MINUTES – AUGUST 30, 2001
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT TEAM
The Enrollment Management Team met at 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 30, 2001, in the Oak Room. Present for the meeting were Sandra Close, Bill Cox, Lori Duke, Gordon Folger, Ann Gleason, Deborah Horvitz, Sue Kearney, Carol Kercheval, John Mecham, Jeannie Morelock, and Sue Todd. Also attending was Heidi LeCount, who will join the group while Ann is on leave this fall.
The minutes of the last meeting were approved. Sue K. provided a telemarketing report for the last round of calling that was conducted in August for students who had not pre-registered. Copies of the report and the letter sent to those not reached are attached to the official minutes. Sue K. reported that the summer school enrollment declined somewhat in both numbers of students and credit hours generated as compared to the past two summers, with the number residing in campus housing being especially low. Sue T. commented that the trend at many institutions was to have higher summer enrollments and indicated that she would like to see the cost of summer school be lower than it is now in relation to Meredith’s regular tuition. Sue T. also provided the rationale for why the CRC program does not operate during the summer. In response to a question raised at the July meeting, Sue K. provided information about the number of undergraduate summer school registrants (325, or about 40%) who are aged 23 or older.
Jeannie updated the members on the progress in interviewing/hiring staff for web site development and indicated that the advisory group that has been formed will be primarily a policy recommending body. Sue K. reported on her conversations with Bill Wade concerning questions/suggestions raised at the last meeting about helping students, including mobility impaired students, navigate around/through the construction areas. A question raised by John after the meeting about whether sexual harassment policies apply to the construction workers was also satisfactorily answered by Bill. A suggestion was made that an automatic button needs to be installed at the library entrance to assist students with disabilities. Sue K. will forward this suggestion to the appropriate staff members.
Sue K. distributed a preliminary enrollment report (copy attached to official minutes) and reminded everyone that there is still a lot of verification needed before official counts can be established. Total enrollment appears to the about 95% of last year's numbers, which is not too surprising given the sizeable increase in tuition and fees and the increase in the number of graduates in 2000-01. The numbers are down in most categories – new and returning, undergraduate and graduate, full- and part-time students. Sue T. expressed concern that the number of registered CRC students may drop when they are notified next week of the technology fees. Sue K. called attention to the sharp decline in the number of students (approximately 980) in campus housing, and discussion ensued. Jeannie reported that the SMT is addressing housing issues (e.g., the need for a defined maintenance schedule, regulations, etc.) Heidi pointed out that two positive outcomes of the small number of residence hall students are that the College has been able to provide more private rooms and to be more responsive to health needs. Throughout the conversation, the importance of conveying positive attitudes about enrollment outcomes and seeking to build on our strengths for the coming years were emphasized.
The EMT evaluated the opening of the school year and identified several new initiatives that went very well. For undergraduates these include an unloading/parking plan that reduced congestion, tech services representatives in the parlors to answer questions, the inclusion of 23+ Program students in the reception at Dr. Hartford’s home, and a helpful financial session. Graduate students also benefited from an orientation program for all new graduate students (not just MBA) and a reception at the President’s residence for the graduate faculty. Problems identified were the difficulty of matching transfer students with academic advisers and the clearance of late applicants for both transfer admission and for the graduate school. Ann spoke about the good adjustment that freshmen seem to have made, commenting on their spirit and their interest in being involved in campus life.
The next topic of discussion was retention strategies needed from the outset of the year. The need for communicating early about the anticipated tuition and fees for the next two years was discussed. Prospective students will be informed as the travel season begins, and currently enrolled students need to have the message simultaneously. In response to Jeannie’s invitation to suggest ways to convey the benefits for the students; it was noted that Meredith is repositioning itself, moving from a position of strength, and that it is an ambitious college in what it is undertaking for its students. U.S. News & World Report rankings, which will be out next week, may somewhat affect our message. It was agreed that faculty and staff reactions/responses will be key in how this new cost structure is received by students and that, if possible, parents need to be notified at the same time that students are informed of the increases. Jeannie reported that Jane Dittmann is working to identify parents who would be advocates for the College.
The important role of financial aid in retention, as well as in recruitment, was discussed briefly. Bill is examining what it will take to meet the financial needs, and Sue K. is conducting a study to determine the levels of need met by our peer institutions. The discussion of retention strategies will continue at the next meeting.
It was determined that moving the meeting time to 10:15 – 11:45 a.m. will help members who have other commitments just before the EMT meeting. The next gathering of the EMT will be on September 27th at the time cited above. The meeting was adjourned.
Sue Kearney, Chair