Admissions Unit Plan

Admissions Unit Plan

The University’s five-year Strategic Plan provides the Western Admission staff with goals, objectives, and specific student recruitment activities for attracting and enrolling new freshman and transfer students during 2007. The plan is supportive of the campus wide Strategic Plan for the rest of the university. The marketing strategy employs geographical market segmentation and uses a marketing mix of direct mail, telecounseling, personal contact and updated e-technology as primary approaches to student recruitment. The sum of unique advantages at Western provides the theme: “Missouri’s Applied Learning University.”

Introduction/Overview

The Office of Admissions coordinates recruitment, counseling, marketing and academic evaluation while supporting orientation efforts for Western. In keeping with the institutional mission and vision, the Office of Admissions strives to provide a high level of service and support to a diverse mix of incoming traditional, non-traditional, transfer, high ability and international students. By clearly defining our goals and objectives, we hope to better instill the true meaning of applied learning to prospective students and their parents.

Mission

The Office of Admissions leads MissouriWesternStateUniversity in the recruitment of a quality student body from diverse backgrounds through unsurpassed service, a collaborative spirit and an enthusiastic culture.

Customer Service Philosophy

Guests in the Office of Admissions should expect to be impressed because we will:

• go the extra mile;
• do what’s in the best interest of the student;
• do the little things right; and
• seize every opportunity to do something extraordinary.

Vision

The Office of Admissions at Western will work creatively to attain enrollments goals, support the academic mission of the university and enhance student success and satisfaction.

Goal One: Develop a diverse mix of students with academic potential for completing high-quality programs.

Objectives for Goal One:

• Maintain an admissions recruiting plan that services the primary region of Northwest Missouri and North Kansas Cityto produce desired results for each entering freshman class.
• Initiate activities to reach students, parents, and school counselors about the importance of living on campus in our residence halls.
• Analyze data to target areas which will most likely yield students who will live in our residence halls.
• Seek new avenues for articulation agreements and maintain current agreements with primary feeder community/junior colleges; and actively encourage and facilitate transfer opportunities.
• Maintain a strong relationship with high school and community/junior college counselors.
• Increase involvement of academic departments and other university units in recruitment activities for high-ability, international, students of color and transfer students.
• Promote the scholarship programs to attract students with high academic potential.
• Assist middle school counselors and parents to encourage prospective students to meet the Missouri Core Curriculum through the ReadySetGo! Program.
• Continue making special efforts to recruit particular groups of students such as, athletic, community/junior college transfer, high ability, international, students of color and non-traditional students. Develop and reevaluate marketing strategies, communication plan and publications that effectively target these groups.
• Continue to promote applied learning opportunities and outcomes.

Goal Two: Provide quality customer service to prospective students and parents.

Objectives for Goal Two:

• Provide admissions counselors that are well trained, experienced and knowledgeable with Western’s admission/recruitment process and campus.
• Train quality student ambassadors to introduce the campus to prospective students through tours, presentations and telecounseling activities.
• Present quality information related to the admission processes, policies and procedures to prospective students.
• Provide preliminary academic counseling to assist prospective students to make informed decisions.
• Maintain personal visits with a one-on-one approach, group visits and open house visits.
• Provide direct access to the admissions website from the home page, so that any visitor can clearly see where they should begin their information gathering process. Include easy access to the online application, financial aid, application status and information request.
• Respond to applications/inquiries in a timely manner.
• Respond to e-mails within one business day.
• Ensure all publications have the website address for additional information about each topic.

Goal Three: Relate applied learning to prospective students and parents.

Objectives for Goal Three:

• Provide a clear image of applied learning, including academic opportunities, off-campus opportunities, academic and residential facilities (learning communities), student support services and unique differences in relation to competitive institutions.
• Provide assistance to the City of St. Joseph and the surrounding community as opportunities occur.

Goal Four:Strengthen relationships on campus with academic departments for recruitment.

