Strategic Enrollment Management Plan

Introduction

SUNY Brockport launched its new strategic plan in the spring of 2022, charting a path forward for the university to thrive in an increasingly competitive and challenging environment. The four main goals of the strategic plan are:

  1. To Be a Great University at Which to Learn
  2. To be a University Engaged with its Communities
  3. To be a Thriving and Sustainable University
  4. To be a Great University at which to Work

Improving the short- and long-term enrollment outlook is woven throughout the university strategic plan, and is specifically noted in the following goals and objectives:

  • Enrich our learning environment through increased and sustained recruitment and retention of diverse students, faculty, and staff. (2022-2027 Strategic Plan, Goal 1, Objective 3)
  • Embed strategic student recruitment and retention practices across the university (2022-2027 Strategic Plan, Goal 3, Objective A)

Similarly, SUNY Brockport is committed to elevating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts through the ongoing development of the DEI Strategic Plan. DEI and enrollment efforts are interdependent: an inclusive, supportive, and equitable environment for faculty, staff and students is critical to achieving enrollment goals and institutional health.

In support of the university’s strategic planning efforts, the Strategic Enrollment Management framework was launched in August 2022 to reimagine and align our enrollment efforts across the university. This plan was written over the course of the 2022-2023 academic year with campuswide input, using principles of shared governance. The SEM plan is a living document that is assessed on an ongoing basis, including a comprehensive annual review. A new enrollment projection model was also developed in 2022-2023.

Background

Over the past 5 years to 10 years, SUNY Brockport has faced enrollment challenges. Key points related to overall enrollment are outlined below.

  • 2023-2024 Enrollment projections indicate that the university is on track to hit the overall enrollment goal of 6,665, an increase from 6013 as of Spring 2023, but down from 7765 in Spring 2018.
  • New graduate student enrollments have typically increased each fall, spring, and summer term over the past 3 years – a trend that is expected to continue for fall 2023.
  • From 2017-2022, a 20% decline in incoming FY students has occurred. The incoming fall 2023 cohort is projected increase by 20-25% from fall 2022, showing signs of stabilization and growth.
  • The 2015-2021 cohorts experienced a decline in student persistence.
    • 2015 FYFT cohort had a first-year retention rate of 82.4% and a third-year persistence rate of 72%.
    • 2019 FYFT cohort had a first-year retention rate of 75.6% and a third-year persistence rate of 60%.
    • 2020 FYFT cohort had a first-year retention rate of 68.8%.
    • 2021 FYFT cohort had a first-year retention rate of 67%.
    • 2022 FYFT cohort fall to spring retention rate shows early signs of progress, with an 84.8% retention rate, compared to 80.5% for the 2021 cohort. The fall 2022 cohort is projected to increase first year retention by over +5-7%.
  • NYS birth rates have declined by 19% between 2000 and 2020, creating a smaller group of our traditional market.
  • Reliance on transfer students from community college has presented challenges, as community colleges experienced a 27% decline in enrollment across NYS.

A comprehensive Environmental Scan can be found in Appendix A. Opportunities and momentum exist with the university-wide Strategic Plan, the Academic Strategic Planning Efforts, and the former Persistence Roadmap. The SEM Plan promotes a university-wide approach to improving our enrollment outlook and results, relying on collaboration, innovation, and data-informed actions.

SEM Overview

A Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) framework is a comprehensive process that is designed to maximize institutional enrollments within the academic context of the organization. Current SEM practice requires “nimble, process-oriented and actionable” approaches to planning (Bontrager & Green, 2015). SEM is based on a college-wide coordinated and collaborative approach to enrollment through intentional data collection, analysis of internal and external factors and action planning. This framework provides an increased level of focus on priorities and shared ownership of enrollment management work, while reducing the feeling of being pulled in too many directions with mixed effectiveness.

This enterprise-wide approach aligns institutional strategic planning, academic strategic planning, enrollment management efforts, budget management and resource allocation. The main goal is to better coordinate efforts and increase collaboration to maximize results. The SEM Framework is a commonly used best practice that can aid in our efforts to determine enrollment goals, identify key enrollment indicators, and facilitate college-wide planning around institutional size.

