Appalachian State University Continuing Budget Adjustment Request Unit Name: Enrollment Management Date: April 2016 I.

Strategic Goals and Major Accomplishments Establish and maintain optimal levels of enrollment to achieve the University’s vision, mission, and goals.  Met enrollment targets for freshmen and transfer students.  The Office of Admissions has implemented Phase 1 of a predictive modeling strategy for yielding the fall 2016 class. Maintain quality measures and contribute to the educational environment by increasing enrollment of high-achieving students, with an emphasis on students from traditionally underrepresented groups (including international)  Co-advised a Chancellor’s Student Advisory Board for Diversity Recruitment.  For Fall 2015, 15.2% of freshmen students indicated they are racially diverse students.  Continued implementation of pilot holistic admissions review to admit students that better fit the University’s strategic objectives.  As recommended by the Scholarship Advisory Council, awarded additional funding to the Diversity Scholars Program (formerly $2,000/year): tuition and fees for four years, plus a study abroad stipend. Fifteen additional diverse students in the class of 2020 received an Academic Excellence Scholarship of tuition and fees for years.  Academic profile of the freshman class increased as measured by predicted grade point average. Hosted the largest number of prospective freshmen at Scholars Day 2016 - 257 students - and awarded a record-breaking number of scholarships.  The Wilson Scholars Program incorporated more than 100 external stakeholders (alumni, donors, and parents of students) in the review process for incoming scholars, thus raising awareness of the program and allowing more students to be reviewed.  Increased the minimum GPA for transfer admission from 2.0 to 2.25 in fall 2015.  Hired a Coordinator of Student Veteran Services with funds from a grant award. Honor the University’s founding principles including a special attentiveness to the people and needs of Appalachian, and the Appalachian region.  Completed year one for two GEAR-UP grants totaling nearly $30 million from the US Department of Education to serve 11 school districts in western North Carolina.  Provided campus visits to approximately 7,000 school-aged children in grades K-10. Strengthen marketing of Appalachian’s unique competitive advantages and improve communications to students, parents, and other stakeholders.  Implemented the You Visit virtual campus tour in English, Spanish, and Chinese.

  

Collaborated with University Communications to support the development of a new University home page and academic program pages. Admissions implemented record-specific email communication to students throughout the recruitment funnel that significantly improved operational efficiency. Financial Aid communications with students and parents have been further enhanced with proactive emails, mailed letters, and phone call campaigns.

Provide student-centered, sustainable services by considering our business processes and decisions through the lens of a student (operational efficiencies, user-friendly services, technological advancements)  Financial aid shifted two applications online: PLUS Loan application and the summer financial aid application.  Improved award rate of all university scholarships by utilizing technology to increase the number of applications and to allow for budget transparency for awarding authorities.  Implemented the University’s first Banner Workflow for student overload requests.  Displayed student’s preferred first name on significant places pages in Banner Self Service, including faculty class list and grade roster. Develop a strong organizational structure with staff who are leaders, engendering a team approach across our integrated functions.  Integrated the Office of Financial Aid into the Division of Enrollment Management.  Offered a monthly professional development series for all staff.  17 staff presented sessions at seven state, regional, or national conferences. Improve students’ academic success through effective enrollment management practices  Continue to encourage increased four-year graduation rate with marketing campaign, “Finish in Four” years.  Increased student financial literacy with a goal of minimizing loan debt by notifying student loan borrowers of their estimated total loan debt and estimated monthly payment amount, as well as the Financial Awareness Counseling tool for personalized loan data and tips on budgeting and money management.  Student cohort default rate was 3.4% - significantly below state and national averages.  Articulation agreements developed in Interdisciplinary Studies with Western Piedmont Community College, Architectural Technology & Designwith Wilkes Community College and Speech Language Pathology with Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute.  Hosted the Third Annual Transfer Symposium as a “Magic Bus Tour” for nearly 35 faculty and staff to visit Caldwell Community College to create campus conversations about transfer student success.  Developed Transfer Four-Year Guides and Baccalaureate Degree Plans per the North Carolina Comprehensive Articulation Agreement. Maintain data integrity such that those data may inform decisions. Maintain compliance with university, state, and federal regulations  Supported implementation of BlackBoard Analytics with data validation.  Four financial aid audits were conducted with no findings: statewide federal compliance audit, an NCSEAA audit, an Internal Audit of the Federal Work-Study program, and an audit by Veteran’s Affairs.

II.

