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University of Colorado Denver
Consulting Report
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UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVERConsulting Report
Table of Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 2
Methodology ..................................................................................................... 2
Enrollment Mix ................................................................................................. 3
Enrollment Goals .............................................................................................. 6
Enrollment Dashboard.................................................................................... 12
Enrollment Incentives.......................................................................................13
Investment Prioritization..................................................................................14
Institutional Branding.......................................................................................17
Inquiry Management........................................................................................22
Out-of-state Recruitment.................................................................................22
International Recruitment................................................................................24
Strategic Student Retention Investments........................................................25
Student Services..............................................................................................26
Human and Organizational Capacity................................................................29
Antecedents to Success ..................................................................................32
Final Thoughts .................................................................................................33
Introduction
University of Colorado Denver
Consulting Report
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SEM Works, an enrollment management consulting firm, was hired by the University of Colorado Denver (UCD) to undertake an enrollment management review. The review was conducted January 11–14, 2010, by Dr. Jim Black and Ms. Teresa Mauk, hereafter referred to as the consultants. Findings from the consulting visit are presented in this report, along with recommendations for improvement and associated models.
Methodology
During the four-day site visit, a series of interviews were facilitated by the SEM Works consultants with a broad representation of the campus community, including academic and administrative officers, faculty, staff, and students. The interviews were structured to obtain information on the following:
Enrollment priorities for the University Institutional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) Strategic opportunities to improve desired enrollment outcomes Gaps in existing practices and strategies deemed necessary to achieve
enrollment outcomes Opportunities to optimize institutional resources to advance the
realization of enrollment goals
Using a combination of the physical evidence described above along with secondary data sources, on-campus interviews, and direct observations of existing practices, the consultants utilized a research method known as “triangulation” to validate findings. Any finding supported by all three research techniques was considered to be valid. The consultants used a complementary method called “pattern matching” to validate findings that
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did not appear to be triangulated. Pattern matching describes reoccurring themes that emerge from one or more of these research techniques.
Enrollment Mix
Determining the desired enrollment mix is a challenging exercise at any institution but is particularly complex at UCD. Dramatic enrollment growth, capacity constraints, shared campus space with Metropolitan State College of Denver and the Community College of Denver, requirements from the University of Colorado System, and consolidation with the Anschutz Medical Campus combine to create dynamics that limit enrollment mix options. The Downtown Campus’ dual foci of being a leading research institution and teaching undergraduates further exacerbates instructional and space capacity limitations. While the degrees of freedom to define the enrollment mix are narrow, the consultants fervently believe that these dynamics necessitate a strategic approach to enrollment management.
In particular, the University should define the desired enrollment mix related to funding type. D1 funding (state funded), D2 (cash funded credit), and D3 (cash funded non-credit) should serve as drivers for enrollment priorities. Given low and shrinking state funding levels and the decline in employer reimbursements especially for non-credit coursework, the University must think strategically about enrollment revenue generation opportunities. The opportunities identified by the consultants are illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Enrollment Opportunities by Funding Type
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D1
D2
D3
In preliminary discussions with the academic deans, the following unit priorities were identified:
Relieve capacity constraintsCU OnlineCampus-Based Students
Programs with local and regional draw
CU Online Domestic Students
Programs in demand internationally
CU Online International Students
Grow onlineCU Succeed
Compete with DUProfessional Development
Teacher certification and new program incubatorCertificates
Expand capacity and generate revenueESL
Pipeline programPre-collegiate
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Public Affairso Growth in the Bachelor’s of Criminal Justice
Engineeringo Growth in international student enrollment
Architecture o Growth in the undergraduate population
Arts & Mediao Growth in international student enrollmento Improvement in the quality of students
Business o Expand D2 offeringso Expand D3 offeringso Expand online and hybrid courses
Education & Human Performanceo Growth in the undergraduate population if viable
Liberal Arts & Scienceo Launch of a BA/BS program in public healtho Potential to grow biology and chemistry dependent upon space and
faculty availabilityo New PhD programs
Through a consultative process scheduled for February 10 – 12, 2010 and a review of related data, priorities in each funding area will be established by the institution as well as for each school or college on the Downtown Campus. Identified priorities will guide the development of enrollment goals.
Enrollment Goals
The consultants recommend an approach to establishing enrollment goals at UCD that will incorporate available business intelligence, an analysis of
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institutional capacity, an understanding of external forces, and a clear articulation of institutional aspirations. Enrollment targets will be used to guide SEM planning. In order to recommend enrollment goals to the University leadership, the consultants will need access to the following. Much of this data has been provided to the consultants already.
