Dear Colleagues,

Work on a new Strategic Enrollment Management Plan is moving along quickly, and we expect to have a plan circulated for feedback by mid to late April. I am writing to update you about some of the work being done. More information about the planning process is available here.

Below are some updates about our progress:

• As recommended by the representatives from the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), an oversight committee and two councils with very clear direction are in place. The councils are setting goals and specific plans related to student retention and to recruitment. The oversight committee is providing more general guidance and direction, raising high-level issues and opportunities, and working to ensure that plans for retention and recruitment fit well together.
• The Office of Institutional Effectiveness has completed an Environmental Scan (pdf), which provides valuable perspective and context for the planning process.
• We are leveraging the leadership with Enrollment Management (Admissions, Financial Aid, Registrar’s Office), along with support from Institutional Effectiveness. This type of partnership was noted as a best practice by AACRAO during our initial planning.

I also want to share with you that, given HSU’s budget situation and in recognition that we are now better organized to take advantage of our campus expertise, I have decided to conclude our relationship with AACRAO.

I believe we have made important strides in our enrollment management planning, and in connecting our enrollment to our budget process. However, even with hard work and a sense of urgency, it will take several years of work on both retention and recruitment to reverse the recent enrollment decline. The key will be developing a campus culture in which enrollment management is central to all we do.

Sincerely,
Alexander Enyedi
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs