Final Milestone

610 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric

Overview

The final project for this course is the creation of a strategic enrollment plan. As you continue your journey to become a higher education administrator, you must understand the enrollment management process within higher education, including techniques used to attract, admit, and retain students. Whether or not you work in the for-profit arena, attracting and retaining students in accordance with the higher education institution’s mission is at the core of the operation. In this strategic enrollment plan, you will demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to apply the tactics for successful onboarding and continued retention of students, as well as approaches aimed at improving student achievement and persistence. The project is divided into three milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three, Five and Seven. The final submission will occur in Module Nine. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

 Analyze assumptive models and theories regarding why and how prospective students choose institutions of higher learning for their application to an institution’s enrollment management strategic choices

 Analyze higher education institutions’ enrollment marketplaces using the relevant empirical data to inform programmatic decision making

 Propose policies and procedures for improving retention and student persistence in higher education that support the institution’s mission

 Develop appropriate marketing and recruitment strategies using marketplace data that support successful recruitment and retention

 Analyze institutional costs that impact the continuous improvement of student retention, attrition, and persistence for their fidelity to an institution’s strategic goals

Prompt

For this project, you will work with your instructor to develop a strategic enrollment management plan covering the multiple enrollment periods relating to an annual planning horizon. You may complete this plan for an institution of your choice in any sector of education (public, private, or for-profit—as long as the institution is accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education). Through research and readings, you will gather the needed information to complete your plan. You will examine the tools for effective admissions marketing, predict admissions yields, and assess how financial aid influences enrollment behavior. You will also analyze the critical stages of the enrollment process, identify models used to frame retention, differentiate the fiduciary enrollment management responsibilities inherent in all enterprise positions, and appraise the impacts that student achievement and quality of student life have on student persistence. Utilize the following institutional goals to drive your plan:

 Goal 1: Enhance marketing, recruitment, and early outreach strategies from initial contact through first-day attendance and first-year persistence

 Goal 2: Increase the probability of student achievement through the development of early academic and support strategies targeted for the student’s first-year experience

 Goal 3: Enhance academic programs and support systems in order to improve student persistence and student success Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Prospectus a. Describe the organization and its enrollment marketplace. What overall details about the institution will help contextualize your plan? What

overall data is relevant to determining the marketplace? b. Describe the role of enrollment management at your institution. How does this role complement the institution’s enrollment marketplace? What

is the organizational structure that supports this role? c. Describe the theories and models that underpin your plan and how they are applied. How do the roles and practices of relevant institution

employees impact student retention, attrition, and persistence? What are the responsibilities shared by all college employees that are germane to enrollment management? How can faculty, staff, and administrators assist in the successful implementation and continued success of this plan?

d. Summarize your plan and articulate the value it will bring to student success efforts. Overall, how will you address the goals? What is the planning horizon encompassed in your plan? What other relevant details do you need to include in your prospectus that will contextualize the plan for your audience?

II. Analyze the Current Enrollment Management Landscape a. Explain the strengths and opportunities of the institution’s current enrollment management initiatives. What data about your marketplace

supports your assertions? How will your plan capitalize on these possibilities during the planning horizon? b. Explain weaknesses and threats within the institution, regarding enrollment management. How will your plan mitigate these challenges during

the planning horizon? What data about your marketplace supports your assertions?

III. Foundational Assumptions for Proposals a. Describe the external assumptions that provide the contextual framework for your plan. What are the demographic, economic, or cultural

realities of your enrollment marketplace? What theories and assumptive models drive your decisions? b. Describe the internal assumptions that provide contextual framework for your plan. What details such as program offerings, cohort section size,

facilities limitations, or regulatory compliance impact your enrollment marketplace? What theories and assumptive models drive your decisions?