Guiding Principles for the Enrollment Management Ethos (Henderson, 2005):

  • Enrollment Management is a shared responsibility.
  • Enrollment Management is integrated in institutional planning.
  • Enrollment Management is focused on service.
  • Enrollment Management is Key Performance Indicators.
  • Enrollment Management is research and evaluation.
  • Enrollment management is for the long haul.

Principles of Practice (Henderson & Pollock, 2021):

  1. Be Student-Centered: Is this student-centered? Does this meet student-expressed needs? Are they partners in developing this program, service, policy?
  2. Be Faculty-Focused: Is this faculty-focused? Are faculty full partners in development of this program, service, policy? Will they be the focus of delivery, or will they be fully engaged as support if the delivery comes from academic or student services staff?
  3. Reimagine Data as a Service Rather than a Tool: Will supporting data be a partner in service? Rather than just informing decision making, will data be a partner in the design, content, structure, delivery and assessment of this program, service, policy?
  4. Build Community: Is this community-based? Are all stakeholders in the campus community involved in creating this program, service, policy? Does this program, service, and policy fit the context of our campus communities? Does it enhance and/or build community?
  5. Actively Expand Access & Inclusion: Is inclusion [sense of belonging] the outcome? Does this program, service, policy ensure access and acceptance of all? Does it contribute to a culture of inclusion throughout the campus community?

Short Term Objectives:

  1. Re-invigorate current enrollment management structures to identify enrollment goals, focused action plans and measurable assessment.
  2. Identify and assess Key Enrollment Indicators.
  3. Provide increased training and shared understanding of strategic enrollment management, including best practices, challenges, and opportunities.
  4. Develop a Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, review on an ongoing basis.

Long Term Objectives:

  1. Enrich our learning environment through increased and sustained recruitment and retention of diverse students, faculty, and staff. (2022-2027 Strategic Plan, Goal 1, Objective 3)
  2. Embed strategic student recruitment and retention practices across the university (2022-2027 Strategic Plan, Goal 3, Objective A)

Strategic Enrollment Management Steering Committee & Councils

The Enrollment Management Committee was replaced by the Strategic Enrollment Management Steering Committee in August 2022. The Recruitment Council and Retention & Persistence Councils were charged, as well as Action teams.

Enrollment Targets & Key Enrollment Indicators

In May 2023, a new enrollment projection model was developed. President’s Cabinet approved the following model, including incoming student targets for the next 5 years. This model uses over 40 streams of data, including a 74% first year retention rate for fall 2022 cohorts and forward.

Undergraduate Stats

Year First-Time Transfer High School 3-1-3 UG Continuing Total UG
Fall 2018 1281 921 29 4826 7057
Fall 2019 1086 783 35 4769 6673
Fall 2020 1086 730 36 4436 6288
Fall 2021 1011 755 34 3913 5713
Fall 2022 1023 579 29 3516 5147
Fall 2023 (projected) 1200 600 33 3524 5357
Fall 2024 (projected) 1200 600

33

 3629 5462
Fall 2025 (projected) 1150 600 33 3797 5580
Fall 2026 (projected) 1150 600 33 3876 5659
Fall 2027 (projected) 1150 600 33 3870 5653

 Graduate Stats/University Total

Year New Graduate Students GR Continuing Students Total GR University Total
Fall 2018 416 813 1229 8286
Fall 2019 372 879 1251 7924
Fall 2020 361 942 1303 7591
Fall 2021 331 946 1277 6990
Fall 2022 380 895 1275 6442
Fall 2023 (projected) 403 905 1308 6665
Fall 2024 (projected) 438 932 1371 6833
Fall 2025 (projected) 492 970 1462 7042
Fall 2026 (projected) 492 1012 1504 7163
Fall 2027 (projected) 492 1030 1522 7175

Goals, Strategies & Tactics

Recruitment

  • Goal 1: By 2024, enroll at least 1200 first-year students each fall semester, and 25 each spring semester.
  • Goal 2: By 2028, consistently enroll at least 600 transfer students each fall semester, and 275 each spring semester.
  • Goal 3: By 2028, increase the number of new graduate students (6% for fall 2023, 9% for fall 2024, 12% for fall 2025 forward).

