Enrollment/Management Council

October 30, 2000

The Enrollment/Management Council met for the first time on October 30, 2000 at 2:00 p.m. in Conference Rooms 2536-38.  The meeting was open to all employees.  Members of the Enrollment/Management Council are: Erik Bitterbaum (Chair),k Joe Badgley, Judy Higgs, Connie Dziagwa, Ragina Copeland, Bill Brown, Suzanne Dietz Gary Waggoner, Criss McCauley, Tim Beardsley, Pam Braden, and Michelle Morningstar (student representative).  At-large representations are Cristine Post, Cecilia Malhotra, Rodney Parker, Alita Sellers, Diane Davis, and Debbie Richards.

At the first meeting, Dr. Bitter requested suggestions on improving admissions and retention.  The data collected will be used to compile a survey to be sent to all employees to determine the five area of the colleges focus for improving enrollment and retention. Suggestions from attendees were as follows:

Suggestions for Improving Admissions to the College

  1. Bring competitions to campus

2.    Promote good relationship with high school counselors (Gatekeepers) educate them about WVU Parkersburg.

3.    Collect name, address, email of students present for activities on campus.

4.    Contact Alumni to elicit names of prospective students

5.    Offer courses when student can take them.

6.    Encourage current students to recruit new high school graduates (students recruiting students)

7.    Work with small group association (external groups to the college)

8.    Speak to civic organizations about the college

9.    Advertise to adults about missed educational opportunities when they were younger.

10.    Offer more courses at more local high schools

11.    Visit high school organizations, e.g., PTA's

12.    Offer more and varied courses in summer school

13.    Speed up matriculation processes

14.    Identify and overcome barriers to matriculation

15.    Provide one stop shop so students aren't shuffled from one person or department to another; clarify enrollment steps

16.    attract more Ohio students from high schools; explore metro fees

17.    Contact plant managers about paying for employees to take classes

18.    Brag: We are most affordable, small classes, exceptional faculty, exceptional facilities, diverse programs

19.    Graduate education

20.    Offer summer academy - includes freshmen in English, math, relating - to prepare for fall semester

21.    Develop summer awareness programs for seven and eighth graders

22.    Offer more Continuing Education programs

23.    Provide more information about Financial Aid and scholarship resources to civic organizations

24.    Get faculty, staff, students more involved with recruiting/personal contacts

25.    Have faculty, staff, students make visitations with recruiters

26.    Provide more distance education, web based programs, alternate deliveries

27.    Offer more programs with CEU's (BIDS)

28.    Participation in Career Days work at high schools and junior highs

29.    Give better information about available jobs, market career programs and services

30.    Buy ACT names of seniors, juniors, sophomores scores from our service areas.

31.    Return calls/letters to non-applicants

32.    Have divisional open houses - contact business organizations

33.    Hire another admissions recruiter

34.    Create web page connection to WVUP from local schools web pages

35.    Refurbish Image

36.    Orientation for freshmen; (conduct focus group with our own students)

37.    Beautify the campus - make it a pretty place

38.    Walk through the admissions process - remove road blocks that cause students to become discouraged and not want to attend our college.

39.    Explore possibilities of some type of housing, rentals, boarding homes, etc.

40.    Go to high schools or have schools come to WVUP, e.g., music or drama students.

41.    Offer more scholarships

42.    Offer more bachelor programs

43.    Define our associate degree programs

44.    Distribute more literature about WVUP, e.g., at Distinguished Performances

45.    Develop an Honors Program

46.    Communicate more with the community, especially with parents

47.    Focus on parents since they are the key to encouraging their children to come to WVUP

49.    Create friends of the Library group.

50.    Lemons to Lemonade (turn some of our negatives to positives)

51.    Introduce community to Brown Bag Lunch concept

52.    More advertisement of our faculty

53.    Invite executives in residence to work with the college and students

54.    Develop Speakers Bureau and brochure advertising the program

55.    Advertise and emphasize the high quality education we can offer.

 

Suggestions to Improve Retention

1.    Computerize more placements tests

2.    Identify weak students

3.    Create greater structure - have more contact with students

4.    Strengthen advising - consider student's "context" e.g., work, family, travel

5.    Offer more developmental summer programs

6.    Recognize misplaced students (higher - lower); improve initial placement

7.    Have senior provide help to freshmen; develop mentoring program

8.    Encourage more student organizations and more involvement from organizations

9.    Make available good data that tells how our students are doing

10.    Review previous classes students have taken

11.    Remove barriers such as low motivation; increase availability of

12.    Need more student activities - become an exciting place; improve student life

13.    Use TV's in the halls for educational opportunities

14.    Explore Financial Aid Issues

15.    Improve perception of WVUP as transfer institution

16.    Develop more 4-year programs

17.    Provide more guidance to undecided students

18.    Provide more assistance when pre-registering (returning contact students who do not pre-register)

19.    Provide midterm grades other than D or F

20.    Make sure each student has an adviser

21.    More flexible paced courses (ILC)