Objectives for Goal Four:

• Develop strategies and training modules to increase involvement of academic departments and other university units in recruitment.
• Assist academic departments, the Honors Program and athletics in high school relations and recruiting activities.
• Continue to train Departmental Recruiting Coordinators in recruiting activities.
• Train and assist faculty to develop target lists of high-ability students for their departments.
• Assist Learning Communities coordinator in the promotion of the program.

Marketing

Overview

Applied Learning is the central message for recruitment and admissions efforts. Marketing materials strive to convey that Western is a quality public university that is committed to student success and the preparation of students to be leaders in their careers and in their communities.

Goal One: Market Western as an institution that sets the standard for excellence in student development and community leadership.

Objectives for Goal One:

• Convey to prospective students the mission, character, commitment to diversity and successful programs and services offered at Western.
• Communicate the Western image through appropriate, diverse media, campus-wide beautification efforts and intensified positive relationships with the greater St. Joseph community.
• Promote student-life opportunities to enrich students’ intellectual, cultural and social development as members of society.
• Publicize the opportunities for students at Western to participate in applied learning, including internship experiences, student-faculty research projects and leadership development.
• Market the opportunities for prospective students to take advantage of strong academic programs.
• Increase marketing within the St. Joseph and surrounding community to attract both high school and non-traditional students.
• Continue to expand upon e-technology currently accessible to prospective students and ensure their ease of use, while presenting our marketing image.

Goal Two: Lead the admissions field in marketing strategies, techniques and materials.

Objectives for Goal Two:

• Coordinate, analyze and monitor market effectiveness, keeping a competitive edge when compared with other higher education institutions.
• Continue developing new technological methods for reaching students.
• Maintain a marketing database specifically for reaching prospective students and admitting new students.
• Dedicate resources to ensure students are contacted in a timely manner.
• Provide high school and community/junior college counseling offices with quality marketing materials that help promote Western.
• Coordinate mailings and telecounseling to coincide with upcoming enrollment periods.

Academic Evaluation

Overview

The Office of Admissions evaluates the Missouri Core Curriculum, general studies transfer credit from other universities, military service credit, correspondence course work, graduate applications and credit by examination. The office is also the main contact regarding articulation agreements with community/junior colleges and international students. The admissions office is responsible for gathering graduate applications, transcripts, GRE scores and application fee. University regulations regarding probation and suspension are also enforced when a returning or transfer student applies for admission.

Goal One: Provide accurate and comprehensive evaluation of incoming credit and notify prospective students of their academic status in a timely manner.

Objectives for Goal One:

• Ensure that online applications and accompanying documents are user-friendly for prospective students, Western staff and high school and community/junior college counselors. Respond to applicant by postcard within one business day.
• Provide online access to Western’s articulation guidelines.
• Due to the increase of online and traditional applications, add clerks to assist in the processing of those applications.
• Provide timely and accurate evaluation of international students.

Goal Two: Educate potential students and counselors on Western’s academic policies and procedures prior to university enrollment, with special emphasis placed on the completion of the Missouri Core Curriculum.

Objectives for Goal Two:

• Clearly convey academic standards and policies via presentations and publications prior to university entrance.
• Continue to serve a growing population of prospective students.
• Continue to strengthen positive relationships with community/junior colleges.
• Encourage completion of the Missouri Core Curriculum through the ReadySetGo! Program.

Orientation

Overview

The Office of Admissions works in conjunction with the Student Services Office and the First Year Programs Office to facilitate new, returning and transfer student registration programs. During these programs, students are introduced to the academic culture of Western through different program sessions facilitated by faculty, staff and student orientation staff. The Office of Admissions prepares files for new students to use during the advisement process with faculty. All academic and service departments play an integral role in the registration programs.

Goal One: Enhance the mission of Western by providing an introduction to academic and student life while instilling the concept of applied learning in new students.