IV. Detail Your Strategic Enrollment Management Plan a. For each of the institutional goals provided above, create aligned, cogent objectives (for instance, approximately three objectives per goal) that

clearly delineate the plan. Ensure that they align to the institution’s mission and vision. The enrollment objectives should be achievable and inspirational and should push the institution’s strategic vision to a new level. Do they provide all the necessary information in a clear format?

b. Explain your key performance indicators (KPIs). What are the quantifiable measures you will use to gauge the performance of your objectives? Are there any relevant accrediting agency requirements? What metrics will be utilized to measure performance? How will the results be analyzed with regard to goals (planned vs. actual)?

V. Projected Outcomes: How will you measure or analyze the impact of your plan? Be sure to include your KPIs in your projections. a. Programmatic Changes: Recommend changes in program offerings necessitated by indicators from your enrollment marketplace analysis and

your strategic enrollment management plan. Consider the following programmatic issues you could address, in addition to other issues germane to your institution:

 What program graduates are a current career placement challenge?

 Which program placements are projected as promising in the near future (based upon feedback and projections from advisory boards, employment agencies, career services, etc.)?

 Which programs are logical candidates to be discontinued? Which programs that are not currently offered are viable candidates for inclusion or addition?

b. Impact on Student Achievement: Recommend policies and procedures to improve student persistence and retention, in relation to the institution’s mission and goals. How do these policies and procedures address the enrollment marketplace? How will they impact the quality of student life and student achievement? Consider the following programmatic issues you could address, in addition to other issues germane to your institution:

 What effect should the implementation of your plan have on your institution’s enrollment management effort?

 How will the quality of student life be impacted by the success of your plan?

 To what degree will first-year student persistence and student retention be affected as a result of your plan? c. Financial Implications: Defend the financial implications of the plan in relation to your institution’s strategic plan. Note that it is not necessary to

create a budget or know the exact dollar amount the plan would cost. Rather, you should discuss the types of costs and revenues in general based on the KPIs, and defend them as necessary costs and benefits of plan implementation. Consider the following in your defense, in addition to other relevant information that will enhance your position:

 Defend the types of costs that should accompany the marketplace outreach initiatives and why these costs are necessary in relation to the institution’s strategic plan. What resources might be required? Can you predict any unintended costs that might accrue? Are there mitigating factors such as accreditation criteria that merit consideration?

 Defend the types of revenue that should accompany the marketplace outreach initiatives in relation to the institution’s strategic plan. How will program changes impact revenue? How will these changes positively impact retention, attrition, and persistence? Can you predict any unintended revenue that might result?

VI. Communication and Messaging based on the data from your marketplace analysis

a. Explain how the proposed enrollment strategies will be communicated to the organization. Will you need to differentiate your messages or approaches for different stakeholder audiences? What types of messaging will you need to create? How will you use your data to support your claims?

b. Explain how you will communicate to the marketplace.

 Given the characteristics of your marketplace, what types of messaging will you need to create?

 What techniques or technologies should be successful in reaching your audience?

Milestones Milestone One: Prospectus In Module Three, you will submit the prospectus for a comprehensive enrollment management plan for the institution you chose in Module One. You will take an in-depth look at your institution, resulting in a prospectus that provides an overview of your institution and the theories and models that explain its current enrollment management strategies. You will also provide an overview of the institution’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and the internal and external assumptions that underpin your institution’s enrollment management plan. This section will be a major part of your final project. To develop your prospectus, you will need to visit the IPEDS Data Center, the institution’s website, and other sources for local, regional, and national education and population trends. This milestone is graded with the Milestone One Rubric. Milestone Two: Strategic Enrollment Management Plan In Module Five, you will submit a comprehensive strategic enrollment management plan. Identify at least one institutional goal that can be realized, with sound enrollment decisions, if your plan is adopted. The strategic enrollment plan must be clearly aligned to the institution’s mission, vision, and strategic objectives. This section of your final project will build on your previous submitted work by expanding the peer analysis, conducting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis, identifying key performance indicators (KPIs), and a market analysis. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Two Rubric. Milestone Three: Projected Outcomes In Module Seven, you will submit a robust projected outcomes analysis that considers the product mix, customer demands, and financial implications of those decisions. The institution will be committing significant resources to the enrollment plan, so these decisions must be made with the best possible evidence of value and return on investment. The projected outcomes provide the framework by which the institution will measure progress toward achieving its goals. Some elements for the outcomes can include key performance indicators (KPIs) or specific and measurable metrics that indicate achievement of a business goal. You should consider the costs for each step of the recruitment process and weigh them against the potential revenue. Generally speaking, the institution’s revenue goals are maximized with graduates, not student starts. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Three Rubric. Final Submission: Strategic Enrollment Plan In Module Nine, you will submit your strategic enrollment plan. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission is graded using the Final Project Rubric.