Business Intelligence
Enrollment trend data (3–5 years) Enrollment projections
Institutional Capacity
Space utilization studies Course demand analysis Faculty workload studies Trend data on students by learning modality
External Forces
Environmental scan data (if available) Information regarding governmental or board mandates that drive
enrollment priorities
Institutional Aspirations
UCD’s aspirations related to enrollment growth, net revenue (if applicable), student diversity, and student academic profile
The steps to deriving enrollment goals are outlined below:
Figure 2: Business Intelligence 1A
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Enrollment Trends
Without interventions or consideringthe impact of known internal or
external environmental changes, whatdo historical trends suggest about
UCD's future enrollments?STEP 1A.REVIEW
OPERATIONALBI
Analyze data
By Campus
By Faculty/School
By Program
By StudentSegment
By Delivery Mode
By Student Profile
Auto-Regression/Regression
Time Series
Moving Averages
Cohort FlowEnrollment Projections
Which methodology is best forUCD?
Financial Position
What enrollment performance factorsare positively or negatively impacting
UCD's net financial position?
Institutional Size
QualityPerformance/
Cost Matrix
EnrollmentPerformanceManagement
System
ScholarshipMatrix
By Enroll Stage
Figure 3: Business Intelligence 1B
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STEP 1B.REVIEW
STRATEGIC BIAnalyze data
PopulationDemographics
Immigration
Economic
Higher EducationParticipation Rate
(in-state,out-of-state,international)
Labor
CompetitiveMarket Share
High SchoolEnrollment &Graduation
State Funding& Higher
Education Policy
Environmental Enrollment Drivers
What environmental factors presentopportunities or threats toUCD's
enrollment future?Inter-Institutional
Transfers
Competitive Market Forces
What are UCD's competitive marketadvantages and disadvantages ?
Competitors
ReputationalImage
Pricing
Institutional Aid
Marketing/Recruitment
Strategies andInvestments
Academic ProgramMix and Attributes
Campus Attributes
Figure 4: Institutional Capacity
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Space Utilization
What proportion of available space isused at different times of day and
days of the week by location?
STEP 2.DETERMINECAPACITY
Analyze data
Seat Capacity Utilization
What proportion of availableclassroom seats are used by type of
instructional space?
Course Demand by Delivery Method
What is the student demand forUCD'scourses by type of delivery method?
Classrooms
Labs/Studios
Common Space
Office Space
Study Space
Classrooms
Labs/Studios
Day of Week
Peak Times
Off Peak Times
Class Based
Summer
Fully Online
Course Demand by Time
What is the student demand forUCD'scourses by time of day, day of week,
and time of year?
Teaching Capacity
What proportion of availableinstructional capacity is used?
Hybrid
FT/PT Status
Instructor Load
InstructorAvailability
Section Size
Scalability
Support Capacity
What is the capacity of student andinstructional support units to support
current and future enrollment?
InstructionalDevelopment
StudentLearning &
Development
Campus Life
TechnologyInfrastructure
StudentServices
Figure 5: External Forces
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Government
What enrollment pressures areemerging from federal, state, and
municipal governments?
STEP 3.EXTERNAL
FORCESAssess
ExternalForces
Business and Industry
What enrollment pressures areemerging from business and industry?
Educational Consumers
What enrollment pressures areemerging from educational
consumers?
Funding
KPIs
Access
EconomicDevelopment
Program Demand
Employee Pool
Co-ops/Internships
Employee Skills
Flexibility
Convenience
Affordability
Time to Degree
Educational Providers
What enrollment pressures areemerging from educational providers?
Diversification ofEducational
Opportunities
Market Saturation
EducationalPartnerships
Figure 6: Institutional Aspirations
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Enrollment Growth
What is the optimal enrollment andassociated strategic enrollment
growth areas for UCD?
STEP 4.INSTITUTIONALASPIRATIONS
IdentifyAspirational
GoalsNet Revenue
How can UCD maximize net revenueopportunities?
Student Diversity
What mix of students does theinstitution desire?
By Campus
By Faculty
By Program
By Segment
By Delivery Mode
Reduce Costs
MaximizeTuition Yield
IncreaseMarket Share
Race/Ethnicity
Gender
Age
Socio-economic
Geography
Program of Study
Academic Profile
What is the desired academic profileof enrolled students?