Major Quality Enhancement Areas Slow and steady growth of the new freshmen and transfer student classes. Better leverage or expand the current resources (i.e., financial, human), data analytics, and technological tools available to the Office of Admissions to achieve increased enrollment goals. Increase enrollment of high-achieving students, with an emphasis on students from traditionally underrepresented groups (including international). Ensure that Appalachian is affordable by providing adequate financial aid and that our students graduate with reduced loan debt and the requisite financial literacy skills to manage that debt after graduation. Increase merit-based scholarships to attract students to meet the University’s strategic goals (i.e., freshmen, transfers, international, diverse). Create an Office of University Scholarships, rather than depending upon only one staff person to manage and implement technology for scholarships. Strengthen marketing of Appalachian’s unique competitive advantages. Increase use of technology to create efficient business processes and deliver direct student services. Maximize opportunities to integrate technology across departments and leverage technological advancements for different offices. Shift long-standing full-time non-student temporary employees to permanent positions to ensure business continuity and delivery of consistent student service, as well as, to honor the staff members’ commitment to the University. Compensate staff at market rate to contribute to staff retention and morale. Identify adequate, healthy office space for all staff. Maintain subject matter expertise and professional development for staff. Improve students’ degree progression through the implementation of Student Educational Planner in Degree Works and College Scheduler. Serve current transfer and veteran students through student life programming. With the addition of these two functions, the Division of Enrollment Management serves current students, rather than only prospective students. The appropriate type of funding is needed to provide adequate services to these student populations. Utilize data analytics to better understand student behavior such as yield and price responsiveness, to support enrollment.

III.

Major Goals and Initiatives 1. SD 4: Embracing diversity of thought, belief, and community: Increase enrollment of high-achieving students, with an emphasis on students from traditionally underrepresented groups (including international). a. Create a new position to focus upon the University’s strategic goal of increasing the diversity of the total student population. A Senior Associate Director for Diversity Recruitment would strategically plan and implement recruitment initiatives to attract diverse students - both domestic and international - to Appalachian. b. Allocate funds for diverse student recruitment – both domestic and international – to meet new diverse student enrollment goals. Strategies will focus on attracting and completing more applications by qualified students; increasing the yield from those students offered admission; and, attracting more diverse students to campus (for events or campus visits), specifically to implement AsU Lead events to serve 80 rising high school seniors each summer. The AsULead Program is an opportunity for students to develop skillsets in leadership, community engagement, and cultural awareness, in addition to helping students understand the importance of the college search process. c. Expand holistic admissions review for all students in the middle 50% of the applicant pool. Largely due to a lack of staffing, Admissions is limited in its ability to review applications holistically and reviews only a portion of those submitted. The implementation of an admissions internship program for recent alumni would allow Admissions to increase the reach of the holistic review process. d. Admissions currently utilizes a CRM, Hobson’s Connect, to track prospective students throughout the enrollment funnel. The contract with this CRM ends summer 2017, requiring the purchase and implementation of a new CRM during the 2016-2017 academic year to begin recruiting for fall 2018. The cost for a new CRM is anticipated to be greater than the current allocated amount for Hobson’s Connect. e. Increase need-based financial aid to allocate the maximum amount allowable from campus initiated tuition increase funds. Over the past 5 years, the number of students who apply for financial aid has increased by 12% and the average need of these students has increased by 17%, while at the same time state grant awards have decreased such that 18% fewer students receive state grants. For the past three years the institutional need-based aid has remained stable. More funds are required for need-based aid to ensure Appalachian continues to be affordable. 2. SD 6: Building a responsive Infrastructure for a sustainable campus and SD 1 - Creating the Transformational Educational Experience and SD 5: Preserving Faculty and Staff Excellence: Create an Office of University Scholarships, rather than depending upon only one staff person to manage and implement new technology for scholarships, as well as provide administrative support to the Wilson Scholars Program. a. Create a University Program Associate position to provide necessary administrative and budgetary support for the Office of University Scholarships. In 2009 a Director of University Scholarships position was funded by campus initiated tuition increase funds. Nearly 7 years later, the administration of scholarships is managed and operated one by person. With the complexity of new technological advancements, increased scholarship dollars, and the important need to ensure that all dollars are

awarded accurately, the responsibilities require additional assistance. Further, programming responsibilities have increased with the new Wilson Scholars Program. b. Implement the Academic Works scholarship technology solution to replace the system being built by ITS. This system will manage multiple scholarship applications, collect thousands of applications, provide a platform for all reviewers (faculty, staff, community members, alumni, donors, current students), and then submit the award information to the Financial Aid Office. This system also allows University Advancement access to make current donors and potential donors aware of our scholarships and the needs of the university. 3. SD 5: Preserving Faculty and Staff Excellence: Shift long-standing full-time non-student temporary employees to permanent positions to ensure business continuity and delivery of consistent student service, as well as, to honor the staff members’ commitment to the University. a. The Financial Aid Call Center, initiated in 2010, is a critical service and process function staffed by six full-time non-student temporary employees. During peak times call center activity (phone calls and emails) exceeds 4,500 contacts, with July and August exceeding 7,400 and 6,100 respectively. Retaining the Call Center staff is essential to effective and efficient service in the Financial Aid Office. The full-time non-student temporary staff members are providing intermediate service for student and parent bill payment options in addition to their financial aid application and processing services. A new initiative will be to strengthen collaboration and consultation with Student Accounts. Such efforts will yield a positive student experience, increase clear and transparent communication, reduce duplication of efforts, and provide a sustainable structure for advising parents and students on the important and complex step of paying for college. 4. SD 6: Building a responsive Infrastructure for a sustainable campus: Increase use of technology to create efficient business processes and deliver direct student services. Maximize opportunities to integrate technology across departments and leverage technological advancements for different offices. a. Create a Technology Support Analyst position to support business processes and technological advancements initiated by the Office of Financial Aid and the Office of University Scholarships. This position is necessary for process and systems continuity. The current Assistant Director for Technology and Business Systems in Financial Aid is the sole person responsible for the application load processing, initial eligibility checks, and reconciliation, along with oversight and management of all technology solutions. The Director of University Scholarships is the sole person responsible for the development of scholarship technology solutions, reconciliation of budgets, and business processes associated with scholarship administration. The increased workload has limited each staff member’s ability to work on other projects such as systems development and necessary process improvements. Sole reliance on one individual for such a broad range and critical function of financial aid and scholarships is a significant vulnerability to sustainability of system operations. b. SD 1: Creating the Transformational Education Experience: Implement College Scheduler software to ease the stress of scheduling for students, increase student credit hour production per semester (resulting in increased revenue and improved graduation rates), and better predict class seats needs.

