This document provides an overview of strategic enrollment management for graduate programs. It discusses developing strategic enrollment intelligence through data analysis and goal setting. It also covers integrated enrollment planning, marketing and recruitment practices through the graduate student lifecycle. Specific topics include developing the campus visit experience, international recruitment strategies, and ensuring adequate graduate school capacity. The overall presentation aims to provide best practices for graduate enrollment management.

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Graduate Strategic Enrollment
Management
Presented by Dr. Jim Black
President & CEO, SEM Works

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Agenda
 Strategic Enrollment Intelligence
 Integrated Enrollment Planning
 The Graduate Student Lifecycle
 Graduate Student Marketing and Recruitment Practices
 Graduate Student Persistence, Progression, and Completion Practices
 Graduate School Capacity

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Strategic Enrollment Intelligence
Graduate Strategic Enrollment Management

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Goal Setting Construct

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Manage
Enrollments
Target
Opportunities
Risk/Reward
Assessment
Market
Research
Enrollment
Goals
• Quantity
• Quality
• Diversity
• Credential Mix
• Retention
• Completion
• Market Demand Analysis
• Enrollment Opportunity Analysis
• Competitor Student Funding
Analysis
• Environmental Scan
• Admit/Decline Study
• Market Size
• Market Saturation
• Competitive Positioning
• Risks of Market Entry
• High Demand/Available
Capacity Programs
• Niche Offerings
• Low Cost/High ROI
• Support Research Agenda
• Prospects
• Inquiries
• Applicants
• Admits/Declined
• New Enrolled Students
• Returning Students
Strategic Enrollment Intelligence

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Resource
Management
ROIOutcomes/
Affinity
Student
Experience
Current
Student Flow
• Persistence Rates
• Progression Rates
• Academic Performance
• Success/At-Risk Profiles
• Course Supply & Demand
• Graduation Rates
• Expectations vs Reality
• Student Satisfaction
• Student Engagement
• Service Impact
• Attrition Causation
• Learner Objectives Met
• Relevant Employment
• Further Education
• Institutional Loyalty
• Program Cost/Value
• Marketing Metrics
• Recruitment Metrics
• Retention Program
Evaluation
• Space Utilization
• Faculty Workload
• Service Capacity
• Technology Optimization
• Budget Allocations
Strategic Enrollment Intelligence

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Integrated Enrollment Planning
Graduate Strategic Enrollment Management

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Integrated Plan
Elements
Background
Enrollment
Context
Planning
Construct
and
Principles
Enrollment
Goals
Demographic
Trends
Economic
Trends
Political
Trends
Social
Environment/Te
chnology
Trends
Market and
Competition
in PSE
Competitive
Advantage
Internal
Strengths &
Weaknesses
External
Opportunities
and Threats
Provisional
Admits
Master’s
Students
Doctoral
Students
Online
Learners
Graduate
Certificate
Students
International
Students
Key
Performance
Indicators
Metrics
Internal
Engagement &
Communication
Strategic
Intelligence
Strategic
Enrollment
Growth
Programs
Integrated
Recruitment &
Marketing
Student
Experience
and Success
Student Awards

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Integrated Planning Cycle
STANDARD TIMEFRAME Ongoing1-3 Years3 months3 months 3 months
Current Reality
Strategic
Issues
Plan
Development
Implementation Evaluation
Identify and answer
key research
questions
Use data as
actionable
intelligence
Target significant
strategic issues
Audit complete
and priorities
established
Strategic issues
identified on the
basis of data
PLANNING
MILESTONES
PROCESS STEPS
PLANNING PROCESS
ACTIVITIES
Conduct a self-
assessment/external
audit of existing
practices and
strategic issues
Report on findings
and related
recommendations
Decide which
recommendations
require action and
become an
institutional priority
Identify goals and
objectives related
to each strategic
issue
Design strategies
to achieve stated
goals and
objectives
Define the action
steps required to
complete each
strategy
Build a business
case for additional
resources (if
required)
Grab the “low
hanging fruit” and
look for quick
“wins”
Ensure needed
antecedents of
success are in
place (e.g.,
training,
technology, space,
funding, incentives)
Execute at the
highest level of
quality possible
Engage in “proof of
concept” pilots for
large-scale
initiatives
Measure the
effectiveness of
each major
initiative
Continuously
improve
implementation
efforts based on
effectiveness
measure findings
Assess the degree
to which goals and
objectives were
met
Plan written along
with action steps
Implementation
following an
agreed upon
timeline
Evaluation and
continuous
improvement
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5

