5 Reasons to Consider Strategic Enrollment Planning

How do you measure enrollment success? That's one of the questions that colleges and universities are trying to answer every day. As it is in other facets of life, planning for success is the single biggest indicator of future success.

What is a Strategic Enrollment Plan

A strategic enrollment plan is an attempt to capture critical tactics and priorities in support of enrollment goals.  It builds on demographics, competition and other trends and provides clarity on who will do what and why as the university pursues new opportunities and maximizes existing programs and strategies.  

Many campuses say, "We know we need to grow, but we don't know how." And in our experience, that's because not everyone takes the time to be strategic about planning for enrollment growth.

Today, we're going to explore five reasons you need a strategic enrollment plan.

1. There’s a new status quo.

Institutions are constantly dealing with shifting sands around them. So much about higher education is changing, and we can’t go about our business as usual. The “norm” has evolved, and having a strategic enrollment plan in place helps leaders respond to those constant changes.

For example, look at the number of projected high school graduates through a source like WICHE. If you look 10 years or more ahead and see a decline in high school graduates in your primary market, you need to adjust your strategy and expectations. And even in some areas where the number of high school graduates is projected to increase, the demographics are changing. As a result, you might have to reexamine what growth looks like at your institution in terms of who you will be serving and what students want.

2. Limited resources demand strategy.

We’ve all hit this wall at some point; we can’t do everything we know we need to with the resources we have. Not all strategies are created equal, so decisions have to be prioritized by the greatest potential for return.

Ask yourself: Is it a good idea for our staff, considering the requisite investment in time and travel costs, to attend dozens of college fairs? Or instead, should we invest in making the campus guest experience stronger? Studying your data helps to either revise or reinforce your thinking. And that adds specificity to your planning.  The reality is you may need to do both, but careful study of the results and potential will lead you to the right mix.

3. Empowered teams perform better.

An enrollment plan is also valuable for what you accomplish in the process of putting it together. Planning creates a unified sense of purpose to your team. In our experience, many campuses feel stymied as they plan. “How will we address these challenges? What will we do?” Answering those questions together helps build shared momentum.

A completed plan for your institution ensures that holistic goals are being met and supported by each department. The process will allow others on campus to learn more about the plan for enrollment, and find both encouragement and direction in its execution.

4. Planning helps you act effectively on your data.

Planning should be based on analysis of relevant data. It means you are not flying blindly into a changing market without knowing what your competitors are doing, or understanding why your applicants enroll or don’t.

Admitted student research, for example, can help you interpret the reasons behind why students matriculate, or ultimately choose a different institution. This data can then guide your strategies and tactics around messaging, the campus guest experience, and the role of faculty in enrolling students.

We've seen many campuses over the years who have cruised along (based on a strong program or two) and enrolled students with ease. But factors like the changes in demographics and increased competition have forced a high level of intentionality into the institution’s enrollment processes. A strategic enrollment plan alone doesn’t guarantee success, but succeeding without one will likely be less efficient and more costly.

5. Clear direction inspires action.

When we agree on a plan for enrollment, the real work starts. The plan provides clear direction, but the impact is only felt when it’s pursued with diligence. It must tag the right performance indicators so that they, as well as the plan itself, can be measured. These indicators include metrics like the number of admitted students, deposits, and campus visitors.

Planning for the future is imperative in order for enrollment at your institution to thrive. With solid use of data, prioritization of resources, and a united team, a strong enrollment plan can position your enrollment engine to achieve clear goals and finally answer that question, “How do we measure enrollment success?”

To learn more about the benefits of a strong strategic enrollment plan, .