We are in the dream business. Our students and their parents have trusted us with their precious aspirations and goals—and we take that responsibility very seriously. We must endeavor to create an environment that supports opportunity and positions students for success. We must deliver on the promise we make to our students when we recruit them, and follow through with the appropriate services, experiences and programs.
By using institutional research to sharpen our admissions standards we are identifying applicants and the characteristics of those who are likely to be successful at J&W. Ken DiSaia, vice president of enrollment management, says, “By improving selectivity in terms of which students will be accepted for admission … we will be giving all students the best possibility to succeed academically and professionally with our employer partners.”
Of course we must continue to maintain healthy enrollments while increasing selectivity. To do that we will re-tool existing recruitment strategies, leverage new and appropriate technology, and enhance and diversify our marketing efforts. This will ensure that we are positioning J&W as the destination of choice for highly motivated and demonstrably capable students seeking career education. “Improving selectivity benefits students by ensuring their preparedness for academic study and long-term success, but it also benefits the university by enhancing our image within the educational community,” continues Ken.
In anticipation of FOCUS 2011, the Strategic Enrollment Team (SET) was formed in October 2005. Marie Bernardo, university registrar and executive director of student services explains, “The work of the SET centers on two key issues facing all of higher education and, particularly, our campuses: academic preparedness and cost of education. In addressing these issues we will work in conjunction with the initiatives laid out in FOCUS 2011 to ensure that our students and graduates are able to meet the ever changing demands of industry and our economy.” The SET has already made tremendous headway in this area knowing that better retention and graduation rates will have profound fiscal and infrastructure consequences.
The cost of education is a big piece of the retention puzzle. We are obligated to develop a tuition pricing model that will reallocate aid and make J&W more affordable to the students we recruit. We must endeavor to ensure that the awarding structure supports students over all four years of their education.
Talented students from across the globe are seeking the kind of career-focused educational experience we offer at J&W. As we seek to recruit highly motivated and demonstrably capable domestic students, we will continue to step-up our recruitment efforts abroad as well. Through increased international recruitment efforts we will grow our population of international students across the system and ensure that we have the right services and resources in place to retain them and position them for success. To jumpstart this goal, Manny Tavares, director of international recruitment, began work in June with Ken DiSaia and a cross section of 30 employees whose jobs impact this area. Going foward, Manny; Erin FitzGerald, dean of the International Center; and Sheri Ispir, director of Career Development (Providence Campus), will lead a group of high-impact individuals and develop a plan for increasing and retaining international enrollment. Meeting frequently over the duration of FOCUS 2011, this group’s initial attention will be directed to the Providence and North Miami campuses, but their work will impact the entire institution.
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