Enrollment Leadership Conference | SCANNELL & KURZ, Inc.

Mon, June 9, 2008
4:00-6:00 pm	Conference registration open – check in and receive program materials
6:00-8:00 pm	Welcome reception Dinner on your own Horizons Restaurant at the Woodcliff recommended Local dining options at Eastview Mall
Tue, June 10, 2008
7:00-8:00 am	Continental breakfast
7:30-8:00 am	Registration
8:00-8:15 am	Welcome – Jim Scannell & Kathy Kurz, Scannell & Kurz, Inc.
8:15-10:00 am	*President’s Panel: Strategic Planning in Challenging Times* Higher education institutions are facing challenging times that require strong leadership and creative thinking in order to meet institutional enrollments goals and at the same time balance these goals with other institutional priorities and values. This panel of presidents will discuss their institution’s unique challenges and the transformational decisions they made that resulted in significant enrollment gains. Presenters: Dr. George Martin, President, St. Edward’s University Dr. G. David Pollick, President, Birmingham-Southern College Lisa Marsh Ryerson, President, Wells College
10:00-10:30 am	Break
10:30-11:30 am	Concurrent sessions (2) *Developing Messages That Get Noticed* Communicating effectively to a busy audience in an overcommunicated society is one of the biggest challenges that colleges and universities face. This highly visual and fast-moving session reviews a dozen critical messaging tools that will help you communicate messages that are relevant, remembered, and repeated. Presenter: Robert A. Sevier, Senior Vice President for Strategy, Stamats, Inc. *Managing The Enrollment of Special Interest Groups* Institutional mission, history, or strategy can mean that certain subpopulations are “more equal than others”, to quote from Animal Farm. During this session, the panel of presenters will discuss the challenges, opportunities, and results they have achieved in establishing an appropriate role for special populations (athletes, performing arts students, in-state students) within overall enrollment goals. Presenters: Courtney O. McAnuff, Vice President of Enrollment Management, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Dr. G. David Pollick, President, Birmingham-Southern College Dr. Judson R. Shaver, President, Marymount Manhattan College
11:30-11:45 am	Break
11:45-1:15 pm	Keynote luncheon speaker *Is American Higher Education at a Turning Point?* Is the current model for funding higher education sustainable given the economy today? How are institutions of higher education going to find the resources to continue to educate students, meet their mission, conduct research, maintain a quality workforce, etc.? Leadership and supporters of higher education must think creatively to develop new methods to educate students, new ways to sell their services to other constituents, new and innovative financing mechanisms, etc. Who will survive, who won’t? What role is best for federal and state governments? How does enrollment management and tuition pricing fit into the solution? Presenter: Dr. Ronald G. Ehrenberg, Director Cornell Higher Education Research Institute
1:15-2:30 pm	*How to Set Price? How to Distribute Aid? Tools That Build Confidence* In today’s highly competitive marketplace it is not surprising that an increasing number of college administrators are looking for better data to inform their decisions about tuition pricing and financial aid allocation. In particular, they want answers to such questions as: How much can we raise tuition without negatively impacting enrollment? How does our tuition impact share or preference? How do prospective students and parents perceive the institution’s current brand value? How much financial aid do we need to send to meet our enrollment goals? Are we targeting our aid effectively and efficiently? This session will address two methodologies – tuition pricing studies and predictive modeling – that will provide clarity and enormous insight into those questions. Presenters: Jim Scannell, President, Scannell & Kurz, Inc. Kathy Kurz, Vice President, Scannell & Kurz, Inc. Robert A. Sevier, Senior Vice President for Strategy, Stamats, Inc.
