Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) - Office of the Provost

Background

Since November 2018, members of the SEM Steering Team and seven additional committees — focused on undergraduate recruitment, undergraduate student retention and success, graduate recruitment and retention, credit generation, institutional policies and processes, and data analysis and benchmarking — have been working with the university’s American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) consultant to develop SEM goals and strategies.

Feedback from the campus community is critical to the development of the SEM plan; as many faculty, staff, students and alumni as possible will have the opportunity to provide input as SEM implementation will directly impact their work.

Our work commenced with a robust environmental scan examining external demographics and forces that helped to inform the OU SEM goals and strategies. For a copy of the environmental scan, please email kjgabon@oakland.edu.

Goals

The SEM plan’s five high-level goals focus on the quality and composition of:

Strengthening the entering domestic FTIAC and transfer undergraduate class
Improving student success as measured by retention and completion
Expanding credit generation, online learning and educational innovation
Increasing graduate enrollment and improving graduate student retention
Increasing the diversity of all student populations, including international students

Committees have been actively meeting to gather information and propose strategies and tactics to support these goals. Below are the council and committee goals and strategies as of December 21, 2019.

Undergraduate Recruitment Council

Goal 1: Increase the incoming fall freshman class by 5% to reach a total of 2,800 new FTIACs by the fall of 2025.

Strategy 1.1. Ensure continuance of the market share of domestic in-state FTIACs in Oakland and Macomb counties.
Strategy 1.2. Increase the market share of domestic, in-state FTIACs from Wayne, Washtenaw, and other out-state counties in Michigan.
Strategy 1.3. Focused recruitment efforts in a domestic, non-Michigan U.S. markets (e.g., Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana) as a means to stabilize or grow the FTIAC class size.
Strategy 1.4. Increase undergraduate freshman international degree-seeking students by an average of 5% per year in new enrollment growth, for a total new freshman international population of 56 students.
Strategy 1.5. Leverage institutional need- and merit-based financial aid to maximize the number of FTIAC students.
Strategy 1.6. Assess the capacity for growth and increase opportunities for students to take online, hybrid, accelerated and compressed courses.
Strategy 1.7. Continue efforts to increase diversity and the enrollment of under-represented students, including first generation students.
Strategy 1.8. Sustain enrollment of incoming FTIACs in University Housing at 1,110 new students.
Strategy 1.9. Sustain enrollment of incoming FTIACs in the Honors College at 596 new students.
Strategy 1.10. Implement and utilize a new Admissions CRM to effectively track communication with prospective students and families.

Goal 2: Increase the incoming fall transfer class by 3% to reach a total of 1,662 new transfers by the fall of 2025.

Strategy 2.1. Strengthen transfer pathways from select institutions to mitigate any loss at those institutions and ensure enrollment is sustained.
Strategy 2.2. Increase undergraduate transfer international degree-seeking students by an average of 5% per year over the next five years, for a total new transfer international population of 75 students.
Strategy 2.3. Increase availability of online transfer completion programs.
Strategy 2.4. Collaborate with faculty to consider increasing opportunities for students to take online, hybrid, accelerated and compressed courses.
Strategy 2.5. In partnership with Student Financial Services, leverage need- and merit-based financial aid to maximize the number of transfer students.
Strategy 2.6. Sustain enrollment of incoming transfers in University Housing at 134 new students.
Strategy 2.7. Sustain enrollment of incoming transfer students in the Honors College at 25 new students.
Strategy 2.8. Implement and utilize a new Admissions CRM to effectively track communication with prospective students and families.
Strategy 2.9. Continue efforts to increase diversity and the enrollment of under-represented students, including first generation students.

Goal 3: Increase new adult learner enrollment to 10% of incoming students by fall 2025, for a total of 446 new adult learners, including new students and re-enrolled stop-out students who have completed some college but have not earned a degree.

Strategy 3.1. As they make up 30% of this population, actively recruit OU stop out students to re-enroll and complete their program.
Strategy 3.2. Work to enroll other university and community college stop outs at greater than 19% of our incoming transfer class.
Strategy 3.3. Work to enroll adult learners with a percentage greater than 0.18% of our incoming FTIAC class (greater than five students).
Strategy 3.4. Improve the atmosphere for adult learner students, including underrepresented minority students, in order to ensure more will choose to enroll at OU.
Strategy 3.5. Assess the capacity for growth and increase opportunities for students to take online, hybrid, accelerated and compressed courses.
Strategy 3.6. Implement and utilize a new Admissions CRM to effectively track communication with prospective students and families.

