Strategic Enrollment Management
Overview
The post-secondary landscape in our region and country has been influenced by unprecedented economic challenges, evolving student needs, fiscal constraints, growing numbers of educational options, and a labor market offering competitive wages that have created a hyper-competitive environment for student attention.
Highline has not been immune to these challenges. Over the past six years, our enrollment has been declining and the pandemic has exacerbated this decline. The college is looking at a revenue shortfall this year, and we are all feeling the stress and pressure to increase our enrollment.
A lot of good student-centered enrollment management work is currently being done at the college, both locally within departments as well as part of the campus-wide Degree Pathways, Title III and Equity First Strategic Planning priorities. Enrollment management is a campus-wide responsibility, and as a college, we have a need to centralize and leverage our limited resources in a more coordinated and intentional manner. The Strategic Enrollment Management Plan aims to help Highline College respond to declining enrollment, implement industry best practices and position students for success.
Background
In February 2022, after a competitive RFP process, Highline selected CampusWorks as the successful vendor to support the college in its strategic enrollment planning and implementation efforts. The contract with CampusWorks runs through the end of June 2023 and is divided into three phases:
Phase I – Enrollment assessment, data analysis, recommendations and road map for short-term enrollment impact. This discovery phase was conducted March – June 2022. As part of this phase, CampusWorks staff led the campus through a Student Experience visioning workshop that had over 35 students in attendance, and conducted 30 focus group sessions and interviews with key faculty, staff and student stakeholders. Deliverables for this phase include a Student Experience Statement (This statement is to guide the College as we implement our enrollment management work.), a SWOT analysis, and a Phase I Final Report including their findings and recommendations.
Phase II – Strategic plan development phase of the contract. CampusWorks used the findings and recommendations outlined in Phase I final report as well as the campus feedback to the report to work with the SEM Work Group, composed of individuals from across campus, to deliver a comprehensive strategic enrollment plan for the college. The plan includes enrollment goals that are revenue-focused, sustainable and actionable. Phase II was implemented from July- October 2022. Over the course of the summer, CampusWorks facilitated six workshops with stakeholders from across campus. These workshops led to the deliverable for this phase; an SEM Plan. This plan was completed on October 14, 2022.
Phase III – Strategic plan implementation support. This phase will run from November 2022 – June 2023. Beginning in January 2023, CampusWorks will provide consulting and coaching services to support the college with implementing the strategic enrollment management strategic priorities and day-to-day operational work developed as part of phase II and in alignment with the College’s Strategic Plan for Equitable Student Success.