Remedial
LanguageProficiency
AdmissionsSelectivity
Scholars
Credentialof Study
By Discipline
AdjustProgram Mix
Credit Transfers
Institutional Size
Each of the steps identified in figures 2 – 6 will be completed in consultation with the University leadership team and will incorporate findings from stakeholder interviews as well as a review of available data.
Enrollment DashboardSimply establishing enrollment goals is insufficient to affect change. Identified goals must be linked to strategy and related institutional
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investments. Individuals and units responsible for goal attainment must be held accountable for related outcomes and supported in their respective enrollment efforts. For these reasons, it is recommended that UCD utilize an enrollment dashboard for monitoring progress over time and making mid-course adjustments to strategies as deemed necessary to achieve enrollment goals.
To be effective, the enrollment dashboard should include the following features and applications: Role-based views for each academic and administrative unit, so that
relevant individuals have access to the information needed for decision-making, planning, and strategy adjustments.
Critical enrollment indicators at the top level of the dashboard. These are indicators that convey progress on institutional goals that the University values most.
Drilldown capability at school or college and departmental levels. Real-time, just-in-time information to ensure the most current data
are available for individuals and units to access exactly what they need when they need it.
Data analysis resources should be available within the dashboard or by contacting the data owner for explanation of related implications.
Usage guidelines and expectations are imperative to ensure the dashboard is used pervasively and effectively. Linking dashboard data to the budget process, annual reports, and other existing institutional practices is recommended.
Linkage to strategies represents the power of dashboards. The ability to adapt strategies “on the fly” will provide UCD with a distinct competitive advantage and increase the probability of achieving identified goals.
An example of an enrollment dashboard is illustrated in Figure 7.
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Figure 7: Enrollment Dashboard
Enrollment IncentivesCurrently, D1 enrollment growth and decline is not linked to budgets. Other than an altruistic desire to contribute to the institution’s bottom line or the threat of losing space on the Auraria Campus, there is no compelling reason for the academic units to aggressively seek enrollment growth. The existing budgeting practice may be the only prudent option given state funding levels, but the University leadership is encouraged to vet all reasonable options with the academic deans to determine the best scenario to reward enrollment growth.
Likewise, senior leadership is encouraged to reevaluate the D2 and D3 82/18 split with an eye towards incentivizing academic units to actively engage in pursuing enrollment opportunities. The Center for Professional Education (CPE) and ATEL also require adequate funding to function as entrepreneurial
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arms of the institution. They must have the infrastructure and freedom to pursue revenue generating opportunities. For example, the reduction of the marketing budget for CU Online has resulted in a dramatic decline in enrollment and should be re-instated immediately.
Investment PrioritizationInstitutions that are strategically managing enrollments often link enrollment, academic, and facilities planning with the budget process. You are encouraged to consider such a methodology.
Regarding academic investments, the consultants recommend that five planning filters be used to identify strategic priorities for program innovation and development as described in Figure 8. Many of these factors are considered currently along with the impact on student diversity. These filters with supporting data are to be utilized in two ways:
1. To continuously improve and if, necessary, morph existing programs in order to remain congruent with changing student expectations and needs, current with emerging industry trends, aligned with school/college and program strengths and capabilities, in synch with institutional capacity such as available space and technology support, and protected from erosion of a program’s competitive advantage. With an intensive program renewal process in place, no program should reach the decline stage of its lifecycle. It will be reengineered long before it begins to atrophy.
2. To identify new program opportunities through the assessment of student and industry demand using quantifiable data, determination of what school/college and program capabilities exist or must be added in order to address identified demand, confirmation that sufficient institutional capacity exists or can be created to meet demand, and research of competitors in the same program space to determine
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market saturation and potential niche opportunities. The goal is to find new program opportunities where all five planning filters align—sufficient student demand, industry demand, school and program capabilities, institutional capacity, and competitive opportunity.
Figure 8: Academic Program Innovation Matrix
As the institution engages in strategic enrollment management (SEM) planning and implementation, prioritization of initiatives will become essential. SEM is not simply about adding more to do. To the contrary, SEM is about focusing on the right things—a finite, manageable number of initiatives that can be executed with precision. The consultants found no evidence of a methodology for prioritizing enrollment efforts. Consequently, we strongly recommend the University develop such a methodology. For illustration purposes, Figure 9 depicts a quantitative method of prioritizing
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SEM initiatives. UCD is encouraged to explore both quantitative and qualitative approaches to prioritization. The identified methodology should guide decisions related to marketing investments, capacity enhancement, quality improvement, and other strategic investments of institutional resources.