Goal 4: Sustain “other” enrollment at 353 students each fall semester (Post-Baccalaureate, Guests, Dual-Enrollment, Non-Matriculating, Second Degree) through fall 2025.

Strategy 4.1. Enroll these students through streamlined communications.
Strategy 4.2. Assign specific staff members to help these students with transition.
Strategy 4.3. Retain OU graduates as a second degree student.
Strategy 4.4. Investigate the potential for offering undergraduate certificates.
Strategy 4.5. Increase English as a Second Language Institute students (ESL) by 10% per year to reach a total of 37 ESL students by fall 2025.
Strategy 4.6. Increase American Semester Abroad Program (ASAP) students to a total of 14 students by fall 2025.
Strategy 4.7. Implement and utilize a new Admissions CRM to effectively track communication with prospective students and families.

Graduate Recruitment and Retention Council

Goal 1: Set school/college targets for new masters and doctoral graduate enrollment to attain an increase of 8% by the fall of 2025.

Strategy 1.1. Based on data and evidence, set enrollment targets by program, create an integrated recruitment model, and actively engage graduate coordinators in the recruitment process.
Strategy 1.2. Appoint Recruitment Subcommittee.
Strategy 1.3. Create a defined plan for recruiting currently enrolled OU undergraduates.
Strategy 1.4. Identify new programs and investigate repurposing resources from under-enrolled programs to create programs that attract new audiences.
Strategy 1.5. Identify New Graduate Programs and Program Delivery Formats.
Strategy 1.6. Align Financial Assistance for graduate students with university objectives.

Goal 2: Set targets by school/college to increase the rate for four-year master’s completion to 80% and the eight-year completion rate for PhDs to 65%. (Note that clinical doctorates are already at 97% in eight years).

Strategy 2.1. Appoint Retention Subcommittee.
Strategy 2.2. Work with Graduate Council to Evaluate Graduate Policies for potential barriers to retention and persistence.

Goal 3: Develop an inclusive campus culture that welcomes and supports graduate students; provides a sense of belonging; and increases visibility and identity for OU graduate programs in the marketplace.

Strategy 3.1. Build a graduate student friendly culture with broad campus engagement.
Strategy 3.2. Engage External Community to enhance graduate student experience.

Student Success and Retention Committee

Goal 1: Create a culture of student success that permeates communication and decision-making at every level of the university.

Strategy 1.1. Provide common university language, values, processes and communications, focused on student success as a universal theme defined by students and student experiences and utilized by all campus constituents.
Strategy 1.2. Engage in activities that support Goal 1 and Inform Strategy 1.1.

Goal 2: Increase first-time, full-time FTIAC retention to 83% by fall of 2025.

Strategy 2.1. Support first-year student academic success.

Goal 3: Close gap in majority/URM first-time, full-time FTIAC retention to 8% or less by fall of 2025.

Strategy 3.1. Provide an inclusive learning environment that provides targeted opportunities for academic success.

Goal 4: Increase retention to 80% among first-time, full-time transfer students entering OU with fewer than 28 credits by fall of 2025.

Strategy 4.1. Foster transfer student academic success.

Goal 5: Increase Increase six-year graduation rate of first-time, full-time FTIAC to 57% by fall of 2025.

Strategy 5.1. Develop and implement a comprehensive model for FTIAC student achievement of graduation goals.

Goal 6: Increase retention of juniors and seniors by 0.5% by fall of 2025.

Strategy 6.1. Develop a plan to retain upperclass students.

Council for Innovative and Entrepreneurial Education

Goal 1: Develop new markets and increase enrollment beyond the traditional 14-week, in-class, degree-seeking model to attract adult and non-traditional learners.

