Grove City College Admissions Office Audit Report

1. Grove City CollegeAdmissions Office Audit Report Tom Green Senior AACRAO Consultant Shani Lenore-Jenkins Senior AACRAO Consultant January 30, 2009

2. AACRAO Consulting: A Division of AACRAO The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) is a non-profit higher education member association founded in 1910 AACRAO has over 10,000 members and represents over 2,500 institutions in the U.S. and abroad AACRAO represents every sector of higher education 2

3. AACRAO Consulting: Who We Are AACRAO developed the “strategic” part of enrollment by moving beyond enhanced “management” of enrollment and marketing processes to include connections to academic, fiscal and financial planning AACRAO is widely recognized as the leader in strategic enrollment management, or SEM For the past 18 years, AACRAO has sponsored the Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Conference, the world’s largest gathering of SEM practitioners AACRAO is the leading purveyor of SEM content and programs 3

4. Project Overview • Review the practices and policies of the admissions office • Review staffing and compensation • Review marketing practices • Review use of technology to enhance recruitment • Review practices to attract a diverse student body 4

5. Visit Outline • Reviewed pre-visit materials • Enrollment data • Publications • Strategic Plan • Institutional and admissions web sites 5

6. Visit OutlineInterviewed personnel on campus President Richard Jewell (via telephone) Provost William Anderson VP for Institutional Advancement Jeffery Prokovich (via telephone) VP for Finance Roger Towle (via telephone) Deans and associate deans Enrollment Committee (Faculty) Dean of Enrollment John Inman Director of Admissions Jeff Mincey and his staff Director of Financial Aid Tom Ball Dir. of International Education Lois Johnson Director of Athletics Don Lyle Music and Fine Arts Chair Ed Arnold and Ellen Arnold Admissions Tour Guides

7. Institutional Strengths • Strong evidence of strategic planning as an institution • Good handle on data to support decision-making at the highest administrative levels (see additional notes on admissions use of data) • Exceptional yield rate for freshmen • Strong retention and graduation rates • Admissions staff have a strong sense of pride in the institution • Admissions staff cite a great work environment and appreciation for the sharing of ideas 7

8. MarketingObservations • Fragmented approach to marketing across the institution • Lack of market research to drive enrollment strategy • Some research exists on response rates and web hits • Student surveys also add to information on choice of GCC • Marketing messages developed on mission statement but not tested against target markets 8

9. MarketingObservations (continued) • Personnel outside the admissions area are not aware of key marketing messages (i.e., deans, faculty) • Marketing is not integrated between print, electronic, web and in-person messages • Academic program marketing lacks benefit statements aligned with student choice factors • Book of majors and departmental web sites lack benefit statements and examples of student success/outcomes 9

10. MarketingRecommendations • Develop a campus-wide marketing committee to assure the integration of key messages to all constituencies; integrate messages and brand across all institutional media • Conduct market research to develop crisp marketing messages based on student choice factors • Prospective students • Parents • Minority students • Alumni • Donors and friends 10

11. MarketingRecommendations (continued) • Assure a common family of logos, design and graphic images across print and electronic media • Assure that all vendors adhere to graphic standards and common look and feel of all media • Conduct internal marketing to assure that all GCC employees and students understand the key marketing messages and can share them with others • Can everyone give the “elevator speech”? • Word of mouth marketing is still a powerful medium 11

12. Web StrategyObservations • Web appearance is “clean” and has a foundation upon which GCC can build • No ownership of entire university web site • Fragmented ownership of parts of the web • Departments left to fend for themselves on web development • No skill sets for this • Lack marketing training to create appropriate messages • Many rely on students for web development – this is not appropriate to create a strong web site 12

13. Web StrategyObservations (continued) • Web site lacks a marketing focus – current focus is on sharing/delivering information • Admissions web site lacks key marketing messages and benefits for prospective students (“Why GCC?”) • Admissions site lacks engaging and interactive tools 13

14. Web StrategyObservations (continued) Online application and information request need to be prominently displayed on main and prospective student pages Online inquiry form currently creates an email to the admissions office that is then re-entered into student information system manually Online application also works in this manner Functionality exists in Jenzabar to directly move this information into the student information system

15. Web StrategyRecommendations • Determine ownership of web site and assign appropriate support to create and maintain web content • This may be part of admissions staffing strategy, as well • Provide support and training to departments for site development and maintenance • Assure linkage to marketing committee • If outsourcing referrals are desired, these can be provided 15

16. Web StrategyRecommendations (continued) Content for admissions and other sites must include benefit statements aligned with student choice factors Distinguish GCC from its Christian and non-Christian competitors Articulate the meaning of each of the three founding principles