Figure 9: Sample Prioritization Scheme
Institutional BrandingWith a system-wide branding effort underway that will determine brand elements such as logos, fonts, color palettes and an institutional brand message strategy under review by the University’s leadership; it is premature to comment on the specifics of UCD’s brand platform. Consequently, this report will focus on a few fundamental principles that are independent of the brand itself.
Promotion
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An effective brand message should create a unique institutional identity that will differentiate UCD from your competitors. If applied consistently by all University units, UCD’s brand strategy and message will ensure that the institution is “top of mind” among students considering graduate study, a four-year degree, certificate, corporate training, or personal enrichment. More importantly, potential students and other key constituent groups will not just think of UCD generically, but they will have a clear and consistent image of the University—an image that can be further defined by audience segment with some specificity.
Regardless of your choice of message, the brand message should reflect the essence of the brand in a way that captivates the target audience—leaving them with a longing to learn more. It also must be supported by proof points that add credibility to the message and compels people to trust the messenger—in this case, the University of Colorado Denver.
The brand message should be accompanied by secondary messages that are unique to a particular population, program, or service provided by the University. Through student focus groups conducted by the consultants, it became abundantly clear that student groups select the institution for very different reasons. Hence, you are strongly encouraged to adopt segmented communications for each of the student groups depicted in Figure 10. Consider adopting the “student persona” approach currently used by ATEL.
Figure 10: Prospective Student Personas
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Primary Markets
Undergraduate prospectsGraduate prospectsOnline learnersProfessional Education learnersInternational students
CU Online Markets
Students by persona
Undergraduate Markets
High school students in-stateHigh school students out-of-state(WUE)High school students out-of-state(non-WUE)International students by countryand programTransfersReadmits
Other Markets
Graduate students by program andwhere appropriate, by countryPre-collegiate studentsCU Succeed studentsESL students
Segmentation is the true power of marketing. It is the lever that moves people to action—to read your materials, visit your campus, apply for admission, and enroll in classes. The magic of marketing is segmenting to an “n” of one with as little effort and expense as possible. Communications with prospective students and audience-based web pages or microsites should tap into the interests, values, beliefs, and motivators unique to each segment and individual.
Similarly, segmentation should be incorporated into communications with current students. The “primary markets” identified in Figure 10 represent a starting place for audience-based communications to current students.
Delivering on the Promise of the Brand
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A focus on brand promotion alone will be counterproductive. If expectations engendered through promotional efforts are incongruent with the actual experiences of students once enrolled, the results will be heightened student attrition and negative word-of-mouth about the University.
To avoid these pitfalls and fully leverage the brand, identify educational and service gaps associated with brand. Systematically, begin to eradicate identified gaps, so that there is congruence between the brand promise and the brand experience. Such an endeavor requires a long-term commitment to assessing the curriculum, pedagogy, faculty/student interactions, course availability, service delivery, business transactions, extracurricular opportunities, the condition of facilities, organizational and human behavior, etc. In order to change the University’s culture to align with the brand promise, UCD must embed the promise in the way you do business every day—planning, job descriptions, performance evaluations, training, and the like.
Brand Integration
Today’s students and other constituents the University serves are deluged with marketing messages daily from a variety of public and private sector organizations. Consequently, you will not penetrate their psyche with the existing fragmented approach. Without a consistent, integrated method of marketing, UCD will lose mind share and market share.
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To ensure quality control and consistency, marketing communications should go through an approval process housed in the Marketing and Communications Department. For UCD, this means every printed communication and advertisement designed for consumption by an external audience and all Web content must come through the Marketing and Communications Department or be outsourced to an Agency of Record (AOR) that has agreed to comply with institutional brand standards. This quality control is intended not to dictate content per se, but rather to ensure consistency of look, feel, and message and thus manage the institution’s brand.
To successfully achieve brand compliance, the president and his cabinet, deans, and department heads must visibly support the branding effort. However, they should not micro-manage the brand or related strategies. This would be the responsibility of the Marketing and Communications. No printed marketing or communications piece or advertisement should be institutionally funded without complying with this review process. The Purchasing Office should be mandated to deny requests for funding marketing-related projects with vendors other than the approved AOR.