Strategy 1.1. Develop policies and processes that support University efforts to connect with businesses in Michigan to offer programs, support, and opportunities on campus, through a streamlined process with designated oversight.
Strategy 1.2. Create custom non-credit programming designed in collaboration with industry, government and nonprofit entities in Southeast Michigan to meet workforce development needs both in-class and online.
Strategy 1.3. Be a leader in community engaged programming for children and adults seeking enrichment with the knowledge that quality noncredit enrichment programs can also serve as tools for recruitment and advancement of the institution.

Goal 2: Oakland University will be a leader in community and business engagement, increasing the number of non-credit and non-academic certificate programs by fall of 2025.

Strategy 2.1. Develop policies and processes that support University efforts to connect with businesses in Michigan to offer programs, support, and opportunities on campus, through a streamlined process with designated oversight.
Strategy 2.2. Create custom non-credit programming designed in collaboration with industry, government and nonprofit entities in Southeast Michigan to meet workforce development needs both in-class and online.
Strategy 2.3. Be a leader in community-engaged programming for children and adults seeking enrichment with the knowledge that quality non-credit enrichment programs can also serve as tools for recruitment and advancement of the institution.

Data and Technology Committee

Goal 1: Provide the necessary data, information, and insight required to implement and monitor the University’s progress toward SEM goals; create an enduring SEM data apparatus.

Strategy 1.1. Evaluate, recommend, and implement appropriate student data analytic and reporting infrastructure, particularly a data warehouse solution..
Strategy 1.2. Assist SEM units in developing appropriate goals and key enrollment measures. Develop reliable and valid reports that are understandable by a broad audience.
Strategy 1.3. Work with the University’s current data analytic groups to foster a mature data culture, especially as it relates to issues of data definitions, standards, and quality.
Strategy 1.4. Help educate and train the campus community in critical aspects of SEM data.

Open House

Faculty and staff are invited to a SEM Open House Tuesday, November 19 in the OC Gold Rooms. The open house will run from 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.; formal remarks will begin at 8:35 a.m., after which attendees will be free to provide feedback on the work of the SEM committees in several breakout sessions. Please RSVP today.

If you are not able to attend, your feedback is still welcome. Please contact Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Dawn Aubry at dmaubry@oakland.edu. You may also contact any member of the Enrollment Management Steering Group with your recommendations and thoughts.

Councils and Committees

SEM Steering Committee

Dawn Aubry, (chair) Vice President, Enrollment Management

Michelle Piskulich, Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Glenn McIntosh, Senior Vice President of Student Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer

John Beaghan, Vice President of Finance and Administration and Treasurer for the Board of Trustees

John Young, Vice President of Communications and Marketing

Kristin Landis-Piwowar, Associate Dean, School of Health Sciences

Lori Crose, Director, Professional And Continuing Education

Chris Reed, Director, Oakland Center

Jon Davidson, Associate Registrar, Office of the Registrar

Rueben Ternes, Assistant Director, Office of Institutional Research and Assessment

Anne Hitt, Associate Provost, Academic Affairs

Omar Brown-El, Senior Director, Center for Multicultural Initiatives

Recruitment Council

Shane Lewis (co-chair), Director, Undergraduate Admissions

Kristin Landis-Piwowar (co-chair), Associate Dean, School of Health Sciences

Graeme Harper, Dean, Honors College

Todd Steele, Coordinator of Graduate Program Recruitment, Graduate School

Jill Tyus-Coates, Associate Director, Financial Aid

Todd Nucci, Director of Marketing, Digital and Web Services, University Communications and Marketing