Final Project Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your strategic enrollment plan must follow these formatting guidelines: double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and APA-style citations.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Prospectus: Organization

Meets “Proficient” criteria and choice of data demonstrates a nuanced insight into the enrollment marketplace

Describes the organization and its enrollment marketplace, supported by relevant descriptive data

Describes the organization and the enrollment marketplace but does not support description with relevant descriptive data

Does not describe the organization and the enrollment marketplace

5.7

Prospectus: Enrollment Management

Meets “Proficient” criteria and details and examples demonstrate nuanced insight into the relationship between enrollment management and the marketplace

Describes the role of enrollment management at the institution and how it complements the enrollment marketplace

Describes the role of enrollment management at the institution but not how it complements the enrollment marketplace, or description is cursory or inaccurate

Does not describe the role of enrollment management at the institution

5.7

Prospectus: Theories and Models

Meets “Proficient” criteria and details and examples demonstrate a multi-faceted insight into how and why the theories and models inform the plan

Describes the theories and models that underpin the plan and how they are applied

Describes the theories and models that underpin the plan but not how they are applied, or there are gaps or inaccuracies in the description

Does not describe the theories and models that underpin the plan

5.7

Prospectus: Plan Summary

Meets “Proficient” criteria and details and examples demonstrate a nuanced insight into the audience

Summarizes the overall plan and the value it will bring to student success efforts

Summarizes the plan but not the value it will bring to student success efforts, or summary is cursory or inaccurate

Does not summarize the plan 5.7

Current Enrollment Management

Landscape: Strengths and Opportunities

Meets “Proficient” criteria and use of marketplace data to back up assertions demonstrates a nuanced insight into the relationship between enrollment management and the marketplace

Explains the strengths and opportunities of the institution’s current enrollment management initiatives in relation to the plan, supported by marketplace data

Explains the strengths and opportunities of the institution’s current enrollment management initiatives, but relation to the plan or application of marketplace data is cursory, missing, or inaccurate

Does not explain the strengths and opportunities of the institution’s current enrollment management initiatives

5.7

Current Enrollment Management

Landscape: Weaknesses and

Threats

Meets “Proficient” criteria and use of marketplace data to back up assertions demonstrates a nuanced insight into the relationship between the institution and the marketplace

Explains the weaknesses and threats within the institution regarding enrollment management in relation to the plan, backed by marketplace data

Explains the weaknesses and threats within the institution regarding enrollment management, but relation to the plan or application of marketplace data is cursory, missing, or inaccurate

Does not explain the weaknesses and threats within the institution regarding enrollment management

5.7

Foundational Assumptions: External

Meets “Proficient” criteria and details and examples demonstrate a multi-layered insight into the foundations of enrollment management

Describes the external assumptions that provide the contextual framework for the plan and how they inform it

Describes external assumptions that provide the contextual framework for the plan but not how they inform it, or description is cursory or inaccurate

Does not describe external assumptions that provide the contextual framework for the plan

5.7

Foundational Assumptions: Internal

Meets “Proficient” criteria and details and examples demonstrate a multi-layered insight into the foundations of enrollment management

Describes the internal assumptions that provide the contextual framework for the plan and how they inform it

Describes internal assumptions that provide the contextual framework for the plan, but not how they inform it, or description is cursory or inaccurate

Does not describe internal assumptions that provide the contextual framework for the plan

5.7

Strategic Enrollment Management Plan:

Goals

Meets “Proficient” criteria and the aggregate of the objectives outlines a multi-faceted strategic enrollment plan

Creates aligned, cogent objectives for the provided goals that clearly delineate the plan

Creates objectives for the provided goals but they are not aligned or they do not clearly delineate the plan

Does not create objectives for the provided goals

5.7

Strategic Enrollment Management Plan: KPIs

Meets “Proficient” criteria and the aggregate of the KPIs outlines a multi-faceted enrollment plan

Explains the KPIs and how they will be analyzed

Explains the KPIs but not how they will be analyzed, or they are cursory or inaccurate

Does not explain the KPIs 5.7

Projected Outcomes: Programmatic Changes

Meets “Proficient” criteria and use of marketplace data to drive the recommendations demonstrates a nuanced insight into the relationship between the institution’s programs and the marketplace

Recommends changes in program offerings necessitated by indicators from the enrollment marketplace analysis

Recommends changes in program offerings that are not necessitated by indicators from enrollment marketplace analysis, or that are cursory or inaccurate

Does not recommend changes in program offerings

5.7

Projected Outcomes: Student Achievement

Meets “Proficient” criteria and use of marketplace data to drive the recommendations demonstrates a nuanced insight into the relationship between the institution’s mission and goals and the marketplace

Recommends policies and procedures to improve student persistence and retention, explaining them in relation to the institution’s mission and goals

Recommends policies and procedures to improve student persistence and retention that do not address the institution’s mission and goals, or are cursory or inaccurate

Does not recommend policies and procedures to improve student persistence and retention

5.7

Financial Implications: Costs

Meets “Proficient” criteria and use of the KPIs to drive the defense demonstrates a nuanced insight into the financial impacts

Defends the types of costs that should accompany the marketplace outreach initiatives and why they are necessary in relation to the institution’s strategic plan

Discusses the types of costs that should accompany the marketplace outreach initiatives, but does not defend them as necessary or does not relate them to the institution’s strategic plan, or discussion is cursory or inaccurate

Does not discuss the types of costs that should accompany the marketplace outreach initiatives

5.7

Financial Implications: Revenue

Meets “Proficient” criteria and use of the KPIs to drive the defense demonstrates a nuanced insight into the financial impacts

Defends the types of revenue that should accompany the marketplace outreach initiatives in relation to the institution’s strategic plan

Discusses the types of revenue that should accompany the marketplace outreach initiatives but does not defend them as necessary or does not relate them to the institution’s strategic plan, or discussion is cursory or inaccurate

Does not discuss the types of revenue that should accompany the marketplace outreach initiatives

5.7

Communication and Messaging:

Organization

Meets “Proficient” criteria and the differentiating of messaging for different stakeholder audiences demonstrates a nuanced insight into the marketplace and how to reach it

Explains how the proposed enrollment strategies will be communicated to the organization and how the marketplace data supports them

Explains how the proposed enrollment strategies will be communicated to the organization, but does not explain how marketplace data supports them, or is cursory or inaccurate

Does not explain how the proposed enrollment strategies will be communicated to the organization

5.7

Communication and Messaging:

Marketplace

Meets “Proficient” criteria and use of marketplace data to drive the messaging demonstrates a nuanced insight into the marketplace and how to reach it

Explains the types of messaging that will need to be created given the characteristics of the enrollment marketplace

Explains the types of messaging that will need to be created but does not take into account the characteristics of the enrollment marketplace, or is cursory or inaccurate

Does not explain the types of messaging that will need to be created

5.7

Communication and Messaging:

Marketplace

Meets “Proficient” criteria and use of marketplace data to drive the messaging demonstrates a nuanced insight into the marketplace and how to reach it

Explains the techniques and approaches that should be successful in reaching the marketplace and why

Explains techniques and approaches for reaching the marketplace but does not explain why they should be successful

Does not explain techniques and approaches for reaching the marketplace

5.7

Articulation of Response

Submission is free of errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, and organization and is presented in a professional and easy-to-read format

Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas

Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas

3.1

Earned Total 100%