Furthermore, the University can ensure a level of consistency and simplify communications with various units by encouraging them to use communication templates. In particular, templates for e-mail campaigns, postcards, flyers, and basic brochures should be produced and shared with the entire University at no cost to the unit. These templates should be branded with UCD’s design, primary message, and where appropriate, navigation.
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Templates can be made available for download on the institution’s internal network or intranet using role-based security. These templates should be accompanied with some guidelines for appropriate usage and a simplified method of inserting text and personalizing the communications to the potential audiences. Units utilizing these templates may forgo the aforementioned approval process, thus providing a mechanism for responding quickly to marketing opportunities as they arise.
Resources
If executed properly, a new brand launch is an expensive endeavor. Ensure adequate funding, staffing, and infrastructure are in place. For UCD, this may mean re-evaluating the existing proliferation of decentralized marketing positions and expenditures as well as the current centralized marketing management approach where internal marketing consultants are assigned to schools/colleges to guide strategy. Regarding the latter, consider returning to a service provider model.
Inquiry Management
Presently, there is no central repository of all inquiry data. Inquiry forms on school and college web pages are not in the ISIS system for future cultivation. ATEL passes on inquiries to Admissions and to the schools and colleges, but it is unclear what happens to said inquiry data. Most alarming is that multiple prospect management systems exist on campus (e.g., ISIS, Apply Yourself, Microsoft CRM, and Hobson’s EMT). Decide on one system to host all inquiry data and hold employees accountable for entering data into the selected system.
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It was reported that undergraduate inquiries may not receive a response from the institution for up to four weeks. This delay conveys the unintended message that the University does not care about the individual requesting information. Rapid response time is critical at this stage of the recruitment process. Therefore, it is recommended that UCD leverage the Hershey Document Management System by providing recruiters with a portable scanner. Inquiry cards can be scanned, sent electronically to the Admissions Office, and uploaded into the system. Using this technology will allow you to send out inquiry fulfillment communications within the same or next business day.
Out-of-state Recruitment
UCD is far from reaching the forty-five percent enrollment cap on out-of-state students. These students add to the diversity on campus and can increase the academic profile.
In order to maximize out-of-state recruitment opportunities, you are encouraged to consider the following:
Define UCD markets.o Primary market = WUE stateso Secondary market = non-WUE states that have historically yielded
significant enrollmentso Tertiary market = non-WUE states that are deemed to have
potential (e.g., high concentrations of UCD alumni, high concentrations of mobile students who can afford UCD’s costs, or where potential partnerships and alliances exist).
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Create an outreach strategy for each market. Primary markets deserve a sustained presence such as having a part-time recruiter located in the market to build relationships, cultivate inquiry interest, develop partnerships, and promote the University through relevant media. Secondary markets require one or two visits annually combined with remote recruitment efforts such as phone, email, and social media interactions. Tertiary markets may be visited as staff are available, but primary outreach efforts should be conducted on an individual basis with self-identified prospects.
Expand the Denver Bound scholarship program by creating a scholarship matrix. In general, scholarship matrices work on two basic principles: (1) ability to pay and (2) willingness to pay. Institutional grants should be used to address the “tipping point” in relation to ability to pay while the Denver Bound scholarship would be focused on the willingness to pay “tipping point.” Regarding the latter, the willingness to pay principle assumes that the higher the academic profile, the more postsecondary options an individual has—thus requiring higher financial awards the higher the academic profile to incentivize students to choose UCD. An ongoing analysis of yield rates for new students will allow the institution to adjust award amounts up or down by matrix cell to arrive at the “tipping point.” As part of this consultancy, SEM Works will assist the University in developing a scholarship matrix targeting high ability out-of-state students.
Once the scholarship matrix has been developed, student search strategies can be used to identify eligible students and frontload scholarships offers prior to application for admission. This approach has been proven to yield students who would not otherwise consider the University, thus assuring reliable net revenue generation.
Out-of-state prospects require tailored cultivation strategies to maximize yield. As previously suggested, messaging that is designed to address out-of-state student motivators and barriers to enrolling at UCD
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would be integrated into a multichannel communications flow. Multichannel refers to communications from multiple UCD authors and through multiple mediums. Such a communications flow will be developed by the consultants as part of the SEM plan.
International RecruitmentThe University does not have a recruitment plan nor the necessary infrastructure and staffing to fully engage in international recruitment at this time. That said, the return on investment (ROI) inherent in international recruitment is undeniable. For example, two-to-three international students will pay for an international recruiter.