Jon Margerum-Leys, Dean, School of Education and Human Services

Michelle Southward, Director of Advising, School of Health Sciences

Paul Battle, Senior Associate Registrar

Jim Zentmeyer, Director, University Housing

Cindy Hermsen, Director, Student Financial Services

John Meldrum, Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admissions

Rosemary Max, Executive Director, Global Engagement

Brandy Randall, Dean, Graduate School

Claire Rammel, Assistant Dean, Graduate School

Julia Smith, Program Coordinator, Educational Leadership, School of Education

Kelly Flemming, Senior Associate Director, Undergraduate Admissions

Nancy Fetzer, Associate Director, Financial Aid

Steve Szalay, Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admissions

Innovative & Entrepreneurial Education Council

Lori Crose , (co-chair), Director, Professional And Continuing Education

Chris Reed (co-chair)
Director, Oakland Center

Beth Zou, Associate Dean, School of Engineering and Computer Science

Michele Knox, Assistant Vice President of Budget and Financial Planning

Julie Dichtel, Executive Director, Macomb County Outreach

Amy Banes-Berceli, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

Michael Mazzeo, Dean, School of Business Administration

Judy Didion, Dean, School of Nursing

Shaun Moore, Director of E-Learning and Instructional Support

Chris Goeth, Associate Registrar, Office of the Registrar

Student Success and Retention Council

Anne Hitt (co-chair), Interim Associate Provost, Academic Affairs

Omar Brown-El (co-chair), Senior Director, Center for Multicultural Initiatives

Tricia Westergaard, Registrar, Office of the Registrar

Krista Malley, Director, Office of Student Success

Shannon Esselink, Director of Advising Services, College of Arts and Sciences

Sara Webb, Senior Director for First Year Success and First Year Advising Center

Cindy Hermsen, Director, Student Financial Services

Kevin Corcoran, Dean, College of Arts and Sciences and Chief Engagement Officer

Mark Navin, Associate Professor, Philosophy

Kelly Smith, Assistant Director of Marketing, University Communications and Marketing

Jessie Hurse, Associate Dean of Students and Deputy Title IX Coordinator

Song Yan, Director, Institutional Research and Assessment

Data and Technology Team

Jon Davidson (co-chair), Associate Registrar, Office of the Registrar

Rueben Ternes (co-chair), Assistant Director, Office of Institutional Research and Assessment

Steve Szalay, Assistant Director of Enrollment Information and Analysis, Undergraduate Admissions

Brian Long, Financial Aid Systems Manager, Student Financial Services

Zack Budrow, Data Analyst, University Housing

Bill Johnson, Senior Systems and Data Analyst, First Year Advising Center

Steve Meyer, Senior Systems and Data Analyst, Academic Affairs

Lori Tirpak, Executive Director of Enterprise Systems, University Technology Services

Leonardo Debiaggi, Senior Director, Student Technology Center

Nivedita Mukherji, Associate Dean, School of Business Administration

Nicholas Jakubiak, Graduate Education Information Technology Specialist, Graduate School

Song Yan, Director, Institutional Research and Assessment

Institutional Processes Committee

Victor Zambardi, Vice President for Legal Affairs, General Counsel and Secretary to the Board of Trustees

Stephen Weiter, Dean, University Libraries

Jim Hargett, Assistant Vice President and Controller, Finance and Administration

Peggy Cooke, Assistant Vice President, Academic Affairs

Greg Jordan, Director of Campus Recreation and Well-Being

Dennis Wade, Director, Pawley Lean Institute

Bob Van Til, Pawley Professor of Lean Studies and Chair, Industrial and Systems Engineering, School of Engineering and Computer Science

John Meldrum, Assistant Director, Undergraduate Admissions

Claire Rammel, Assistant Dean, Graduate School

Graduate Recruitment and Retention Sub-Comittee

Julia Smith (co-chair), Ph.D. Coordinator, Department of Organizational Leadership

Brandy Randall (co-chair) , Dean, Graduate School

Kevin Ball, Dean, School of Health Sciences

Dan Aloi, Professor and Chair, Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering and Computer Science

Carrie Buch, Interim Associate Dean, School of Nursing

Rebekah Farrugia, Associate Professor, Department of Communication and Journalism

Meir Shillor, Graduate Program Coordinator and Chief Graduate Adviser, Mathematics and Statistics

Todd Steele, Coordinator of Graduate Program Recruitment, Graduate School

Todd Nucci, Director of Marketing, Digital and Web Services, University Communications and Marketing

Paul Trumbull, Coordinator of Graduate Business Programs, School of Business Administration

David Stone, Chief Research Officer

Claire Rammel, Assistant Dean, Graduate School

International Recruitment and Retention Sub-Committee

Rosemary Max (convener), Executive Director, Global Engagement

Louay Chamra, Dean, School of Engineering and Computer Science

David Archbold, Director, International Students and Scholars

Kelly Flemming, Senior Recruitment Adviser, Undergraduate Admissions

Melissa Vervinck, Director, ESL Institute

Claire Rammel, Assistant Dean, Graduate School

Shane Lewis, Director, Undergraduate Admissions