key operational plans
Enrollment Management and Student Support Plan Executive Summary
2007 Updates
The Enrollment Management and Student Support Plan addresses and identifies student body mix and size and focuses on recruitment and retention initiatives and goals. The Enrollment Management Team (EMT) helps shape the plan and works to implement and evaluate enrollment targets and programs while maintaining and improving the academic profile of our incoming students.
Enrollment
Although the original Enrollment Management Plan recommended “steady-state” enrollment, the approval and eventual implementation of the Growth Agenda will mean a reevaluation of that decision and strategy. This past year, in anticipation of the Growth Agenda’s approval, a plan and targets for a slight increase (2 percent) in enrollment was put into place with continued focus on increasing the number of freshmen, non-traditional students and graduate students. Enrollment projections for 2007-2008 indicate approximately 11,500 on-campus students and 1,000 off-campus students with a total enrollment of 12,500. An increase in non-traditional students was aided by new special programs, such as the Graduation Project, Fire Safety and the new Bachelor’s of Applied Science programs. There was an increase in graduate students for this year, as Graduate Studies worked with graduate program directors to develop enrollment targets and recruitment plans. New programs, such as the Global MBA and the off-site MBA, are examples of offerings that assisted in attracting more graduate students.
Diversity and Student Mix
This key operational plan continues to focus on diversifying the student body, resulting in an increase of students of color, veterans, international students and non-traditional adult learners. Admissions’ multicultural recruiters and specialized admissions programs have been instrumental in matriculating the most diverse student bodies. A special “First-Generation” recruitment program was implemented this past year to address the needs of first-generation college students and their families. The Wisconsin veterans’ remission program has resulted in more veterans attending UW Oshkosh. The campus has become a campus of choice by veterans and the EM Plan will need to provide for expanded services for veterans.
Retention
Retention is one aspect of the plan that needs additional focus, evaluation and consideration. Although there has been an almost 7 percent increase in our retention rates during the past seven years, the plan’s retention target of 80 percent for first-year to second-year retention has not yet been attained. Some new initiatives to aid in retention have been developed or are in the process of being put into place. A first-year experience working group identified retention resources for first-year students. A first- year experience residence hall program (NBC Village) was opened this year. A summer academic institute, Titan Advantage Program (TAP) is under development to assist high-risk students make a successful transition to college. The availability of upper-level courses and new programs also are factors in improved retention. In spring 2007, students reauthorized Differential Tuition, which supports the Student Development Compact and retention by providing enhanced academic advising, tutoring and supplemental instruction and career advising and counseling. A working group that focuses specifically on retention initiatives will be put into place and will be charged to examine best practices, survey retention programs and services that are presently in place on campus, and provide recommendations, so this aspect of the Enrollment Management Key Operational Plan will be developed more fully.
Assessment
Significant future considerations for this plan include review and feedback by the Enrollment Management Team and campus governance and the future implementation of the UW System Growth Agenda. The recently approved Growth Agenda will mean new targets for recruitment and retention. It also will mean the reevaluation of the recruitment and retention strategies as the market for students becomes more competitive across the state with future growth of the UW System. Additional metrics and assessment of this plan’s progress will be considered and the data will be used to guide future decisions in the area of enrollment management.
(September 2006)
The Enrollment Management Team (EMT) recommends that UW Oshkosh maintain a “steady-state” enrollment for the next five years, with total annual (undergraduate and graduate) enrollment targets of 10,300 FTE (all funds) and 12,500 headcount (all funds).* It is important that UW OSHKOSH not return to the enrollment pattern of the 1990s, when annual enrollments consistently missed System targets. The University has been well served, in terms of public image and reputation, with its enrollment growth over the period 2000-2004, and its place as the state’s third largest university.
Within the overall enrollment figures, the enrollment model includes annual targets for new freshmen, transfer students, and graduate students. The EMT recommends consistent annual targets for each of these components. However, there are important planning assumptions and policy issues to be considered that may dictate significant modification to these components.
An important key planning assumption is that direct instructional resources are constant over the period 2005-2010. In addition, annual tuition increases can negatively impact annual enrollment even if all other factors are positive; more students may elect to begin their education at a technical college rather than a 2-year or 4-year UW institution.
While this plan identifies many factors that affect the University’s ability to recruit and retain students, the most fundamental is that 39% of our new student applicants list UW Oshkosh as their first choice. The University’s most significant enrollment goal must be to increase this percentage. Until it is improved, we are particularly vulnerable during periods of increased competition for new freshmen.