Retention & Persistence

  • Goal 1: Become a leader among SUNY comprehensives in student retention rates and graduation rates by 2034.
    • By 2026, achieve and maintain a first-year retention rate of 75% for first-time, full-time students.
  • Goal 2: By 2028, achieve a persistence rate of 85% for transfer students.
  • Goal 3: By 2028, achieve a graduate student retention rate of 77% (fall to fall).

Recruitment Goals, Strategies & Tactics

Goal 1

By 2024, enroll at least 1200 first-year students each fall semester, and 25 each spring semester.

Strategy 1: Increase offerings of high quality, high-demand undergraduate academic programs and majors to meet regional and national needs.

  • Tactic 1: Develop and add high demand academic programs.
  • Tactic 2: Use the Academic Strategic Plan to reposition identified programs for growth and expansion.
  • Tactic 3: Capitalize on student access to internships and other forms of experiential learning as an embedded part of their academic experience.
  • Tactic 4: Identify and market distinguishing features of academic programs.

Strategy 2: Become one of the most affordable higher education options in New York.

  • Tactic 1: Offer the most competitive scholarship programs in the state that increases access to an affordable, high-quality education.
  • Tactic 2: Develop a Financial Leveraging model to inform awarding and targeted outreach.
  • Tactic 3: Provide clear, transparent, and timely financial information and supportive services to students and families.
  • Tactic 4: Widely promote on-campus employment opportunities through the recruitment process, and beyond.

Strategy 3: Increased awareness of SUNY Brockport programs in historically underserved communities and reduce barriers to applying for and being accepted in our programs.

  • Tactic 1: Develop, implement and/or maintain programs focused on specific regional recruitment areas (i.e., NYC high scholarship program, FBWS, etc.).
  • Tactic 2: Grow college access efforts through community-based organization partnerships and EOP recruitment.
  • Tactic 3: Continue to enhance communication efforts to underserved communities to help them navigate the process for admissions and enrollment.
  • Tactic 4: Increase international student recruitment enrollment. 

Strategy 4: Expand marketing reach and brand strength in New York, the United States and Internationally.

  • Tactic 1: Strengthen our brand positioning in Greater Rochester and across New York State through paid media campaigns.
  • Tactic 2: Grow digital, print, and email marketing efforts in select regions beyond New York State. These efforts will align with physical recruitment efforts and SUNY’s flagship tuition match.
  • Tactic 3: International digital marketing efforts will align with physical recruitment efforts in select geographic target areas. Academic specific web pages, with messages focusing on international student needs, will serve as a landing site for digital ads and paid search terms.
  • Tactic 4: Redesign website to better support recruitment efforts and further establish our brand identity.

Strategy 5: Increase admit to registrant yield rates and sustain levels to reduce deposit melt.

  • Tactic 1: Embed the academic experience into the recruitment process to increase faculty engagement with prospective students and their families in meaningful ways.
  • Tactic 2: Strengthen post-deposit communication and engagement with prospective students and their families.
  • Tactic 3: Examine opportunities to further leverage Athletics as a major recruitment strategy.
  • Tactic 4: Expand alumni involvement in the recruitment process.

Goal 2

By 2028, consistently enroll at least 600 transfer students each fall semester, and 275 each spring semester.

Strategy 1: Become one of the most affordable higher education options in New York.

  • Tactic 1: Offer the most competitive scholarship programs in the state that increases access to an affordable, high-quality education.
  • Tactic 2: Evaluate communication regarding pathway to degree to prospective transfer students. 

Strategy 2: Position SUNY Brockport to be a transfer-friendly institution.

  • Tactic 1: Evaluate and automate transfer credit evaluation processes to support earlier registration and advisement.
  • Tactic 2: Build an easily accessible, updated database of courses that equate to Brockport course.
  • Tactic 3: Redesign and simplify web materials, including clear and easy to access credit evaluation from community colleges, as well as public and private 4-year institutions.
  • Tactic 4: Ensure all transfer students without an associate degree have a clear pathway to graduation.
  • Tactic 5: Develop a more robust process for prior learning credit evaluation.

Strategy 3: Strengthen partnerships with regional feeder institutions to be the go-to 4-year school for transfer students.

  • Tactic 1: Examine, strengthen, and expand academic program partnerships to create more pipelines for seamless transfer.
  • Tactic 2: Expand transfer student recruitment events on campus, virtually and at feeder institutions.
  • Tactic 3: Develop and publish 4-year plans for transfer students beginning at feeder institutions.
  • Tactic 4: Ensure all two-year course equivalencies exist and are updated for all courses at primary feeder institutions.

