Community Colleges Get Strategic About Enrollment – Students – The Chronicle of Higher Education

• Community Colleges Get Strategic About Enrollment – Students – The Chronicle of Higher Education

  Today is the best time for community colleges to wean themselves off state aid and reach out to corporate america that is sitting on $4 trillion restructure the curriculum, expand social media and online education but the key is employment. Connect students to employment in their field of study then market student success watch the revenue rise.

  tags: education learning students enrollment colleges higher education

  • Now community colleges face a new stress: Keep the tuition coming in by managing enrollment like never before.

  • But waiting for students to show up is no longer enough, says Mr. Bryant, who has seen more business lately from community colleges. "There’s a growing realization," he says, "that there has got to be a much more strategic approach."

  • That means acting more like other sectors of higher education, going after students, and less like public school districts, serving those who live nearby.

  • While enrollment in community colleges is still up significantly over pre-recession levels, total head count in the spring of 2013 dropped by 3.6 percent over the previous year, the third straight annual decline, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, whose fall tallies will be out next month.

  • "Our budget is so dependent on tuition revenue." How dependent? Almost 60 percent of total revenue comes from tuition and fees.

  • Manchester also became more active on social media, promoting programs like Super Saturdays, when students could complete all steps to enroll in one go.

  • Of course community colleges have always been deliberate, aligning their programs, for instance, with the needs of local industry.

  • Presidents say they must know their market and identify areas for growth, tapping new types of students, say for corporate training or dual-enrollment programs.

  • Harrisburg Area Community College, which hired a marketing firm this fall, plans to roll out a new campaign in March

  • Competition is high, as students can also choose online programs, for-profit institutions, or even—because of the booming oil and gas industry, say, or doubt over the value of a degree—not to go to college at all.

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  • "Early in the summer you always think, Well, maybe they’re just a little slower to enroll this year,

  • Fortunately, the college had already stepped up its corporate-training operation, calling and visiting local businesses to discuss how it could serve their employee

  • Normandale Community College, in Bloomington, Minn., had budgeted for declines.

  • Now the college is strengthening connections with local high schools—not only so that students will graduate and go to Normandale, but so that more will start in dual-enrollment programs.

  • Armed with data is the only way to go, she says. The college is now practicing "section-size management," no longer letting 20 sections of English 101 (enrollment cap 25) all proceed with 15 students,

  • To make the equations work, colleges can’t just bring students in, but must keep them.

  • Retention, several presidents say, has gone from an intention to an imperative. A

  • What’s good for students is now critical for community colleges. In tough times, enrollment is a precious resource. If a student drops out, there may not be another to take his place.

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