Minutes of January 12, 1999 Meeting
The EMT met on January 12, 1999 with the following members present:
Sharon Cannon, Sandra Close, Rebecca Duncan, Gordon Folger, Mary Johnson,
Sue Kearney, Carol Kercheval, Allen Page, Philip Roof, and LaRose Spooner,
Chair.
LaRose Spooner opened the meeting with comments about Mary Kate Keith’s
departure from Meredith and the EMT, with an announcement about the press
conference to be held on campus today concerning the Special Olympics,
with congratulations to Mary Johnson and her committee on the staff awards
presentations, and with encouragement for EMT members to contribute to the
web site. She gave a brief report for Ruth Ann Balla, indicating that a
lab has been set up with ten computers in Noel House to serve the campus
during the Datatel planning and training processes. She also spoke to the
enrollment goals set by the EMT in Spring 1994 and Meredith’s subsequent
experiences* and pointed out the enrollment goals that are included in the
Recommendations of the Strategic Planning Review Committee.*
The minutes of the previous meeting were approved and Sue Kearney
verified that all EMT members had received copies of the mailings of
recommendations from the Experiential Learning sub-committee* and from
the Multicultural Recruitment Work Group.* Sue then distributed a
preliminary enrollment report for Spring 1999* and discussed where
enrollment stands in relation to last year. Preliminary reports concerning
new admissions/enrollees for the various programs were included in Sue’s
remarks. Several comments were made by EMT members about student services,
especially where commuters are concerned. Service hours in some areas, most
notably the Bee Hive, still do not serve the commuting population well.
Sharon Cannon reported that Thad O’Briant has been responsive but thus far
extended hours in the Bee Hive have not proved financially feasible. More
space for commuters was another need stated, as the student center is
usually crowded. The creation of some "community spaces" in classroom
buildings would help alleviate the problem.
Carol Kercheval reported that traditional applications are running
about 27 percent ahead of last year’s numbers. It is too early to have
a meaningful admissions report for the 23+ Program or the graduate school
for Fall 1999.
Sue Kearney led a discussion of the report and recommendations of the
Graduate Market Expansion Work Group, which completed its work and filed
its report last spring. She explained that a drop in the enrollment in
Fall 1997 had been the primary reason for the creation of the group and
expressed appreciation for the enthusiasm of the work group members. The
recommendations of the group include ones that are departmentally oriented,
ones that pertain to the graduate school office activities, suggestions for
improving services, and possibilities for new programs to serve a graduate
population. Mary Johnson reported on the status of some of the items
included in the report. There was discussion about the facts that
graduate students expect more and want a "high touch" experience and that,
at least where MBA students are concerned, Meredith does not provide the
services and amenities that other graduate schools offer. The EMT endorsed
the report of the Graduate Market Expansion Work Group with an additional
recommendation that there be access to advising and recruiting services in
the graduate office on a full-time, permanent basis. (Currently the
recruiting/advising staff members are part-time and their schedules do not
cover the entire day.) The report and recommendations will be sent to the
Dean of the Graduate School, the Heads and Graduate Coordinators in all
departments offering a graduate program, and to the Senior Management Team
requesting consideration of the recommendations and action wherever
appropriate.*
Sue Kearney commented briefly on the Graduation Rate Survey report*
that had been distributed to EMT members earlier. She reminded the group
of the importance in marketing and recruitment for everyone to stress that
most Meredith students who enter as full-time, first-time freshmen complete
their programs in four years, with some finishing in less time. She also
commented on the fact that Meredith has room for improvement in its
graduation rates, especially when one looks at the mean graduation rate
for public universities. She encouraged the concepts of setting goals and
working to improve both freshman-to-sophomore retention and the graduation
rate of the College.
Sharon Cannon distributed the results of the 1998 Cooperative
Institutional Research Program (CIRP) questionnaire* that was administered
to entering freshmen during orientation. The EMT briefly discussed some
of the findings and agreed that members would review the report carefully
for fuller discussion at the next EMT meeting. Sue Kearney indicated that
her office has now completed a longitudinal report that includes the CIRP
responses of Meredith students for the past four years. This report will
allow the College to examine patterns and trends in students’
characteristics, attitudes, interests, needs and expectations. Sharon also
informed the EMT that the students will be presenting a proposal concerning
the Open House Policy to the Board of Trustees at its February meeting.
Sue Kearney reported that she, LaRose Spooner and Gretchen Solomon have
met with two informal groups of faculty and staff in order to discuss the
ways we might work more effectively with high ability students in
recruitment and retention and ways we might achieve a more inclusive
student body and campus environment. LaRose will report more fully on
these conversations at the next meeting of the EMT.
Sandra Close indicated that the Office of Admissions and the 23+ Program
have jointly planned a luncheon for transfer counselors from two-year
colleges, which will be held on January 14. The meeting was then adjourned.
Sue Kearney
Vice Chair
*Copy of item mentioned attached to the official minutes
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For additional information, please contact
Sue Kearney, Vice Chair of Enrollment Management Team, at 760-2364
Page created by Katie Toro, Enrollment Planning and Institutional Research
Last modified: January 25, 1999
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