Strategy 4: Expand and increase promotion of options for additional markets (i.e., adult, and international students).

  • Tactic 1: Continue to grow degree completion efforts and enhance marketing efforts.
  • Tactic 2: Explore and develop additional employer partnerships that provide employee tuition/fee support.
  • Tactic 3: Develop agreements with international partner institutions (2+2, 3+1, 2+1+1).
  • Tactic 4: Explore expanding dual enrollment opportunities at high schools.

Goal 3

By 2028, increase the number of new graduate students (6% for fall 2023, 9% for fall 2024, 12% for fall 2025 forward).

Strategy 1: Increase offerings of high quality, high demand graduate academic programs and majors to meet regional and national needs.

  • Tactic 1: Develop and add high demand academic programs.
  • Tactic 2: Identify and market distinguishing features of academic programs.

Strategy 2: Enhance affordability efforts to make a graduate education more accessible.

  • Tactic 1: Grow graduate student scholarships to be leveraged for admission purposes.
  • Tactic 2: Increase number of assistantships. Incentivize external research funding to increase graduate research assistantships.
  • Tactic 3: Better leverage Graduate Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships, and graduate employment opportunities.

Strategy 3: Examine graduate recruitment processes to identify improvements and increase marketing.

  • Tactic 1: Enhance marketing of accelerated pathway opportunities to qualified students.
  • Tactic 2: Identify and remove barriers to enrollment.
  • Tactic 3: Expand digital marketing efforts in NYS and identify appropriate markets across the U.S. in which to digitally market our online graduate programs.

Retention Goals, Strategies & Tactics

Goal 1

Become a leader among SUNY comprehensives in student retention rates and graduation rates by 2034.

  • By 2026, achieve a first-year retention rate of 75% for first-time, full-time students.

Strategy 1: Re-imagine and re-design the student lifecycle to provide a seamless, supportive, and individualized experience for our students from their initial interest in Brockport to graduation, and beyond.

  • Tactic 1: Build student lifecycle activity in the academic curriculum.
  • Tactic 2: Implement a coordinated, cross-divisional approach to student engagement outside of the classroom, with an immediate focus on first six weeks as a foundation.
  • Tactic 3: Develop and implement a comprehensive communication strategy for current students.
  • Tactic 4: Offer inclusive and identity-conscious programming to support student sense of belonging.

Strategy 2: Ensure outstanding academic advising for all students.

  • Tactic 1: Review and assess current Academic Advising practices. Use this information to design a cohesive system that takes advantage of School and central resources.
  • Tactic 2: Develop a communication plan that ensures all students know their advisors and interact with them on a regular and ongoing basis.
  • Tactic 3: Evaluate the registration timeline and goals.
  • Tactic 4: Use career awareness as a unifying theme to help students keep focused on their educational goals.

Strategy 3: Offer a robust, accessible suite of student support services that meet the needs of a diverse student body.

  • Tactic 1: Centralize coordination of student support and advocacy services, to direct students to the resources to meet their needs.
  • Tactic 2: Evaluate resources to ensure students have robust access to mental health counseling and other socially relevant needs (i.e., financial aid advising, emergency funds, persistence grants, and similar).
  • Tactic 3: Enhance parent programming and communication to ensure a student’s personal support resources know about the academic and campus support services.
  • Tactic 4: Offer and market a wide array of academic support services to ensure students receive necessary tutoring and accessibility services.
  • Tactic 5: Utilize DEW rates within academic departments to support student success.

Strategy 4: Offer high quality, proactive student retention and persistence programs.

  • Tactic 1: Embed experiential learning and high impact practices in the academic experience.
  • Tactic 2: Evaluate and improve early alert system operations usage.
  • Tactic 3: Re-align academic probation programs and policies to increase the likelihood of student persistence.

Strategy 5: Re-engineer systems, processes, and policies with meeting student needs as the central intent.

  • Tactic 1: Examine current holds policies and processes; identify barriers to student persistence.
  • Tactic 2: Examine academic affairs policies that inhibit student success, including inappropriate application.
  • Tactic 3: Develop and implement Slate Student Success as a tool to increase targeted outreach to current students.
  • Tactic 4: Provide a customer-focused approach to communication and operations.