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Information
Sharing
Communication
Collaboration
Fusion
Integration

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The Graduate Student Lifecycle
Graduate Strategic Enrollment Management

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AlumGraduateThesis/
Dissertation
2+ Years1st YearEnrolledAdmitAppInquiry
Inquiry
Generation
& Cultivation
Admit
Conversion
Application
Completion
Student Success
Behaviors,
Academic & Social
Integration
Mentoring
Relationships,
Career Guidance,
Completion
Strategies
Initial
Enrollment
Transition
Student
Engagement,
Student Resilience
Transition,
Loyalty
Loyalty,
Employment,
Advanced Education
Former
Students
Current
Students
Future
Students

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AlumGraduateThesis/
Dissertation
2+ Years1st YearEnrolledAdmitAppInquiry
Outreach,
Advertising,
GRE Search,
Website, Events,
Fulfillment
Program
Marketing,
Process/$ Comm,
Social Media,
Events
Application
Completion
Success Comm,
Early Intervention,
Supervision/
Advising
Mentoring
Interactions,
Completion Comm
Orientation,
Registration
Success Comm,
Early Intervention,
Supervision/
Advising
Transition,
Loyalty
Loyalty Comm,
Referral
Campaign,
Social Media
Former
Students
Current
Students
Future
Students

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Targeted outreach,
communications,
events,
yield activities,
and wayfinding.
By program
of study
By credential
type
By student
type
By learning
modality
Target Segments

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Audience Messaging
Relevant Brand
Attributes
Related Proof
Points
Audience-based
Messages
Calls to Action
Process-
Oriented
Marketing-
Oriented
Relationship-
Oriented
Success-
Oriented

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Multichannel Communications
Personalized
Viewbook!
!
Texting!
!
Nurturing!
E-mail!
Out-going&!
In-comingcalls!
Cross-media!
Search!
Social !
Networks!
Personal!
Notecards!
On-Campus!
Visits/Openhouse!
SearchEngine
Marketing!
! PrivateSocial
Network!
!
Cross-Media!
YieldPrograms!
Online !
Application!
OnlinePersonalizedPortal !
!
Prospect!
!

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Enough Frequency to Influence Choice

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YOUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IS NOT IN
THE CRM SYSTEM. IT IS HOW YOU
LEVERAGE IT THAT MATTERS.

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Execution is Everything!
CRM Lite
CRM Basics
CRM Stars

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Prospective Student Communications
Plan
 An automated acknowledgement of interest
 An invitation to visit and/or attend an information session
 A message from the dean
 Assistantship, GA, TA opportunities
 Call from current student/graduate assistant
 Missing info
 Notification of acceptance (Enrollment Handbook)
 Call from graduate program faculty
 Program-based selling points
 Graduate faculty profiles
 Residence (if applicable)

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Current Student Success
Communications
Relationship
Management
Student
Communications
Delivering on the
institution’s
promise
Deadlines, support
services, service tutorials,
degree completion
Proactive connections
with faculty, graduate
supervisors, engagement
opportunities
Missed deadlines,
early intervention,
policy implications
Awareness of
services offered,
service hours,
service benefits

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Graduate Student Marketing and
Recruitment Practices
Graduate Strategic Enrollment Management

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Assistantships and Waivers

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Strategic Program Development

