nisod 2010 conference presentation

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NISOD Conference 2010 Beyond the Brochure: Using the Right Communication Channels to Enroll and Retain Students Christopher P. Ferguson, Ed.D. Director of Admissions & Assistant Professor Wilmington University [email protected]

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Beyond the Brochure: Using the Right Communication Channels to Enroll and Retain Students is the title of the presentation. There is substantial research that states pre-enrollment student engagement increases persistence and retention rates.

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Page 1: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

NISOD Conference 2010

Beyond the Brochure:Using the Right Communication Channels

to Enroll and Retain Students

Christopher P. Ferguson, Ed.D.Director of Admissions & Assistant Professor

Wilmington [email protected]

Page 2: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

A walk through ourAdmissions Lifecycle

• Where does Blackboard Connect fit into our communications?• From Funnel to Pyramid• Communication strategies throughout the cycle that target

best-fit students• Highlighting email, SNS, & Blackboard Connect• Showing outcomes• Questions welcome

Page 3: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

About Wilmington University Private, Non-Profit, Non-Sectarian University Undergraduate, Graduate, and Doctorate Programs 12,500 students 13 Locations in Delaware, New Jersey, & Maryland Commuter 42 Years Old

About Me 10-years in College Admissions Oversees Undergraduate and Graduate AdmissionsAssistant Professor of Social & Behavioral SciencesSpecialized in College-Created SNS & Mass Notification for Yield Management Specialized in Developing Robust, Multi-Channel Communication Plans

Page 4: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Enrollment Management Scope

Presenter
Presentation Notes
Being aware of functionality with an enrollment management scope is critical to implementing and leveraging progressive communication channels to future students. Regardless of their position in the organization, people work together to build and manage recruitment and admissions strategies that bring together the many facets of a university. Proactively operating within an enrollment management scope is much more challenging than maintaining a “silo.” However, the benefits far outweigh the liabilities as it supports a holistic style of celebrating institutional, rather than departmental, successes. The following slides will outline what I believe to be best practices for college recruitment and admissions at Wilmington University, including how admissions offices and enrollment managers frame strategies.
Page 5: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Engagement is the Fundamental Recruitment Principle

• Primary Goal of Admission Lifecycle

Prospect Inquiry Applicant Student

To develop and strengthen student-centered relationships while moving future students through the Admission Lifecycle. This invites future students into Wilmington University’s community while exploring it as their institution of choice. After moving through the lifecycle, a personalized relationship has been established enabling the potential for maximum student success.

Presenter
Presentation Notes
Strategically deploying communication methods at specific stages throughout the lifecycle is critical to the success of our recruitment model.
Page 6: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

In other words…Potential Impact of Engaging Students in the Admissions

Lifecycle on Retention

Prospect Inquiry Applicant Student Graduate Active Alumnus

TranslationIntroductions Establishing/Building RapportDeveloping/Strengthening RelationshipsExperiencing/Creating Community Successfully Accomplishing Goals Sharing Experiences

Presenter
Presentation Notes
At the earliest stages of recruitment, our ultimate goal is to recruit and retain best-fit students. With a strong partnership with Institutional Research and Institutional Technology, we are able to generate profiles of our successful students and use that data to strategically target future students who meet the criteria of success at Wilmington. Our incoming class of “best-fit” students are more likely to persist…
Page 7: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

From Traditional Model to Strategic Framework

Source: Kalsbeek, D. (2009)

Source: David Kalsbeek, Ph.D.

Presenter
Presentation Notes
Another common characteristic of our enrollment management teams is that we have the ability and passion for paradigm shifting as the market of higher education shifts. The ability to move from the traditional enrollment funnel to an enrollment pyramid is an example that I’ll use to explain this type of shift. Rather than viewing the admissions cycle as an enrollment funnel that trickles the shaping of an incoming class, we view the admissions cycle as a strategic framework that, based on a solid foundation of sound marketing, recruitment, and admissions strategies, builds a strong and stable incoming class that is likely to persist through graduation. You may be participating in many of the practices that I’m going to highlight, but there is a huge difference in “participating” versus “strategically integrating.”
Page 8: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Enrollment Pyramid

Source: David Kalsbeek, Ph.D.