c. Implement Curriculum Management Software to improve the transparency and efficiency of the curriculum approval process. d. The UNC General Administration mandates that all undergraduate applicants must be reviewed by a centralized Residency Determination System beginning with applications for spring 2017. Costs have not been communicated yet; but, costs will be passed to each campus. 5. SD 3: Engaging the State, Region and World: Strengthen marketing of Appalachian’s unique competitive advantages. a. Create an Enrollment Management Communications Liaison position. The offices in Enrollment Management are the “front door” of the University, marketing and communicating Appalachian’s unique competitive advantage and brand to prospective students (freshmen, transfer, in-state, out-of-state, diverse, international), community college counselors, high school counselors, and other stakeholders. Currently, there is only one position devoted to marketing and communications in Enrollment Management, assigned specifically for the Office of Admissions. No support is allocated to the other offices in Enrollment Management which are responsible for marketing. This position would work collaboratively with the staff member in Admissions and support the other six offices in Enrollment Management in communicating to their unique populations with specific responsibility for increasing the visibility of our scholarship programs. b. Expand attendance at Appalachian’s College Access Summit to include school counselors in the eastern and central counties of North Carolina, as well as graduate students in the School Counseling program. The College Access Summit exists to bring awareness to post-secondary education barriers and provide support for public school personnel in their efforts to improve access to a college education for all students. The one-day conference addresses challenges, introduces best practices, and provides awareness to up-and-coming trends in education. 6. SD 5: Preserving Faculty and Staff Excellence: Maintain subject matter expertise and professional development for staff. a. Enrollment Management’s ability to provide the most effective student services hinges upon the professional development of staff. For example, as the rules, regulations, and best practices for administering student financial aid and serving student needs continue to evolve, professional development remains a key component to maintaining compliance, employee empowerment and satisfaction, as well as service standards. Staff participation in professional development also helps foster innovation. 7. SD 1: Creating the Transformational Education Experience: Serve student veterans. a. Shift the grant-funded Coordinator of Student Veteran Services position to a state-funded position effective October 1, 2018. b. Allocate a state and student-fee supported budget to implement services for student veterans.

IV.

Priority

Continuing Budget Adjustment Request

1

Item Type NP - Non-Personnel PF - Personnel-Faculty PNF - Personnel-NonFaculty PNF

2

NP

3

NP

4

NP

5

NP

6

PNF

7

NP

8

PNF

9

PNF

10

NP

11

NP

Item Description

Senior Associate Director of Admissions for Diversity Initiatives (domestic and international) at an annual salary of $68,000 Diverse student recruitment – both domestic and international (includes search tools, AsU Lead, and international budget) Expand holistic admissions review with admissions internship program Implement new CRM (to replace Hobson’s Connect) Increase need-based financial aid to allocate the maximum amount allowable from campus initiated tuition increase funds. University Program Associate for the Office of University Scholarships at an annual salary of $36,200 Academic Works scholarship technology solution $72,000 in the first year and $50,000/year after Shift 6 long-standing full-time nonstudent temporary employees in Financial Aid Call Center to permanent, benefited positions (1 Administrative Support Supervisor at annual salary of $41,700 and 5 Administrative Support Specialists at annual salaries of $27,400) Technology Support Analyst for the Office of Financial Aid and the Office of University Scholarships at an annual salary of $46,000 College Scheduler Software (annual fee) Curriculum Management Software ($100,000 initial cost, then recurring maintenance fee)

Funding Request

$89,000

$135,000

$30,000 $56,000 Up to the maximum allowable $50,000 $50,000 $245,076

$54,000

$40,000 $18,000

12

NP

13

PNF

14 15 16

NP NP PNF

17

NP

UNC-GA’s Residency Determination System Enrollment Management Communications Liaison (Public Communications Specialist) at an annual salary of $43,000 Expand the College Access Summit Staff Development Coordinator of Student Veteran Services at an annual salary of $50,000 Operating Budget for Student Veteran Services

Unknown at this time $58,000

$10,000 $15,000 $66,956 $5,000