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Recruitment Elements

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Lead Generation
 Fairs
 Purchase GRE and GMAT lists
 Recruit your current undergraduates
 International agents

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Website Best Practices
 Marketing-oriented external focus
 Visual impact
 Responsive design
 Value proposition
 Selling points
 Audience segmentation and relevance
 Audience engagement
 Calls to action

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Audience Channels
Process-oriented information
Infuse a marketing orientation into all channels
 Audience-relevant selling points
 Success stories and “exceptional outcomes”
 Testimonials
 Factoids
 Relevant opportunities
 Visual images (photography and video)
Drive audience traffic to relevant pages

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Introducing the New Class

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Viral Media

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Student Blogs—An Authentic Source

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Advocates Model
Social Media
Manager
Current Students
Alumni
Industry
Experts
Staff
Faculty
Graduate
Supervisors

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Recommended Practices
 Focus first and foremost on graduate program web pages
 Program description
 Program requirements
 Program selling points
 Availability of funding
 Career options
 Research and scholarship/assistantship opportunities
 Faculty profiles
 Student and alumni testimonials
 Bring the program to life through multimedia and social media

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Engineer the Campus Visit Experience
Consider everything a student experiences when visiting--
then engineer every detail of the student’s experience.

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 Design first impressions
 Create a “signature
moment”
 Personalize the visit
 Engender emotion
 Have visitors live your
institution through hands-on
experiences
 Surprise your visitors
 Graduate student tour
guides
Delivery a WOW
Experience!
The Campus Visit Experience

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Recommended Practices
 Invest in program-based advertising
 New programs
 Programs with untapped demand, capacity, and the desire to grow
 Undersubscribed programs where a lack of promotion is at issue
 Adopt a hybrid model of graduate recruiting
 Centrally coordinated and supported
 Program content experts and relational connections
 Program-based recruitment plans
 Engage in by-country international recruitment strategies

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Pan-Institutional By-Country Construct

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International Student Segments
as Defined by WES
Source: World Education Services, 2015

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44
13
33
15
11
29
20
30
23
34
16
25
19
16
8
11
42
19
46 47
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
China India Middle East Latin America Sub-Saharan
Africa
WES Segmentation by Country/Region
Strivers
Strugglers
Highfliers
Explorers
Source: World Education Services, 2015

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University Decision Factors for
Chinese Students
Source: World Education Services, 2015

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University Decision Factors for
Indian Students
Source: World Education Services, 2015

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University Decision Factors for
Middle Eastern Students
Source: World Education Services, 2015

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University Decision Factors for Latin
American Students
Source: World Education Services, 2015

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University Decision Factors for Sub-
Saharan African Students
Source: World Education Services, 2015

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International Strategy

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Graduate Student Persistence,
Progression, and Completion
Practices
Graduate Strategic Enrollment Management

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Recommended Methodologies
Connections
 Graduate Faculty
 Supervisors
 Researchers
 Peers

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Recommended Methodologies
 Seamless and integrated services
 Institutional support and engagement opportunities
 Early alerts and interventions
 Gathering places
 Thesis and dissertation support
 Create innovative learning opportunities through inquiry-based learning,
blended learning and the use of technology
 Extend skill sets of graduate students in their development as
professionals
 Provide academic language skills and cultural integration programs for
international graduate students

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Graduate School Capacity
Graduate Strategic Enrollment Management

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Recommended Capacity
 Director of Graduate Enrollment Management
 Communications manager
 Marketing and communications support (e.g., content developer,
graphic designer, multimedia specialists, social media coordinator,
advertising agent)
 Dedicated web designer
 Domestic recruiters as school/divisional liaisons
 International recruitment managers, in-country representatives, and
quality agents
 Enrollment analyst

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Sample Structure
Graduate
Enrollment
Champion
Direct Report to
Associate
Provost EM &
Indirect Report to
College Deans
Provides Market Research
Initial Application
Processing & Decision
Notification
Content Experts

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Q&A
Thank you for attending.