Presenter
Presentation Notes
From this perspective, our graduates “climb” to the top of the pyramid partly because of the strong foundation that we helped build along the way.
Page 9: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Showing Critical “Pressure Points”

Source: David Kalsbeek, Ph.D.

Presenter
Presentation Notes
The goal is to develop and strengthen relationships with future students while moving “best-fit” students up the pyramid. When climbing the pyramid with “best-fit” students, a personalized relationship has been established enabling the potential for maximum student success.
Page 10: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Meshing Enrollment Planning with Institutional Planning

Source: David Kalsbeek, Ph.D.

Presenter
Presentation Notes
Segmenting each level of the enrollment pyramid enables our admissions teams to better target markets and admissions cycle phases that fit with enrollment and institutional planning. This provides a model to create ongoing admissions and enrollment committees that focus on different segments of the enrollment pyramid.
Page 11: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Re-Framing the Enrollment Process

Source: David Kalsbeek, Ph.D.

Presenter
Presentation Notes
The generation of new insights and new approaches instigates good questions that drive best practices for recruitment and admissions.
Page 12: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

WilmU Strategies

• Target Marketing– Predictive Modeling– Social Search (i.e. Zinch)– Social Media Marketing (i.e.

Facebook)• .edu Website• Social Media Presence (i.e. Facebook,

YouTube, MySpace)• Mobile Applications

Marketing Strategies

Goal: To get as many “best-fit” future students to express interest in the University.

Prospect Inquiry

Presenter
Presentation Notes
We have a strong relationship with Institutional Research, and we are always brainstorming about profiling “best-fit” students. A strong SIS that gathers good data is the foundation to predictive modeling strategies. We are creating a SIS to manage multiple enrollment pyramids for each academic college to guide the recruitment and admissions process (i.e. Region, Gender, Test Scores, Ethnicity, Income Levels). We know our website is our #1 recruiting tool—as we are seeing a rise of stealth applicants. The website must be easy to navigate and give visitors quick answers to their questions, such as: do you have the program I’m interested in; can I get accepted; and how much does it cost. Social media presence is key, and active facilitation is critical! Understanding the dimensions of social media recruitment is far more effective than simply creating a presence because you have to. We have created a beta mobile admissions micro-site that is going through testing now…
Page 13: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

WilmU Strategies• Multi-Channel Marketing Method

– Email– Chat/IM– Mini Publications/Postal– Telephone Calls– Online Application– Online Information Sessions– Virtual Tour

• Campus Visit• Target Parents• Strategic HS Visits• Community College Partnerships

Recruitment Strategies

Goal: To get as many inquiries who are profiled as “best-fit” students to complete an application.

Inquiry Applicant

Presenter
Presentation Notes
With the strong relationships that admissions offices have with Institutional Research, Financial Aid, Marketing, and other areas there is little need for expensive marketing firms to do what we can do better. For us, it has been much more cost effective to create our communication plans and purchase services from third parties as needed. We’ve been able to Maximize a student information system to manage a multi-channel marketing method for each college, then for each major. The ultimate goal is to deliver a personalized communication plan to each student. From this perspective, we regard each student as a market-of-one while balancing a high-touch, high-tech communication plan. Based on research, we understand that prospective students decide to apply after they visit a campus. With the rapid changes in technology, this visit is both face-to-face and online. Our president explicitly regards the groundskeeper’s work as recruitment. Developing good relationships with building and grounds crews is invaluable to the admissions team. Focusing on and developing “feeder” high schools is considered best practice. Some leading enrollment managers feel that high school visits as a strategy is ineffective when compared to predictive modeling through direct and targeted marketing efforts. But there are those that need our attention.
Page 14: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation
Presenter
Presentation Notes
This is a template that can be applied to any program. It can be generic for the recruitment for the institution, or it can be college-specific or program-specific if you have the technology to manage multiple plans.
Page 15: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Five-Year Application Growth

160%

59%

110%

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09

Undergraduate Applicants

Graduate Applicants

Total

Presenter
Presentation Notes
After implementing this type of paradigm shift and multi-channel marketing strategy, we have significantly increased undergraduate and graduate applications. Undergrad, from 1,754 to 4,740 applications; Grad, from 1,791 to 2,840 applications
Page 16: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

WilmU Practices• Blackboard Connect

– Mass Notification• Private Social Networking Site

(wilmYOU)– SNS Profiles– Blogs– Groups– Videos– Events– RSS– Direct Website Links

Admissions &Yield Strategies

Goal: To convert admits into enrolled students that shape an institutions freshman class.