17. Web StrategyRecommendations (continued) • Clean up navigation between prospective students and admissions • Create interactive areas for students • Viral video • IM with admissions staff and/or current students • These cannot be only during regular office hours and would require creative schedules for staff and students who provide this interaction • These can be conducted from any site with an Internet connection and are not limited to campus locations • Quizzes or games based on finding information on the web site 17

18. Web StrategyRecommendations (continued) • Refresh web content on a regular basis – provide reasons to return to the web • Music as a recruiting entity requires a robust web site • Faculty information/bios • Downloadable music by ensembles • Concert listings 18

19. Communications StrategyObservations • Institution is just beginning its attempts at email marketing • Publication resources include a very thick view book and few other direct mail pieces • Slow response time to prospective students 19

20. Communications StrategyObservations (continued) • Little communication to yield admitted students • Search strategies are not in line with current student communication preferences and best practices in recruitment • Admissions staff not equipped to communicate with students and families on aid packages as a yield strategy (i.e., call to review aid package and clarify the “bottom line”) 20

21. Communications StrategyObservations (continued) Strategies to target high-ability students have recently begun but are not coordinated or supported by email or direct mail efforts Counselor note is the only medium Egalitarian approach to communication regarding admission and desire of GCC to have them enroll/apply Generally passive approach to attracting students “We have 3 people waiting for that slot”

22. Communications StrategyRecommendations • Develop a communications plan that integrates direct mail, email and other media (IM, chat, etc.) • Target segments of the pool for differential communications • Drive students to your web site, which then must deliver with marketing messages, pertinent information and interactive tools 22

23. Communications StrategyRecommendations (continued) Develop academic messages Delete book of majors from view book and develop fact sheets on the web/PDF format Assure that academic fact pages include success stories of recent graduates and experiences of current students Alumni stories may already be available through development office Develop communications from department chairs to students based on major interests; deliver via email with link to web site

24. Communications StrategyRecommendations (continued) • Purchase search names and conduct aggressive email and print/direct mail with multiple “touches” • Break key marketing messages into discrete communications • No “one shot” mailings or approaches • Email has a different response pattern than direct mail and significant response may occur only after 5-7 emails have been sent to the search pool 24

25. Communications StrategyRecommendations (continued) • Parents need direct mail and their own communications beyond just costs and aid • Costs and aid are also important but parents also need to know why GCC is a unique and high-quality choice • Print a smaller view book and use savings to create additional direct mail pieces • Self-mailers • Postcards • Send several to entire search pool 25

26. Costs and AidObservations • There is no “best price” • Low price can connote lower quality • Higher price can appear out of reach • Grove City’s current policy is fiscally conservative, which is admirable • The policy also does not allow for the psychological benefit of merit aid to high-achieving students provided by GCC’s competitors 26

27. Costs and AidObservations (continued) Efforts to raise merit aid in the upcoming capital campaign are commendable GCC costs are stated against the net price of other institutions – not the sticker prices of each

28. Costs and AidRecommendations • New endowment earnings and annual fund revenues will provide some additional merit aid • These additional funds may not be sufficient to compete effectively with other institutions but should be carefully monitored to determine their success • Present your price against other “sticker” prices and do not promote their discounted/net price • This is not an advantage and families likely do not care • This strategy defeats your advantage in sticker price 28

29. International EducationObservations • Goal of 10% of students having an international experience has been met ahead of schedule • There are currently 24 foreign students enrolled at GCC • The international education office sees its role as supporting foreign students who study at GCC; this may not be a shared vision for that office • A liaison from admissions with international study experience is a desire of that office • “If we are going to do this, let’s do this right” – Lois Johnson 29

30. International EducationRecommendations • Determine the number of fall and spring male and female slots that can be allowed, given the balance between study abroad goals and revenue required for the institution to operate successfully 30

31. International EducationRecommendations (continued) Develop a strategic plan for study abroad and international education Foreign student goals Study abroad for academic programs that have an international component to their curriculum – consider how this may be funded for students of high need Specific targets for allowed men and women who can study abroad Summer allowances Determine the appropriate support programs for international students on your campus and who will head them

32. Enrollment PlanningObservations • Key relationships with campus community are uneven • Athletics has a clear sense of the parameters for admission and the system being used appears to work well for both sides • Great confidence and positive relationship expressed • Music has some similar issues and some unique needs that are not being met • Chair expressed frustration and lack of shared vision for recruitment • Sorting through paper applications to find band members and receiving lists of music majors far too late to be effective • There is some disagreement over the status of their needs and the actions they require to receive information they need 32

33. Enrollment PlanningObservations (continued) • The new enrollment committee is cited as a strong improvement in campus relationships and is a positive step forward for the admissions area • John Inman was specifically cited as the driver of this improvement • There is a great deal of enrollment data used for strategic planning but little use in admissions practices • Skewed toward use with higher level administration • Admissions staff has little access to data for use in their work 33

