really worked together to bring about an Enrollment Management Culture.
Three of the key players in helping develop the EM culture were Patricia Whitely, VP for Student Affairs, Alan Matthews,
Associate Treasurer, and Lew Temares, VP for IT. Without their support of this new evolving EM culture, success could
never have taken place.
The
Future: Enrollment Management's 10-Year Plan
The future looks very bright for the University of
Miami. One reason is that the framework for an outstanding enrollment management model is firmly in place. The
enrollment management culture is alive and well-focused on campus. This is evidenced by the way staff from across the
university take ownership in the array of recruitment and retention issues that are so important to the university.
In
fall 2006, the Enrollment Management team, through its annual strategic enrollment planning process, established 10 year goals.
The following shows (1) where the university was in 2006 as far as enrollment management issues were concerned, (2) where
it is in fall 2010, and (3) where it hopes to be in 2016.
Goal
Fall 2006 Fall 2010
Fall 2016
US News: Rank
54
47
45
US News: Peer Assessment
3.2
3.2
3.4
Mean SAT
1269
1293
1310
Rank-top 10%
67%
68%
80%
Acceptance Rate
41%
39%
36%
Percent Full-Time Faculty
87%
88%
87%
Percent Classes under 20
45%
53%
52%
Percent Classes over 50
7%
7%
7%
Freshmen Retention
90%
90%
94%
Graduation Rate
73%
80%
85%
Alumni Giving
16%
18%
24%
Only four years into the plan, the university is well on its way. As the Enrollment Management
team recruits better and better students, other factors like retention and graduation should improve. All this is being
done while the discount rate has held steady at around 30% over the last decade and the diversity of the student body continues
to be quite unique in higher education.
Conclusion
This
story allows the reader to realize that much of the overall success of the University of Miami right now is all because of
what the early pioneers of enrollment management have accomplished over the past 25 years. Where would the University
be today if the enrollment management culture was never implemented?
Enrollment Management professionals are change
agents. They must always look ahead, question what they see and determine the best approach. Like the tides of
the ocean, the internal and external environment is always changing. As our colleague Debbe Perry used to say in the
late eighties, "UM is the type of place that will always have to move a little faster and jump a little higher."
That was true in the late eighties, and it continues to be true today.
There are so many people who have played a supportive
role in the success of the Enrollment Management efforts at the University of Miami. The difficulty in listing individuals
is that someone will invariably be left out. The Faculty Senate encouraged the EM team to improve quality. Members
of the ADAC committee brought the enrollment management culture to the academic units. Many of the deans played a very
supportive role. Suffice it to say that without the many faculty, staff, students and others researching, analyzing,
planning and performing, the success would have fallen quite short of our expectations. Thanks to you all.
Milestones
To truly understand how EM evolved over 25 years at the
University of Miami, one only needs to look at the numerous milestones that took place. Each and every one of these
had some impact on developing the EM culture, a theoretical culture like none other in the world. Some of these milestones
might seem somewhat inconsequential, but rest assured that each was significant in its own right. Others were so monumental
that they continue to impact the university today.
1981 1,000 student shortfall
1982
Admissions, Financial Aid and Registrar reorganized and report through Provost Office
1982
President's 100 volunteer student ambassador program started
1984 Initial enrollment
management ideas are being discussed at the University of Miami
1984 Hecht Residential
College (an Honors College and the first of the residential colleges) is built
1986
McGuire and Associates conduct a major enrollment research project for the university
1986
A major surprise financial aid overrun causes some rethinking about organization
1986
Graduate School is decentralized and International Admission takes on a graduate international position
1987
Associate Provost, Director of Admission, Director of Financial Aid, and Director of Institutional Research come together
to develop an enrollment pricing model
1987 Admissions and Financial Aid are brought
together organizationally as an Enrollment Management team
1987 There were significant
efforts to improve the financial aid process for students
1988 The Miami Commitment
Program is established
1988 The Registrar joins the Enrollment Management Team
1989
The first Linear Programming (LP) enrollment model is developed
1989 The first Cross
Training Program is held
1993 The Enrollment Management Team is restructured
1993
The single focus mission to improve student quality is announced
1993 The first
Strategic Enrollment Market Plan was developed
1993 The start of Geodemographic
Research
1993 The first major Market Test
1993
The Vice President's Benchmark presentations begin
1993 The Vice President's State
of the Division presentations begin
1993 The Honors Program tripled in size
1994
Increased the Guidance Counselor Weekend to 60 counselors
1994 The first out-of-state
"personal interviews" in secondary and tertiary markets
1994 The first
formal Market Research Report; topic was Focus Groups on Academic Advising
1994
Established the Wait List
1994 Established Early Action admission process
1994
Established the Market Research Analyst position
1994 Restructured the High School
Honors Program
1994 The first effort to market younger inquirers (high school sophomores)
1994