Objectives for Goal One:

• The First Year Programs Office and the Student Services Office will ensure that students obtain a working knowledge of all academic rules and regulations, registration processes and student services.
• Expose students and parents to essential operations and culture of Western to help instill pride in the university and understanding their place in the community and becoming a good citizen.
• Educate students and parents as to the vision, mission and six specific values that comprise Western.
• Inform students of Western’s traditions.

Goal Two: Provide quality content and sincere customer service to prospective students and parents during the registration and orientation process.

Objectives for Goal Two:

• Provide enhanced programs geared specifically toward high ability freshman, transfer and non-traditional students.
• Provide accurate and thorough academic advisement.
• Address all students’ and parents’ questions and concerns accurately.
• Ensure that at the end of the orientation programs students and parents leave adequately educated and satisfied with their choice to attend Western.

Goal Three: Help students understand that learning is a team process requiring the dedication of the students and the caring, informed guidance of well-qualified faculty and staff in a mutual pursuit of knowledge.

Objectives for Goal Three:

• Provide students and parents the opportunity to meet with faculty and staff.
• Provide a parents program that prepares parents for the experiences they are about to have as their child embarks on their educational journey.
• Encourage freshmen to participate in Griffon Edge, College 101, an Western Learning Communities and applied learning.

Noel Levitz Consultation

With the direction of Noel-Levitz and the Admissions staff, an annual recruitment plan is now in effect. There are now 238 Action Plans, 224 are complete, 11 are in progress and 3 have no progress. The recruitment plan is performed annually and is focused specifically on the recruitment of new students to the institution. One of the most crucial recommendations was the formation of a telecounseling team. The team is now in full operation with calls being made five nights a week with an average of 1,200 calls each week.

Proposed Western Undergraduate Enrollment Goals for Fall 2005 - Fall 2007

Goal One: Increase the ACT composite score for first-time-in-college (FTIC) direct from high school (DHS) freshmen from 19.2 in Fall 2004 to:

• Fall 2005 to 19.5
• Fall 2006 to 19.8
• Fall 2007 to 20.1

Goal Two: Overarching Goal – Increase overall new undergraduate first-time enrollment by:

• 2%, from 1365 in Fall 2004 to 1392 in Fall 2005
• 3%, from 1392 in Fall 2005 to 1434 in Fall 2006= 126 total students
• 4%, from 1434 in Fall 2006 to 1491 in Fall 2007

Goal Three: Increase new FTIC DHS Missouri student enrollment by a total of 44 students for:

• Fall 2005 by 0.5% (4 students) from 807 Fall 2004 to 811 Fall 2005
• Fall 2006 by 1.8% (15 students) from 811 Fall 2005 to 826 Fall 2006
• Fall 2007 by 3.0% (25 students) from 826 Fall 2006 to 861 Fall 2007

Goal Four: Increase new transfer student enrollment by a total of 59 students for:

• Fall 2005 by 6.6% (19 students), from 286 Fall 2004 to 305 Fall 2005
• Fall 2006 by 6.6% (20 students), from 305 Fall 2005 to 325 Fall 2006
• Fall 2007 by 6.2% (20 students), from 325 Fall 2006 to 345 Fall 2007

Goal Five: Increase the number of new students (freshman) out-of-state enrollment by a total of 12 students for:

• Fall 2005 by 1.7% (2 students), from 115 Fall 2004 to 117 Fall 2005
• Fall 2006 by 3.4% (4 students), from 117 Fall 2005 to 121 Fall 2006
• Fall 2007 by 5.0% (6 students), from 121 Fall 2006 to 127 Fall 2007

Goal Six: Increase the number of new full-time non-traditional/adult students by a total of 11. Part time adult students will be the responsibility of Western Institute.

• Fall 2005 by 3.6% (2 students), from 55 Fall 2004 to 57 Fall 2005
• Fall 2006 by 5.3% (3 students), from 57 Fall 2005 to 60 to Fall 2006
• Fall 2007 by 10% (6 students), from 60 Fall 2006 to 66 Fall 2007

Implementation Status of Recruitment Plan