34. Enrollment PlanningObservations (continued) • Main emphasis for enrollment is academic profile as measured by SAT’s and GPA, 100% occupancy rate • Budget information is insufficiently detailed to support informed decision-making • Example: tracking travel by state or cost to recruit a student 34

35. Enrollment PlanningRecommendations • Develop the enrollment committee from its new information sharing phase to a dialogue on practice, policy and the shape/picture of the student profile in future years (perhaps in five years) • Assure that the director of admissions has a clear picture of the desired characteristics of the student body 35

36. Enrollment PlanningRecommendations (continued) Develop queries and automated information exports for the music department Inquiries Applicants Interests in music participation and past experience Develop detail budget reports that can track additional detail of data

37. Diversity of the Student BodyObservations • The college has made progress in attracting a growing number of applicants from ethnic minorities • The college has a clear sense of the distance it has to go to achieve a balance in the student body reflective of the general population today and future population trends • There are few faculty or administrative role models for students of color • This impedes recruitment • The potential pool of mentors for students of color is too small 37

38. Diversity of the Student BodyObservations (continued) • The college lacks support systems for students of color • Generally, the college is struggling to define its plan for diversity recruitment • Tactical and not strategic 38

39. Diversity of the Student BodyObservations (continued) The passive nature of recruitment practice at GCC is ineffective for the recruitment of students of color Lack of follow-up College does not “court” students Current scholarship levels are inadequate to compete for high-achieving students of color

40. Diversity of the Student BodyRecommendations • The college should consider a multicultural affairs office to support the needs of students of color and international students • A strategic diversity recruitment plan should be developed • Target specific church youth groups • Target specific high schools with high minority populations • Develop specific searches for students of color and a communication plan/strategy to attract them to GCC • Take advantage of faculty and staff relationships with potential feeder schools • Develop an advisory board of civic and school leaders of color 40

41. Admissions OperationsObservations • The process for receiving and acknowledging admissions materials is antiquated • Several steps in the process actually create more work • Materials are not in the system quickly, creating a search for materials or applications that may have been received 41

42. Admissions OperationsObservations(continued) There is no import of data into Jenzabar for inquiries or applications All data is manually entered, printed out and double-checked Data integrity is not being assured through available technologies A reliance on data standards from past administrations creates greater work for meeting USPS standards and is incompatible with them

43. Admissions OperationsObservations(continued) • There is no use of the Jenzabar system for campus visits, creating a high level of repetitive manual entry to create forms and letters related to interviews, campus visits, etc. • Admissions counselors are underutilized in accessing and correcting/updating data, as well as entering their own prospects into Jenzabar 43

44. Admissions OperationsObservations (continued) Incomplete applications are not being appropriately routed and filed They are being sent to the director with complete applications for review, then sent back as incomplete There is no back-up for critical processing staff duties (Joleta Mays)

45. Admissions OperationsRecommendations • Obtain assistance to map the application and data process, then overhaul it to achieve greater efficiency • Admissions staff should have greater training and access to the Jenzabar system • Run their own queries of students • Enter prospect cards from the road • Update records as needed (i.e., record complete interviews, change status, provide back-up during peak periods) 45

46. Admissions OperationsRecommendations (continued) • Create an admissions review process that includes reading of applications by the counseling staff • Provide appropriate training and procedures (i.e., double-read) to assure fit of students to GCC • Create a policy/procedure manual for admissions processing routines • Cross-train staff to back-up areas of admissions processing 46

47. Admissions StaffingObservations • Today’s recruitment technology dictates staff dedicated to the management of e-recruitment, web content and communication plans • GCC lacks this in its deployment of staff • It is unclear whether or not GCC requires additional clerical staff, due to the high levels of inefficiency in its process 47

48. Admissions StaffingRecommendations • Recommend that the counseling staff be augmented by one FTE to assign responsibility for e-recruitment and communication to a counselor-level position • Could do some other in-house duties, such as interviews • Hire with appropriate skills for the position (writing, basic graphic design, technical background) • Once admissions processes are overhauled, assess clerical staffing needs • May need a dedicated receptionist who can provide additional data entry or other back-up to processing staff 48

49. Recruiting StaffObservations • Students cite a great interview experience when considering Grove City for college • This often “sealed the deal” • Staff training is highly detailed, well organized and well documented • This is a strength of GCC’s admissions operations • Recruiting staff have a consistently high level of passion for their work and for GCC • Counseling staff are not paid competitively with their peers 49

50. Recruiting StaffObservations (continued) • There is a high level of turnover among admissions counselors • Recruiting staff have minimal professional development opportunities and minimal professional networks • Attend one annual conference and no involvement in professional committees or panels • Travel to national areas is done as a seniority “perk” which slows the development of long-term relationships with guidance counselors 50