2:30-3:00 pm	Break
3:00-4:00 pm	Case Studies (3) *More, Better and Different! A Data-driven and Research-based Approach to Enrollment Management* We are all faced with the myriad of challenges associated with recruiting, enrolling, retaining and graduating a larger, increasingly competitive and more diverse student body. For more than a decade, the University of Connecticut has implemented a data-driven and research-based approach to managing enrollment. Efforts include the use of strategic communication, CRM technology, and a data-driven approach in the use of financial aid to shape the class. The use of quantitative and qualitative research in student expectations and satisfaction, retention and graduation has lead to record-high rates and has propelled the University into the upper echelon of public universities in the country. This interactive presentation will provide examples of techniques that can be used by 2- and 4-year public and private institutions. Presenter: M. Dolan Evanovich, Vice Provost of Enrollment Management, University of Connecticut *Marymount University - Meeting the Challenges of Diversity, Quality and Revenue Goals* Institutional transformation and change has defined Marymount University for over 50 years. From a two-year women’s college to a coeducational comprehensive university Marymount has adapted and changed to meet the needs of changing student expectations and market demands. Over the last decade Marymount leveraged its adaptive and responsive institutional climate to attract and retain a diverse student body in two important ways. First, Marymount has met its revenue and enrollment goals by actively recruiting significant numbers of transfer students. In fact, 50% of Marymount’s undergraduate population is made up of students who transferred from two and four-year colleges. Secondly, Marymount has made a series of strategic decisions to recruit and retain a diverse student body. In fall 2007 over half of Marymount’s undergraduate population identified themselves as an ethnic minority. Among this group the largest population is African Americans and the fast growing population is Latinos. Minority students not only represent the fastest growing percentage of incoming first-year and transfer students they also are being retained at a higher rate than Caucasian students. In this session you have an opportunity to explore how this institution has increased enrollment, kept tuition low, attracted and retained a diverse student population, exceeded revenue goals, and maintained academic quality. Presenter: Chris Domes, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services, Marymount University The Male Factor: Making Co-education Work In spring 2004, the trustees of Lesley University approved a strategy for the nearly 100 year old women's college (Lesley College) to become co-educational. Prior to the arrival of the "inaugural" class in the fall of 2005, a planning process focused on issues of marketing, messaging, pricing strategy, recruitment, academic programming and student culture. Many said it couldn't be done: increase size, increase quality and decrease the discount rate (which was dangerously high at 48% prior to the co-education decision). Today, three years into the newly transformed Lesley College, the numbers speak for themselves in measuring success -- overall freshmen enrollment increased by 150% over three years (all indication is for a continuation of this trend), retention has improved, quality factors of admitted students have improved, and the discount rate for entering freshmen has declined (an enrollment dream). This session will review the lessons as predicted: the importance of marketing messages, pricing and aid strategy, and the role of athletics in the initial recruitment stages. We will also address the challenges, areas where focus was either too slow or, in some cases, non-existent, and lessons learned from mistakes made. Presenter: Carol Streit, Vice President for Enrollment & Associate Provost, Lesley University
4:00-5:00 pm	Case Studies (2) *The Enrollment Rollercoaster: Iowa State Redesigns the Ride* Iowa State University, like most public universities has become more dependent on tuition revenue as state support has remained flat or decreased in real terms. For the most current fiscal year, tuition accounts for 45% of the General University budget, compared to 32% just 7 years ago. In 2004, the enrollment leadership team was charged with reversing a 3-year downward trend in total UG enrollment. Aggressive new student enrollment targets were set with a desire to increase total enrollment without negatively affecting the financial health of the University. Using a data driven approach, Iowa State conducted internal and external assessments of financial aid and recruitment in support of the new student enrollment goals. Was the assessment on target and worthwhile? Learn how Iowa State redesigned strategies that resulted in new undergraduate enrollment growth for three consecutive years, in a very competitive market place, as well as the first increase in total undergraduate enrollment since 2001. Presenters: Marc Harding, Director of Admissions and Enrollment Services, Iowa State University Darin Wohlgemuth, Director of Research for Enrollment, Iowa State University *St. Bonaventure University* - *Digging Deeper into the Data* In 2006, after a two year decline in freshmen enrollment and a longer period of decline in transfer enrollment, St. Bonaventure opted to take a more sophisticated approach to reviewing the data it had been using to determine financial aid awarding strategies. Analyses indicated that while Bona's awarding strategies for freshmen were fairly well targeted, there was room for improvement in order to accomplish both freshmen and transfer enrollment goals. Join us for a review and discussion of how St. Bonaventure dug a little further into the data to guide the decision-making process. What worked? What didn’t? Was it worth it? Presenter: Mary Piccioli, Assistant Vice President for Institutional Research and Planning, St. Bonaventure University
5:30 pm	Buses leave for evening activities *Reception at Casa Larga* *Red Wings Baseball Game*
Dinner on your own	Horizons Restaurant at the Woodcliff recommended Local dining options at Eastview Mall (transportation provided)
Wed, June 11, 2008
