University Council Meeting Minutes: Feb. 2, 2016
“The Recruiting Roadmap”
Perry Brown introduces Sharon O’Hare, associate vice president of enrollment and student success. He mentions that all the materials that a prospective student receives are displayed and participants are welcome to pick them up after the presentation.
O’Hare begins her presentation:
Recruiting 101
- Acquisition phase (sophomore through senior year in HS): UM purchases the name of a student without his or her knowledge.
- Inquiry phase: (any year) a prospect who asked to receive UM info
- Applying: (begins fall of senior year in HS) a prospect who has started or completed an application
- Accepted: (begins fall of senior year in HS) an applicant accepted by UM
- Yield: Period of time between acceptance and enrollment 3-10 months
- Enrolled: Attending UM
Recruiting Methods
- Print, email, social media, college fairs, scholarships, campus visits, academic outreach, parent communication, HS visits and interviews.
Phases of the Recruiting Cycle (Sharon shows slide and passes around graphic to audience)
Examples:
1) You are on our radar: early acquisition piece includes a list of UM’s areas of study; We Are Montana Tour – bring UM faculty to classrooms across the state;
2) Inquiry: Two print pieces and many sequenced emails
3) Acquisition: 120 college fairs in 30 Market Areas (420 yearly visits to high schools & community colleges: MT 170, out of state 250. Counselor Outreach: 12 MT top feeder schools and Portland, Seattle, Spokane, Denver, NorCal, SoCal and MN.
4) Inquiry: Call to action is to apply. “Thrive” is a brochure based on student outcomes. “Stories” is a new publication. (Others include “Griz Guide,: “Live” (co-curricular activities, what does it feel like to be a student here) , “Learn,” “Thrive,” “Stories” and “Invest” (scholarships). Approx. 32,000 inquiries a year.
5) Yield: As early as September of senior year – call to action is to enroll. All of the Deans send out a letter of congratulations to anyone accepted to their college. There are also receptions for admitted students and one-on-one interviews.
Now that you’ve been admitted – immediate scholarship awarding. Recruiting counselors offer one-on-one counseling sections.
- Invitation to incoming FB page
Parent communication campaign
- Now that your child is admitted (congrats email to parents)
- Parents receive a letter from Sharon “A Roller Coaster Year”
- Parents really appreciate the personal touch (University of Real People)
- Family Facebook page that they are able to join.
Yield Trends for Regional Peer Institutions (regional peers have experienced a drop in the yield rate)
- MSU invests a huge amount of money in growing the number of applications
Early indicators for Fall 2016 class
- Many factors at play during yield period
- Affordability compared to other schools they are looking at
Applications by major markets (emerging trends)
- Example: Wisconsin – big jump in interest from Wisconsin students
Questions from the audience:
- Emails communication pieces (tripled)
- Print pieces (doubled)
Q: Why does MSU have more applicants?
A: They use an Iowa company to get in front of prospective students.
Q: What is the yield rate for Fall 2015
A: 34 percent
Q: Individual calls to admitted students missing from graphic. Does that not happen?
A: (Graphic not complete, just a broad overview – independent faculty connections, we are Montana in the classroom, Faculty mixers with prospective students are a few of the things not on the graphic.
Q: Two comments: Bozeman is advertising during our Football Games, and I feel like we are missing an opportunity there. We aren’t targeting Alaska for recruitment. This is a state that is most “homelike.”
A: We are targeting Alaska and Emily has done Skype sessions with interested students there. Alaska is a growing market for us.
Peggy Kuhr answers the advertising question: it’s an ongoing issue. It’s a huge financial investment. We are actively talking now about some general sources of funding (not in the general fund)to fund TV advertisements looking toward summer and fall. We have commercials that run during their games and they have commercials that run to our game. A pair of longer spots that ran on ABC/FOX about our research (McCrady and Ruby)
Q: Are prospective students notified of scholarships in their acceptance letter?
A: No, we feel it’s stronger to have a second communication from the Office of Financial Aid that awards them their merit scholarship.
Q: Why do you think this recruiting plan will work when the last one didn’t?
A: Because it’s a new plan, we are following trends and have all new materials.
Perry Brown responds: This plan is far more data-based than we’ve been in the past. Targeting markets much more closely. More analytical activity will help. ‘17 will be a better test of all this change that has gone on. Sharon O’Hare adds: You keep working the plan. We have to look at the data and be smart about the resources we have to best affect our yield.
Q: What is the approach to nontraditional/transfer students? We do have some targeted publications for those segments?
A: We recruit from community colleges. Academic advisers go to the community college. Transfer students need more assistance in understanding how their courses will translate. We don’t have to wait for admissions to reengage with students who we have relationships with. Retaining the students we have is our biggest opportunity in growing our enrollment numbers. What we need to do is get them to stay here.
Sharon O’Hare mentions a new retention effort called Advising on the Go, which is a registration program that is staffed by OSS who can answer questions. No appointment necessary. If it’s a more extended conversation with an adviser. We will see what kind of feedback we get from it.
Q: What extent are budget cuts affecting recruitment?
A: What I’ve shown you has been approved and funded.