Two of the other key operational plans directly speak to ways to increase this percentage. First, the Academic Program and Student Outcomes Assessment Plan will describe the University’s current academic program array and what that program array will look like in five years. Second, the Advancement and Relationship Development Plan calls for “reaching consensus on a central defining core message” for the University “that will be used when describing or promoting the university for all audiences.” This defining core message is central to marketing the University and its programs to students, parents, alumni, and the broader citizenry. Failure to achieve changes in the academic program array and failure to identify and use a “central defining core message” in all marketing efforts will significantly limit the University’s ability to achieve the enrollment goals described in this plan.
New Freshmen. The enrollment model sets an annual new freshmen target of 1,750 for the years 2006-2010. There are important reasons to strive to achieve this annual target. Achievement means that as the new freshmen cohorts move through their educational cycle at the university, continuing student enrollment is steady and the University avoids the “peaks and valleys” that result from significantly different annual new freshmen cohorts. Also, annual drops in the number of new freshmen result in significant revenue losses for student auxiliaries.
A key planning assumption is an increasing population of high school graduates initially (from the top six feeder counties for UW Oshkosh) with a decline projected in the years from 2009 to 2010.
There are several important planning and policy issues that threaten the University’s ability to enroll 1,750 new freshmen each fall. Most significantly, several UW institutions have decided to grow their new freshmen classes, resulting in increased competition. This competition can dramatically lower our yield from new freshmen applications. The Fall 2005 recruitment cycle clearly showed this. We had the same number of applications as for Fall 2004, and have admitted 250 more applicants than a year ago, yet the Fall 2005 first time freshmen enrollment was 1653. For Fall 2006, it appears we will meet and slightly exceed the target of 1750. It is believed this is due in part to limiting the number of deferred admissions and award letters coming out 2-3 weeks earlier than in the past and earlier than our competitors.
The competition with our sister UW campuses for new freshmen will continue, and, to meet our annual target of 1,750 new freshmen, we may need to consider the following options:
- Adding new academic programs to attract additional applicants and recruits. The EMT has compiled a list of such programs and shared it with the Provost and Deans. Some of the potential new programs represent packaging of courses already offered, others would require new curricula.
- Admit if in the top 50% of their high school class (the current admissions criteria is top 40%), be very generous in admitting from the third quartile, deny only about two-thirds of the students we currently deny, and don’t hold students for review of 7th-semester grades.
- For Fall 2005, the freshmen scholarship program recognized 189 new freshmen, more than 10% of the class. The current scholarship program provides UW Oshkosh with an advantage over many of our sister UW institutions. Sustaining as much of the current freshmen scholarship program as possible is vital to recruiting and enrolling high-ability students.
Transfer Students (Undergraduate), The EMT recommends an annual undergraduate transfer student target of 850. Over the years, transfer students have often been used as one-year “backfill” to make up for projected shortfalls in new freshmen.
Several key planning issues affect the annual enrollment of undergraduate transfer students:
- Reduced availability of upper-level courses. While transfer students represent all student categories (freshmen to senior), the majority come to UW Oshkosh having completed their general education coursework, and frequently entry level requirements for their declared major. To complete their degree they need to take the required courses in their major, in sequence. As a result of budget reductions over the past several years, upper-level seats have declined. Continuation of this trend will jeopardize the University’s ability to achieve an annual target of 850 transfer students, leave alone a higher target if required to meet overall enrollment targets.
- Several popular majors for transfer students, such as Nursing, have caps on admission into the major that also make it more difficult to enroll transfer students.
- Raising the transfer admission GPA criteria from 2.0 to 2.5 has impacted the enrollment of transfer students.
- Increased competition from other UW institutions. Just as the case with new freshmen, several campuses have raised their transfer student targets for the past and current recruitment cycle.
Graduate Students. The enrollment model projects an annual graduate student target of 1,300 (generating 500 FTE). While graduate enrollment has declined over the past six years, annual headcount and FTE totals have exceeded this target each year. However, the absence of a comprehensive enrollment plan for graduate programs specifically, and graduate studies in general, will contribute to continued enrollment decline despite reaching annual targets.
A key planning assumption is that UW Oshkosh, along with other UW institutions, will continue to lose market share to private 4-year colleges and universities. Planning and policy issues for graduate enrollment stem immediately from budget reductions but systematically from lack of comprehensive recruitment, enrollment, and retention plans specific to graduate students. Projected staffing reductions in the Graduate Admissions office, a reduction in the number of graduate assistantships, and little to no resources for marketing or promoting graduate programs will affect achieving the annual graduate enrollment targets. Increasing graduate assistantships, at a minimum to the total before reductions taken in the 2003-2005 biennium, will have some positive impact graduate enrollment but much more attention paid to this student body is needed.
Adult Nontraditional Students (Undergraduate and Graduate). The enrollment model does not establish targets per se for adult nontraditional students (defined as either undergraduate or graduate students 25 years or older). Enrollments in UW Oshkosh nontraditional degree and certificate programs have grown rapidly.