It is strongly recommended that the University consider adopting a multifaceted approach to international recruitment commonly referred to as “the six pillars of international recruitment.” The six pillars include: Pillar One: Target countries and students that meet the following
criteria:o Large and growing population base of families with resources to
fund a study abroad experienceo Large and growing population of secondary graduates not able to
be served by local post-secondary system o Evidence of growing demand for post-secondary study abroado Evidence of growing interest in the US as a study abroad option
at the university levelo Education system standards align with UCD’s entry requirements;
reasonable language abilityo Large immigrant populations in the Denver area
Pillar Two: Conduct outreach visits to targeted countries at least once annually.
Pillar Three: Tailor marketing and communications by target country.
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Pillar Four: Contract with reputable recruitment agents to act on behalf of the University.
Pillar Five: Develop partnerships and articulations with institutions and organizations within target countries.
Pillar Six: Expand the non-credit ESL program currently offered in order to accommodate additional qualified students and ensure language proficiency.
Strategic Student Retention Investments
Many of the retention efforts underway at the University are impressive—including the evolving Foundations of Excellence project, a robust early alert system, one-on-one advising for new students, an active TRIO program, and many support services. While these retention efforts mirror best practices across the country, they appear to be designed to address attrition symptoms rather than causation. An institutional focus on attrition causation is only possible with data analysis. Interview participants reported insufficient administrative structures to facilitate data exchange and collaboration. Related research questions identified by interview participants include:
What student characteristics most impact their probability of success at the University?
What impact does financial aid have on student retention/attrition? What impact does the residential experience have on student
retention/attrition? What impact does the first-year seminar have on student
retention/attrition?
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The consultants recommend continued investments in existing retention initiatives on the strength of rigorous program evaluations to determine the impact of said programs on retention goals. New investments should be limited to initiatives addressing specific, identified causation factors.
The University also needs to define the desired “UCD Student Experience” and make appropriate investments to create the conditions for all students to engage in intellectual, emotional, and social dimensions of the experience.
Student Services
Students interviewed by the consultants reported concerns about navigating the campus to complete services or seek information. Students complained of experiencing student runaround—a problem that is exacerbated by sharing a campus with two other institutions and having key service offices scattered across multiple buildings. The University’s initial foray into one-stop services eroded over time but still allows some general assistance at the Service Center. However, this service unit primarily supports the Bursar’s function. A more comprehensive, campus-wide service solution is needed.
You are encouraged to create a one-stop service center ideally located in a single building dedicated to student services. The one-stop would serve as a welcome center for campus visitors and a starting point for services to current students. Staff occupying the one-stop would need to be cross-trained in all student service areas, so they can answer common questions and assist students in completing basic transactions with the University. The one-stop
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should be complemented with a no-stop solution—a single web page that houses all institutional forms, information on how to complete every process at the University, links to every business transaction a student may need to complete, and contact information for student service providers. Ideally, the web page will include an option for interacting with service providers online in real time. Figure 11 depicts a one-stop at an institution with a similar enrollment to the Downtown Campus, and Figure 12 illustrates a no-stop web page at an urban institution.
Figure 11: Sample One-stop
Figure 12: Sample No-stop
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Even with co-located services, attention to wayfinding is critical. Wayfinding refers to the process by which students and others find needed services on the campus or online. The Downtown Campus lacks strong visual cues such as clear signage that indicates where to find needed services. Invest in signage that conveys the services provided in each building. Signage should include the name of the office(s) and the primary services provided by the office(s). Campus maps, kiosks, and process maps also can provide visual indicators as to where services can be found.
The University also may gain efficiencies by creating a Shared Service Center where back office functions occur. Though this practice is rare, the consultants have observed a successful Shared Service Center at a large urban community college. Their Shared Service Center includes:
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A document imaging center where all student documents are prepared, scanned, indexed, and routed electronically via automated workflow to individuals and offices for their use.
A call center for all inbound calls and outbound student recruitment calls. A fulfillment center that responds to all student requests for information. A web center that manages prospective and current student web pages.
Human and Organizational Capacity
The capacity to produce enrollment results resides in large measure with the people charged with implementation of enrollment strategies. While institutional leaders tend to focus on enrollment numbers, rarely do they ask, “How are the people who produce them?” Yet the capacity of people to produce the results is often the single most important contributing factor to success. A high performing enrollment organization requires an investment in human and organizational capacity as illustrated in Figure 13.
