Blog

One of the more interesting aspects of working in the higher education space is the amount of change and innovation that has been occurring in recent years. Dual-enrollment programs is one of the more exciting ways that schools are re-thinking how they engage with students.

For institutions struggling with recruitment and enrollment, continuing education could be a pathway for colleges and universities in need of delivering value to prospective students and finding alternative streams of revenue. But to have a successful continuing education (CE) program, institutions must dedicate adequate resources and technology to those programs.

The Higher Education User Group's annual conference wrapped up this Wednesday. It was incredible to catch up with old friends, discuss challenges and trends faced by small and large institutions, and discuss how they are adapting to the changing world inherent in the industry. Here are some of my reactions and observations.

As another fall recruitment cycle comes to a close, one can’t help but think about all of the challenges facing enrollment managers. From shifting demographics and changes in student mobility patterns to limited flexibility and agility in developing new and diverse educational opportunities to functioning with a heavy workload in a high-stress environment, it is not an easy time to be working in enrollment management. Mining through the mounting challenges, tasks, and meetings, the last thing enrollment leaders should be worried about is the application for admission and the technology associated with it.

Most institutions spend well upwards of $250,000 per year on digital advertising to recruit new students. Yet, most marketing and admissions leaders have no visibility into the effectiveness of those campaigns -- which prevents them from making key decisions affecting their success.

After participating virtually in 2021, it was refreshing to reconnect with old colleagues and make new connections at the 2022 FACRAO Annual Summit in Daytona Beach last week. 

You want to improve the enrollment numbers at your institution.  What's the best way to do this?  Industry best practice is to adopt a CRM for engaging with your prospective students, right?  Not so fast.  What you don't know could definitely hurt you.

It’s that time in the admissions cycle again - summer melt. As a former admissions counselor, I fully understand the anxiety, stress, and frustration that comes with this part of the admissions process. You have nurtured fantastic relationships and gained commitment from your candidate pool. You are riding high as the spring semester ends. Then, as it happens with every admissions cycle, commitments start getting softer, and your candidate pool starts to shrink. 

This past April many community colleges across the county joined in celebrating Community College Month (#ccmonth). The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) coordinated a grassroots campaign to “increase awareness and understanding of the value of community colleges both locally and nationally.”  As we followed the celebration around the country, we wanted to share some highlights and takeaways from the great work these two-year institutions are doing.

After two years of being virtual, it was great to reconnect with HEUG colleagues in-person at Alliance.