A key planning assumption is that demand for higher education among the workforce will continue to grow. In addition, development and delivery of high-demand programs will increasingly need to be self-supportive. Policy and planning issues include campus support for and acceptance of collaborative and degree-completion programs and campus support for conversion of programs to online and nontraditional delivery formats.
UW Oshkosh can choose either a “steady-state” or “growth” approach to adult nontraditional students. There are opportunities for growth, but the University must make a conscious decision that these are a priority if they are to result in the enrollment of additional students. The statewide climate is reflected by, and will be perpetuated by, the COBE initiatives including degree completion options, seamless transitions from 2 to 4-year institutions, applied studies, and degree options in high-interest areas. All of these focus attention on transfer and working adult students.
Students of Color. From Fall 2000 to Fall 2005 enrolled students of color increased by 57 % (from 414 to 650). The EMT recommends a 30% increase in the enrollment of students of color by Fall 2010 (from 650 to 845). UW Oshkosh’s Plan 2008 calls for increased enrollment, and retention, of students of color. The recommended increase is consistent with University and Board of Regents policies.
Key planning assumptions are that the Undergraduate Admissions Office retains its four fulltime Minority Student Recruiters, and that base funding is maintained for Plan 2008 recruiting activities and events. The investment the University has made in this area has contributed to the growth in total students of color, and must be maintained if the additional growth is to be met. In addition, sustaining as much of the current freshmen scholarship program as possible is vital to recruiting and enrolling students of color.
International Students. Currently there are 75 international students (undergraduate and graduate) at UW Oshkosh. The University will pursue either a “steady state” or slight “growth” approach to recruiting and enrolling international students. Taking no new actions will result in “steady state” (approximately 75 international students in any given year). If “growth” is selected, a target of 100 international students within three years is recommended. UW Oshkosh will need to recruit international students who are both academically talented and can afford to pay out-of-state tuition. The Office of International Education has identified specific steps that could be taken if growing the international student population is a University priority.
Non-Resident (Out-of-State) Students. The enrollment model does not establish targets for non-resident students. Typically, 200-300 students each year are non-resident (this includes Minnesota Reciprocity students), about 3% of the total student population. Like international students, UW Oshkosh may pursue either a “steady state” or “growth” approach to recruiting and enrolling non-resident students. Taking no action will result in continuance of the current small numbers of non-resident students. Since non-resident students pay much higher tuition than Wisconsin residents, UW Oshkosh may want to consider growth in this area for revenue enhancement. The Midwest Higher Education Commission program will also provide opportunities to attract out of state students to campus and thus; increase geographical diversity.
Retention Rate. From 2000 to 2004, the first-year to second-year retention rate grew from 70.8% to 76.2%. While the entire campus contributes to retention, two important developments were primary contributors to this increase: the improved academic profile of the new freshmen cohorts, and expanded academic advising, tutoring, and career counseling services through the Oshkosh Student Compact (funded by differential tuition).
The EMT recommends that UW Oshkosh strive to achieve an 80% retention rate by Fall 2010. Several key planning assumptions relate to this goal:
- Differential tuition sunsets in Spring 2007. The higher retention goal assumes that differential tuition is renewed in 2007 at the current rate.
- Student support services funding has been reduced over the past two biennia. This will impact retention efforts.
Graduation Rate. From 2000 to 2004, the 6-year graduation rate for new UW Oshkosh freshmen (anywhere in the System) was unchanged (53.2%). This is considerably lower than the System average (62.2%) The EMT recommends that UW Oshkosh strive to achieve a 56% 6-year graduation rate by 2010.
A key planning assumption is that the Graduation Project continues as a permanent University project beyond the initial pilot (2004-05) and Phase II (2005-06). Securing COBE funding beginning in 2006-07 would greatly assist. If this funding does not materialize, the University will need to decide whether the Graduation Project should continue and, if so, what its scope should be.
Improving the 6-year graduation rate is also dependent on the availability of upper-level courses. Furthermore, General Education and degree requirements that slow or prevent degree progress and completion should be reviewed and addressed.
New Developments for Future Consideration and Planning. Three significant enrollment-related developments have occurred since the last document of August 2005: 1.) Feedback and recommendations to the original draft operational plan, 2.) the UWS Growth Agenda plan, and 3.) The report and recommendations of the Enrollment Management Team to the Chancellor. These are included in the formal report and need to be reviewed. Resource implications and prioritization of these recommendations need to be considered before incorporating the new information and recommendations into this operational plan. With potential funding, targets and enrollment strategies will be modified with emphasis in overall enrollment growth.