The University suffers from a duplication of efforts, services, and events; many manual operations; redundant systems; and seemingly impenetrable silos. All of which prevent peak performance. UCD can ill-afford to be paralyzed by these performance obstacles.
Figure 13: SEM Performance Framework
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Specific recommended investments in human and organizational capacity include:
Provide ample staff development to ensure employees are abreast of best practices and emerging technologies.
Assign a task force to identify duplicative efforts, services, and events across the University. Charge the task force with recommending efficiencies.
Ensure the institution is fully utilizing existing Peoplesoft functionality and seek to automate manual processes.
Require advisors to use the DARS degree audit system.
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Select one CRM system and ensure that implementation and ongoing maintenance are supported, features are utilized to their fullest potential, and staff are trained to harness the power of the CRM tool.
Create a strategy for the portal and ensure the necessary infrastructure is in place to implement the strategy (e.g., a person assigned to harvesting content, repurposing the content for the portal, and deploying the content in the portal framework).
Increase staffing in the International Office. Given that the institution has identified international students as a target growth population, you should create an international student advisor position designed to proactively engage with students from the first point of contact with the University (inquiry) through initial enrollment and on to graduation from UCD. As international enrollment grows, continue to expand the staffing infrastructure.
Utilize the institution’s intranet as knowledge management repository, so that service providers will have just-in-time access to accurate information needed to assist students.
Create audience pathways on the website or microsites aligned with previously identified prospective and current student segments.
Antecedents to Success
Regardless of the recommendations selected by senior management for implementation, it is imperative that the institution develop a clearly articulated enrollment plan. The plan should be driven by institutional goals and informed by the internal and external factors that will impact your enrollment and revenue streams in the future. You are encouraged to use information from this report as well as existing proven strategies. The plan should be built on actionable intelligence (data that can be used to inform decisions and strategies). Progress toward implementation should be monitored on an ongoing basis and staff held accountable to implementation, time schedules, as well as quality. Every enrollment
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strategy should have a related metric, and those metrics should be assessed periodically to determine the effectiveness of strategies, particularly as they relate to return on investment.
Even with the best enrollment strategies, UCD’s success is directly correlated to your ability to execute. Execution of strategy is highly dependent upon people. People are indeed your greatest asset, and your only sustainable competitive advantage. Investing in them properly to ensure the quality of implementation is fundamental to your goals as an institution. Said investment should include adequate staffing in critical office areas, a commitment to staff learning, a focus on employee culture, rewards, and accountability, as well as incentives for innovation. Your success will be largely determined by your capacity to motivate employees and develop their competencies to their highest levels possible.
In addition to adequate staffing and highly capable personnel, the operational budget for enrollment activities must be supported at a level to ensure quality execution. As recommendations from this consulting report are considered, create a pool of seed money in the upcoming budget cycle for anticipated initiatives. Without said seed money, the implementation will be delayed or diluted to the point that the institution will not reap the benefits in the upcoming enrollment cycle. Add to operational base budgets as enrollment revenue increases. Build the necessary infrastructure systematically as enrollment grows. Consider allocating a fixed percentage of enrollment increase dollars automatically to the enrollment effort. This will allow for a planned approach to enrollment strategies rather than “panic-driven,” last minute investments. When funds are allocated near the end of the recruitment cycle, the desired result is seldom achieved.
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The consultants are not recommending allocations of new money without thoroughly evaluating the effectiveness of existing strategies, potential for reallocating existing resources, and the thorough examination of process efficiencies, many of which have been alluded to in this report.
Final Thoughts
In the Jim Collins book, Good to Great, the author describes a common phenomenon among companies that is equally as prevalent among colleges and universities. Collins calls it “the flywheel”—the belief that one dramatic strategy or effort transforms an organization from good to great. You are discouraged from searching for the “quick fix” that will propel UCD to a new market position. Unfortunately, there is no single defining action or strategy significant enough to turn the giant flywheel—to yield dramatic results that are sustainable over time.
It will be the cumulative effect of your efforts that will pave the path to success. It will not be the strategies per se that will get you there but rather your ability to execute better than your competitors. Indeed, every strategy currently in place at UCD or recommended in this report can be replicated. There is no sustainable competitive advantage in a strategy. The University will ultimately be successful in achieving its bold aspirations by fostering a singular focus on improving the capacity to execute.