Applicant Student

Presenter
Presentation Notes
Mass notification is typically used for emergency notifications. However, we have been using it effectively for enrollment management. We target future students who have stayed within the admissions cycle but haven’t registered for courses. It can also be used to enhance other recruiting strategies (i.e. Open house reminders, early decision reminders, deposit reminders). Two institutions that I studied for my dissertation used social networking sites differently. Albright College invited all types of prospective students to join their private SNS. Michigan Tech strictly used theirs for admitted applicants only. The common characteristics were that SNS members: developed relationships, shared stories, fostered community, gave direct and immediate feedback to each other about the college, enabled staff to “listen in”, and it helped students make college choice decisions.
Page 17: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation
Page 18: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Five-Year New Enrolled Student Growth

63%

18%

44%

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09

Undergraduate

Graduate

Total

Presenter
Presentation Notes
Since implementing these strategies, we have increased undergraduate and graduate enrollments, while making a positive impact on first to second year retention. I’ll briefly share how we still use email to complement and quantify our communication plans; how our private SNS is engaging our applicants while going through the final steps of college selection; then detail some Blackboard Connect campaigns that have produced phenomenal results.
Page 19: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Highlights

• Email• Private SNS• Blackboard Connect

Page 20: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Email is used to…

• REINFORCING postal communications

• SPECIALIZING .edu website content

• INCREASING touch points

• QUANTIFYING communication plan

• EVALUATING messages

Page 21: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation
Page 22: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

College-Created Social Networking Site is used for…

• ENGAGING admitted applicants

• INTEGRATING social media strategies

• CONNECTING peer applicants

• TAILORING one-click navigation

• ENABLING self-service

• PREDICTING incoming class

Page 23: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation
Page 24: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Mass Notification is used for…

• DELIVERING specific messages

• TRACKING audience receipt

• REPORTING outcomes

• INCREASING tuition revenue/yield rates

• SURVEYING enrollment decisions

Page 25: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Test Campaign(Spring 2007 Test)

262 non-registered undergraduate and graduate applicants received an email three working days prior to the first day of courses for Spring 2007. At 7:00 p.m. two days prior to the first day of courses, more than half were also sent a pre-recorded Blackboard Connect telephone call from me, the Director of Admissions, encouraging them to register for courses.

Page 26: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Spring 2007 Test Results

• 35.4% (93) registered for one or more courses• Tuition revenue totaled more than $198,000

• This was compared to a test group of 168 non-registered undergraduate and graduate applicants who were only sent a postal letter. This group was not communicated via Connect-ED telephone contact and email.

• 19.6% (33) registered for one or more courses• Tuition revenue approximately totaled $40,000

Page 27: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Blackboard Connect?

Where do I sign?

Page 28: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

DELIVERING a message(Spring 2009)

Page 29: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

REPORTING outcomes

89.2%

Presenter
Presentation Notes
Of a target audience of 586, 523 received the message. Remember, these are current students…just applicants…
Page 30: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

TRACKING audience receipt

Page 31: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

INCREASING tuition revenue

$483,000

Presenter
Presentation Notes
Of the 584 non-registered applicants who received an email and/or telephone message, 186 students registered for courses. This translated to 656 graduate credits and 830 undergraduate credits, which brought in an addition $483,000 in tuition revenue for the Spring semester. This one campaign paid for forty years of my Blackboard Connect enrollment management contract.
Page 32: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

One Question Survey

Page 33: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

42.3% Responded

Page 34: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Remember…

Source: David Kalsbeek, Ph.D.

Presenter
Presentation Notes
A strong foundation of communications delivered through multiple channels or media is what I believe to be the backbone of successful mass notification strategies for enrollment management.
Page 35: NISOD 2010 Conference Presentation

Beyond the Brochure…

Christopher P. Ferguson, Ed.D.Director of Admissions &Assistant Professor

Wilmington [email protected]

(302)293-4762