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Designing Communication Plans for Increased Enrollment

Designing Communication Plans for Increased Enrollment. Brent Rudin Dean of Enrollment Management Cornerstone University Grand Rapids, Michigan. Quick Overview of Cornerstone. Private, religious institution Enrollment Total enrollment – 2,600 Traditional undergraduate – 1,250

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Designing Communication Plans for Increased Enrollment

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  1. Designing Communication Plans for Increased Enrollment Brent RudinDean of Enrollment ManagementCornerstone UniversityGrand Rapids, Michigan

  2. Quick Overview of Cornerstone • Private, religious institution • Enrollment • Total enrollment – 2,600 • Traditional undergraduate – 1,250 • Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan

  3. How We Use Connect • Connect • VIP pages • Telecenter • Apply For all Prospect AND Applicant tracking and communication (except financial aid and class registration)

  4. Our Enrollment Challenges • Fall 2006 – 2nd highest freshman class • Fall 2007 – clearly not the 2nd highest class • Tuition dependent • Must at a minimum maintain enrollment

  5. Our Communication Challenges • Datatel transition, training and implementation • Lack of flexibility in reporting • Inability to engage our audience • Difficulty to communicate beyond seniors

  6. Higher Education Communication Challenges • Is your Web site ever really “good enough?” • Secret shoppers • Stealth applicants • Static electronic communication • Failure to act on known information

  7. Nellie, The Wonder Dog

  8. Communication Plans • What do you want to say? • How do you want to say it? • To what audience(s)? • At what point in time? • To accomplish what goal/response?

  9. What is an Ideal Communication Plan? • It’s an overview – may not have all details for all situations • Proactive – not reactive • Engaging – not static • Purposeful – not pointless

  10. Lots of Plans! • Suspects • Prospects • Applied • Accepted • Deposited • Transfers • Parents

  11. Case Study • Problem: • Why are students starting, but not finishing application? • Solution: • Develop communication plan to address this • Get more completed apps… • In a shorter timeframe… • Or find out why not

  12. Case Study • Who? • Those who started but not completed app • When? • Series of communication methods • Weekly reminders via email to complete • Surveys to explain why not • Multiple opportunities to complete • Incorporate phone call from counselor

  13. Build Your Communication Plan Around… • “Regular” communication • Prospects • Applicants • Campus visits • VIP Page visits • Telecenter calls • Academic messages

  14. Communication Plans Include… • Emails • Letters • Phone calls • Surveys • Events • Publications • Combinations of each

  15. To What Audience(s)? • Your filters are so important • Who is receiving this? • Who is NOT receiving this? • Spent a lot of time learning how to master the skill of filter-writing

  16. Evaluating Results • Review the results of emails • Who opened? • Who responded? • Hyperlinks • What are being followed? • Not too many links • Survey results • Respond accordingly • May trigger more communication

  17. Success Stories • Much better communication with students • More informed counselors • More predictable enrollment…? • Provide leadership more accurate information

  18. Questions? Brent Rudin Dean of Enrollment Management Cornerstone University brudin@cornerstone.edu 616-222-1426

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