Established the telemarketing team
1994 The first EM internet address was established
1994
Admissions website was established
1994 Developed an electronic transcript process
1995
Increased the Guidance Counselor Weekend to 90 counselors
1995 The initial Quality
Initiatives Report
1995 Established the school/college liaison meetings
1995
Joined the Common Application
1995 Conducted the first student interviews in a major
market (Boston)
1995 Sent letters to high school Guidance Counselors informing them
that their previous student(s) recently graduated from UM
1995 Initiated the Letting
Go mailing to parents
1995 Initiated the three week checkup of new freshmen
to see how they are doing
1995 Established the EASY system allowing students to
access academic and biographical information
1995 Established the Miami Commitment
Hometown Program, which was later called the Summer-At-Home program
1995 Established
the Friday Enrollments Meeting
1995 Developed the Linear Programming model for recruiting
Music students
1995
The Annual Plan document is established including the Strategic Enrollment Market Plan
1995
Established a joint recruiting position between International Admission and the Intensive English Program
1996
The Wellness Center is built and it is used for major Open House events
1996 The
initial White Paper is presented for the building of an Enrollment Center
1996 The
Miami Commitment Program wins two national awards
1996 The first major predictive
regression model to measure summer melt was developed
1996 UM aid application is
eliminated
1996 The freshman at-risk retention model was developed
1996
Established a website for the Office of Student Employment
1996 The Office of the
Dean of Enrollments created the Campus Guide and Walking Tour brochure
1997
Open Houses held in the new Wellness Center
1997 All future term inquiries were
invited to all information sessions
1997 Started special mailings to students
with academic warnings
1997 Purchased transfer student prospect names through Phi
Theta Kappa
1997 Established a website for the Office of Financial Assistance Services
1997
Incorporated the geodemographic data elements into the "at-risk" model
1997
The Academic Development Center is added to the University Center
1997 Presented
a paper entitled "The Development and Implementation of a Predictive Model to Identify New "At -Risk" Freshmen"
at The Eighth Symposium of the Marketing of Higher Education in Boston. An article based on this presentation also was accepted
for publication in The Journal of Marketing for Higher Education
1998 Digital
pictures, sophisticated software and enhanced security were added to the Cane Card
1998
Established a website for the Office of the Registrar
1998 Student System Analysts
and Programmers got together and formed the Office of Enrollment Systems
1999 Added
250 International Miami Circle members
1999 Established the Scholarship Website
1999
Merged records and registration staff and services to one location
1999 UM was recognized
by the Templeton Guide: Colleges That Encourage Character Development as being one of the best colleges in the country
for developing strong student leaders
2000 A "Signature Series" communication
sequence for high achieving inquiries was developed
2000 Initiated video
streaming of information sessions, Open Houses and other admission events
2000 The
email communication sequence was established
2000 Established the Enrollment Management
Website
2000 The first class of fall applicants admitted for the following spring
2001
Sending email was tested, along with the traditional mailing to 22,000 prospects
2001
Mechanism established for faculty to submit grades electronically
2001 Financial
Assistance Services and Student Employment begin imaging student records
2001 Financial
Assistance Services changes its preference from paper to electronic financial aid applications
2002
The first Retention Advisor was hired and due to such success, a second was hired within several months of the first
2002
The Legacy Admission Program was implemented
2003 The new name, the Division of
Enrollment Management, was made official
2003 Dean of Enrollments was made
the Vice President of Enrollment Management and Continuing & International Education
2003
Office of Marketing & Communications was formed
2003 SEVIS System implemented
for tracking all "F" and "J" Visa Students
2004 The Enrollment
Document Management Area (EDMA) was launched
2005 Developed an online system that
requires students to annually update their contact information
2005 The online student
information website "EASY" transitions to the new "myUM" system, which has a new look and new functionality
2005
Federal Stafford Loan Cohort Default Rate for the university falls below 1%, to .4%, from a 1986 high of 6.7%
2007
The successful "Secret Shopper" was created and implemented
2007 The Office
of Admission held the first ever scholarship competition enabling students to compete for the full-tuition Singer Scholarship
2007
Implemented flat amount scholarships for all four years
2007 Undergraduate endowed
scholarship management transferred from the schools and colleges to the Office of Financial Assistance Services
2007
Flicker account was created to share photos
2008 Office of Admission developed
the Future Canes Network, a private online network for admitted students to interact with university personnel
2008
An online registration was implemented
2008 "Inactive Status" was made
available to students during fall 2008
2008 UM Facebook was created by Admission
and subsequently transferred to University Communications
2008 YouTube channel was
created for sharing video content
2008 Expansion of Hammond Scholarships
2009
UM Admission Facebook and Twitter were created
2009 Completed the Virtual Tour
2010
Improved the US News & World Report ranking by 20 positions over the past 14 years: from 67 in 1997 to 47 in
2010