7:00-8:00 am	Continental breakfast
8:00-9:00 am	*What Trustees Need To Know About Enrollment Management* This session will suggest the basics of a trustee “curriculum” on enrollment management, along with discussing practical steps to guide the Board’s involvement with this critical dimension of institutional performance. As with other areas of Board responsibility, Trustees must focus their work strategically (not operationally), while providing appropriate oversight. Without proper guidance by senior staff and Board leaders, Boards can oversimplify their roles in enrollment management—by merely tracking the number of freshmen and the amount of the discount rate—or get mired in the details of student recruitment. Session attendees will explore essential areas of Trustee learning, strategic questions to be addressed, and performance indicators to be monitored. Dr. Flynn will also discuss ways to organize the Board’s work and to ensure Trustees understand how enrollment management interconnects with institutional mission, finances, and marketing as well as the educational experience of students. Presenter: Thomas F. Flynn, President, Alvernia College
9:00-9:15 am	Break
9:15-10:15 am	Concurrent sessions (2) *Bond Ratings and Higher Education Market Strategy* This session will draw upon the speaker’s two decades of experience in rating the financial health and credit of private colleges and universities. Mr. Nelson will discuss private higher education market strategies, financial positioning and bond ratings in the context of the coming increase in competition for traditional age students due largely to the slowing demographic market for undergraduate students in the North. The role of governance, management, and strategy and the use of aggressive financial strategies, including increased borrowing and capital investing, will be discussed. Mr. Nelson will explain how these factors affect credit position and bond ratings as well as the importance of rating meetings held with the President, CFO, other senior cabinet officers, and Board members. He will comment on examples of different student market and financial strategies used by colleges and universities in different markets around the United States. Presenter: John Nelson, Managing Director, Moody’s U.S. Public Finance Group *New Perspectives, Creative Solutions* Learn to break out of typically narrow perspectives to explore new ways of looking at opportunities, issues, and problems. This high-energy session will feature how to practice using different views and lines of thought to develop alternative solutions and challenge the mind. Presenter: C. Dan Unkefer, Proprietor/Consultant, High Performance Concepts LLC
10:15-10:45 am	Break
10:45-11:45 am	Concurrent sessions (3) *Fear of the Inexplicable: A Leader’s Primer on Communicating in the Digital Age* Of all the recruiting avenues pursued by university executives, the Internet and its related technologies are the most ill-used and poorly understood. That will be changed during this presentation. The web represents not only a leap in technology, but a profound shift in how students think about colleges and universities. But even as the ‘net appears foster relationships that are shallow and impersonal, it provides unique opportunities for colleges and universities to distinguish themselves as vibrant and engaging communities. Dr. Beedle and attendees will begin with a brief discussion of what the web really means to the future of higher education. From there, a variety of approaches to relationship building via web sites, chat, email, and online communities will be explored. Presenter: Andrew S. Beedle, Ph.D., CEO, abeedle.com, incorporated Impact of the Credit Crisis on Student Loan Cost and Availability Mark Kantrowitz is publisher of FinAid.org and Director of Advanced Projects for FastWeb.com. He testified before the Senate Banking Committee on the student loan credit crunch and the impact on the cost and availability of education loans in April. Mark will provide an update concerning developments in the student loan marketplace, the impact on borrowers, and proposed solutions. Presenter: Mark Kantrowitz, publisher, FinAid.org *Search Firms… Myths and Realities for Institutions and Professionals* Identification and recruitment of leaders for higher education is an ongoing challenge. To find the right “fit”, to find the person that can lead and mentor, and to find the senior management person who will further the institutional mission is both an ongoing challenge and an important opportunity. This presentation and free-wheeling dialogue will be about search firms. The presenters will cover pitfalls in using a search firm, compensation and costs of firms, institutional involvement in the process, current compensation ranges for various levels of positions, search management, background checks, passive and active marketing, effective search processes, and considerations for selection of a firm. Presenters: William Spelman, President, William Spelman Executive Search Leila Moore, Vice President, William Spelman Executive Search
11:45-12:00 pm	Break
12:00-1:30 pm	Keynote Luncheon Speaker *What Matters to Collegiate Quality* Creating the conditions that foster success in college is more important than ever. Much progress has been made during the past two decades in using active, collaborative, and problem-based learning, learning communities, student-faculty research, service learning, internships, and other pedagogical innovations to enrich student learning and promote educational attainment. Despite all this activity, too often these and other effective educational practices are underutilized. In this session Dr. Kuh will review what matters to student success in college, present some ways to assess and report key indicators of quality such as student engagement, and illustrate the kinds of policies and “high impact” practices that channel student and institutional effort toward educationally purposeful activities. Dr. Kuh will also devote some time to discussing the promises and pitfalls of institutional transparency in the context of increased expectations for accountability. Presenter: George D. Kuh, Chancellors Professor and Director, Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Education
1:30-1:45 pm	Wrap Up/Closing Comments – Jim Scannell & Kathy Kurz, Scannell & Kurz, Inc.