Strategic Enrollment/Retention Management (SERM) Subcommittee

Meeting of May 20, 2008

The Strategic Enrollment/Retention Management Subcommittee conducted a meeting on Tuesday, May 20, 2008. The meeting was called to order by Gary Seiler, co-chair, at 9:08 a.m.

Present: Robert Bode, John Hendrickson, Rosa Rodríguez, Gary Seiler, Noel Opoti, Robert Heuermann, Daryl Johnson, Monir Johnson and Ed Mack

Absent: Eustolio Benavides, Michelle Broz, YeeLeng Hang, Jill Wilkie and Jigang Liu

Provost Malecki stopped by to announce that with R. McCoy’s departure, Robert Heuermann has been designated as co-chair.

Minutes / The minutes of the March 18, 2008 SERM meeting were reviewed and a number of small corrections were made. Minutes were accepted as amended.
Gary Seiler indicated that this meeting would be used to give direction to the workgroups, which will be meeting over the summer.
Planning and Budget Recommendations / The University Plan, as approved by the Planning and Budget Council, was distributed. The Enrollment Management (Moderate Growth) objective was reviewed in detail, and the following comments were offered:
·  Enrollment for fall semester is up five percent, and improved communication from the Financial Management office will likely result in fewer drops for non-payment.
·  Action steps can still be modified.
·  SERM must set priorities within the action steps
·  No resources have been linked to the action steps, and discussion of resources needs should occur now.
Consensus was reached on the following points:
·  SERM will develop recommendations on needs, linked back to the deans’ presentations.
·  R. Heuermann and the Vice President for Student Affairs both need to serve on the Planning and Budget Council.
Strategy EM1 / Develop and Implement a Comprehensive Recruitment Plan
It was noted that much of this strategy is coordination of efforts, not specific events that require an infusion cash. The vacant Associate Vice President for Student Affairs would be the logical point person to coordinate.
Action Step
EM1-1 / Incorporate Aslanian market research data into SERM’s moderate growth strategy.
It was agreed that SERM must point out where the colleges’ presentations do not align with the Aslanian data.
Action Item: R. Heuermann and J. Hendrickson will review and summarize discrepancies.
Action Step
EM1-2 / Transfer Students (UG, Recruitment Strategies)
It was noted that recruitment of transfer students comes with expenses for staffing, marketing, relationship building, etc.
It was felt that this action item should be re-worded to focus either on students who transfer with a completed Minnesota Transfer Curriculum, or a completed two-year degree. It was also suggested that because every institution is trying to recruit AA graduates, we may want to recruit AAS students. It was noted that both recruitment strategies for and staffing to accomplish the recruitment of these students differ from recruitment of AA students. For example, having articulations agreements with AAS programs is not sufficient; we need to meet with these students, provide literature, etc.
M. Johnson encouraged the group to think about recruitment by majors and with increased program-to-program contact. From her perspective, we best serve students who transfer from North Hennepin Community College, due to the connections of our staff. Additionally, she pointed to the need for improvements in our processing of nursing applications.
Consensus was reached that this items is too vague and would benefit from the identification of clear priorities and resources. It was agreed to combine this action step with EM 1-8, High School Graduates.
Action Item: R. Bode was assigned to rewrite a combined entry for EM1-2 and EM1-8.
Action Step
EM1-3 / International Students (UG, Recruitment Strategies)
Information on International Student Services was provided by the members of the Student Affairs Division. The office is currently providing services to 150 international students. Approximately 20 students are out in the community working for one year. There are 100 applicants for fall and we are working with 60 of those. Overall we have about 200 international students, and the previous interim Vice President wanted the Student Affairs Division to increase the recruitment and enrollment of international students. Processing international students seems to represent half of the effort of the office.
Regarding the recruitment of additional international students, the following comments were offered:
·  Metropolitan State is geographically out of the way, not in preferred location.
·  The majority of our recruitment is from area two-year colleges and the University of Saint Thomas.
·  While international students increase globalization of the university, we do not receive a state financial match for these students and they cannot not be viewed as a revenue stream.
·  We do not have the resources and staffing to significantly expand this program; we should be looking to serve immigrant students.
·  We have the potential to look at non-immigrant students by visa status; and open opportunities for H visa holders.
·  International students are typically “focus majors: and their presence helps keep courses such as higher level math, from being canceled due to low enrollment.
·  Opportunities exist to recruit au pair students, who already have a job, housing, few social needs, and who may be eligible for resident tuition.
·  We could also develop a strategy to recruit students who initially enrolled at St. Thomas but need to attend a less expensive institution.
Action Step
EM1-4 / New Programs (UG, Recruitment Strategies)
It was noted that recruitment is the only piece of this action step that is under the purview of SERM. While much has been done, SERM may want to elaborate on recruitment strategies.
Action Step
EM1-5 / New Ventures (Grad Strategies)
This action step has been completed.
Action Step
EM1-6 / Online Learning
With the addition of two new programs, this action step has been completed.
Action Step
EM1-7 / Implement DARS/CAS as a tool for recruitment and retention.
It was noted that because many procedure changes have occurred within Student Affairs, SERM will never be able to untangle the data and identify individual causes of enrollment increases. Nevertheless, other institutions that have stable policies and procedures, and who have instituted DARS, have reported definite enrollment increases due to their ability to show prospective students the transferability of courses they have previously completed. Procedures at Metropolitan State continue to evolve quickly; we will begin using E-transcripts this fall, and new students will be admitted daily.
Action Step
EM1-8 / High School Graduates (UG, Recruitment Strategies)
R. Heuermann informed the group of agreements for Power of You in FY 09. Enrollment will again be limited to 26 new students, with a household maximum income of $75,000. We received a one-time gift of $600,000 to be applied toward the difference between Pell awards and the actual cost of tuition and fees. The CFOs from the participating institutions will divide this money. Financially, our focus needs to be bridge students. Costs include classes at Century and manual processing time; the financial aid process is totally manual.
Comments from members included:
·  We need to look at staffing decisions in the program.
·  We should have looked at admissions staffing; these students were made a priority and this resulted in staffing issues in the Admissions Office.
This action step will be combined with EM1-2.
Action Step
EM1-9 / Online Learning
It was noted that this is a duplicate of EM1-6, and therefore should be deleted.
Strategy
EM 2 / Develop and Implement Comprehensive Retention Plan
It was agreed that this strategy must be under the direction of the Vice President; Paul Hesterman should be invited to attend SERM meetings so we can get his input into the action steps in this strategy.
Action Item: B. Lacy was asked to invite P. Hesterman to join SERM.
Action Steps
EM 2-1:7 / Continue Development of the Engaged Student Pathway
It was noted that this is the flow chart developed in Student Affairs over the past two years. There are still gaps in the pathway, but the redesign of the New Student Orientation will help fill in the gaps. The action plan should address the implementation of the Pathway.
Strategy
EM 3 / Develop measures for use in recruitment and retention decision making.
Questions were raised on what metrics are needed: full year equivalent, unduplicated headcount, etc. What is current enrollment? Additional comments included:
·  Institutional Research has started to develop a list of routine reports most frequently requested by the deans, and they will be working with constituents to develop priorities and formats/layouts.
·  It was suggested that as new markets and new ventures are identified, the Institutional Research Office should supply baseline data for the markets or plans. This could also give direction to the Admissions Office.
·  In the future, it would be helpful to have capacity and growth projections divided by graduate and undergraduate.
Action Item: E. Mack agreed to distribute to SERM a list of potential report titles to help structure thinking of this strategy.
A general discussion of EM2 and EM3 ensued. It was noted that there are things that have to precede these strategies. Members may want to review the Recruitment and Retention Plan developed three years ago by the Student Affairs Division
It was noted that SERM should take into account whether the Student Affairs Division is appropriately structured to support these initiatives. Members expressed the sense that the division is too diffuse. R. Heuermann seconded this, that it mirrors comments he has received as part of the Gateway review, that there needs to be a clear delineation of roles.
Action Item: B. Lacy was asked to place the Recruitment and Retention Plan in SERM’s shared folder.
Next steps:
Work groups: / The following workgroup reports were offered:
Marketing. Members include R. Heuermann (chair), J. Hendrickson and M. Johnson. The workgroup continues to move head.
Recruitment: M. Johnson (chair) will report in the fall.
Data: E. Mack (chair) is working on the data warehouse project. A key component is filling the vacant position in IT. Another is development of a list of standard reports, users, frequency generation, etc.
Retention: R. Bode will assume leadership until P. Hesterman is on board. N. Opoti agreed to serve on this group.
G. Seiler observed that SERM must identify those goals which the committee wishes to pursue. He suggested the co-chairs go through the data and develop very clean goals with an indication of resources. It was agreed that R. Rodríguez will participate in this exercise as well.
It was agreed that the summer will be devoted to the completion of workgroup assignments. SERM will meet as regularly scheduled, for the purpose of giving direction and input to the workgroups. Workgroup progress reports will be given at the June 17 meeting.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:45 a.m.

Respectfully submitted, Beverly Lacy, Recorder