Goal 2

By 2028, achieve a persistence rate of 85% for transfer students (fall to fall).

Strategy 1: Re-imagine the transfer student experience.

  • Tactic 1: Re-design the transfer lifecycle programs to increase focus on academic engagement, affinity to the academic program, engaged learning opportunities and career development.
  • Tactic 2: Evaluate and update current onboarding processes including Transfer Credit Evaluation and Faculty Advisement
  • Tactic 3: Re-design the transfer student onboarding process to better assist our new students in engaging with campus resources and each other.
  • Tactic 4: Explore transfer orientation program enhancements and different ways to engage transfer students in orientation.
  • Tactic 5: Enhance community-building efforts for transfer students, including a comprehensive communication plan and spaces for transfer student engagement.

Goal 3

By 2028, achieve a graduate student retention rate of 77% (fall to fall).

Strategy 1: Offer a robust, accessible suite of student support services that meet the needs of a diverse population of graduate students.

  • Tactic 1: Expand student advocacy services to meet the unique needs of graduate students, including opportunities such as childcare.
  • Tactic 2: Create a graduate student onboarding process to better assist our new students in engaging with campus resources and each other. Because of the high number of online graduate programs, make the process available online.

Strategy 2: Re-engineer systems, processes, and policies with meeting student needs as the central intent.

  • Tactic 1: Examine current policies and processes; identify barriers to graduate student persistence.
  • Tactic 2: Provide a customer-focused approach to communication and operations that is targeted to the needs of graduate students.

Action Planning & Implementation

Over the course of summer 2023, the SEM Steering Committee and Councils will identify action teams, committees and/or units will be charged with completing annual Tactical Work Plans (Appendix C). Tactical Work Plans include:

  • Action steps
  • Timeline for implementation
  • Individuals/units responsible for implementation
  • Linkages to other institution plans and/or priorities
  • Assessment plans
  • Budget implications/requests

SEM Assessment & Accountability Plan

The SEM assessment plan includes ongoing monitoring of trends, as well as semesterly reports and an annual review of KEIs. Each SEM Council creates an end of semester report, summarizing the work that they accomplished, recommendations and next steps. They will collect the Tactical Work Plans from each area at the end of each semester to gather data on progress towards SEM goals. The Steering Committee creates a higher-level assessment of the SEM plan progress at the end of each year.

A series of Key Enrollment Indicators will be included in the Steering Committee’s annual assessment of the progress towards the SEM plan goals:

  • Overall enrollment trends over time
  • First year student retention (fall to fall)
  • Transfer student persistence rates
  • Graduate student persistence rates
  • Incoming student targets at census, by semester by student type (first year, transfer, graduate, international, EOP, etc.)
  • Subcategories of incoming students
    • Online Degree Completion Enrollments
    • Specific academic programs of focus
    • Scholarship students
  • Temporary academic leave trends
  • SUNY Comparison data
    • Incoming student trends
    • Retention & graduate rates

The SEM Communication Plan (Appendix B) outlines proposed efforts to ensure the campus community can provide input on our work and that they are informed of our progress.

To achieve our strategic enrollment management goals, we will need to make investments in strategic priorities that support the successful implementation of strategies and tactics. The SEM Steering Committee will collect and submit resource requests on a semesterly basis to President’s Cabinet for consideration, in addition to pursuing opportunities for funding through Joint Planning and Budget Committee, Advancement, SUNY, etc.

References

SEM resources and training are offered by the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers.

  • Bontrager, B., Green, T., Hossler, D., Dolence, M. & Sigler, W. (2021). AACRO SEM Essentials Powerpoint.
  • Bontrager, B., & Green, T. (2015). Strategic Enrollment Planning. In Hossler, D., Bontrager, B. & Associates (Eds). Handbook of Strategic Enrollment Planning. (p. 531-547). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
  • Henderson, S. (2005). Refocusing Enrollment Management: Losing Structure and Finding Academic Context. College and University Journal 80(3). P. 3-8.
  • Henderson, S. & Pollock, K. (2021). SEM as a Connector: Principles of Practice. American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

Contact

Dr. Sara Kelly
Vice Presiden t for Enrollment Management
Skelly@Brockport.edu

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