By Dr. Boyd Bradshaw, Towson University, and Ashley Miller, Old Dominion University
Enrollment management leaders face many growing challenges that necessitate the need to act with data in mind, quickly and strategically. Often, institutions operate with an additive mindset, which is that in order to properly combat these challenges, we must simply “do more.”
What if we instead had a framework that helped us better prioritize what we could do next as enrollment leaders to ensure the actions we take will create maximum impact? The is intended to do just that.
Based on this ASO approach, two public universities utilized this to address real-world enrollment challenges and further optimize recruitment and retention efforts.
Shaping the Student Profile at Old Dominion University
At ODU, the problem we were trying to solve was our first-year retention rate. The past years showed we had been on the decline since COVID-19, and the need to start thinking about how to “recruit to retain” was increasing. We were charged with shaping our incoming class differently and trying to think more strategically about the students we enroll at the very beginning.
Assess
As we evaluated our data, a few takeaways emerged.
We saw from the National Student Clearinghouse data the institutions these students enrolled in, if they did not enroll at ODU. We knew that for this audience in particular, we had to do something different to stay competitive.
Strategize
One strategy that we developed was the overhaul of our events for merit scholars. In the past, we would have had one campus day dedicated to these students who received merit scholarships. However, the event felt duplicative of other events we had on campus.
Instead, we created smaller events for our scholars so they could talk directly to students like them and connect personally with deans across the academic schools and colleges at ODU. We moved our scholars’ receptions to the Barry Art Museum on campus. A beautiful space that was unique and also allowed for a more immersive experience for students and families to see a part of campus that isn’t on the typical tour.
Operationalize
Not only did we change the in-person experience for these students, but we also increased our level of outreach and digital marketing to our merit scholars.
We changed our messaging in our digital ads and emails that spoke to our R1 status, faculty awards, and recent integration with the Eastern Virginia Medical School. We added personalized financial aid videos as another way to showcase the merit awards they received and how that factored into their overall investment for their education. We continued to monitor engagement and yield with this audience throughout the cycle to make adjustments as needed.
As a result, we enrolled a record 28 valedictorians and salutatorians for our fall 2024 cohort. In addition, we increased yield among those with a 4.0 or higher incoming GPA to 19.0% compared to 16.8% two years prior.
Improving Student Retention and Graduation at Towson University
At TU, we sought to identify struggling students within the first four to seven weeks of the semester to provide timely support and improve persistence to the next term.
Assess
A data-informed analysis identified two primary factors contributing to student attrition:
Academic performance: Students who struggled with tests, quizzes, and assignments were more likely to disengage and stop out, often due to gaps in foundational knowledge, ineffective study habits, or external pressures such as work and family responsibilities.
Class engagement: Similarly, students with frequent absences or low participation faced a higher risk of attrition, often signaling deeper issues like a lack of connection to faculty and peers, financial stress, or transportation barriers.
Strategize
Using these insights, TU developed targeted strategies to proactively support student success.
The university expanded its early alert system through Navigate 360, enabling faculty and staff to identify struggling students earlier in the semester and initiate proactive outreach and support. This intervention, focused between the fourth and seventh weeks of the semester, ensured that students received timely assistance before academic struggles became insurmountable.
Operationalize
To drive faculty engagement, TU implemented an aggressive communication plan encouraging participation in the early alert process. By demonstrating the impact of these interventions and continuously assessing outcomes, faculty involvement increased significantly.
As a result, TU has improved student retention and overall success for this targeted group, ensuring more students stay on track to graduation.
Source: “Towson University Fall 2024 Progress Report”