Strategic Plan - Strategic Enrollment Management

students in the Academic Quad

 
 

Implementation Goals & Accomplishments

Lead Unit: Human Resources/Government Relations

Progress: 100%

FY21 Highlights:

  • State budget includes additional funds due to increasing base funding/FTE. 
  • State budget includes additional funding for Stockton based on outcomes-based performance (I.e., funding rationale). 
    • State budget includes an additional $35 million for TAG that will increase the maximum awards for Stockton and other State colleges.

Lead Unit: Executive Vice President

Progress: 75%

FY23 Highlights:

  • Highlighted several nontraditional students in conjunction with our Commencement series on the website and social media. 
  • Explored the use of Instagram “collaborations” with accounts targeting nontraditional students, including Graduate Admissions.
  • Individual strategic mixed media marketing plans were implemented for Hispanic/Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Veterans.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Promoted Transfer Pathways Partnership agreements with county colleges through news releases, University website and social media platforms.
  • Enhanced communications, planning and ad spending for Graduate Studies; Promoted new scholarships and degrees for graduate students on stockton.edu and social media platforms.
  • Increased frequency of posting to LinkedIn to an average of 4x/week. Also enhanced posts with paid boosts.

Lead Unit: Athletics

Progress: 85%

FY23 Highlights:

  • Hired Associate Director for Athletic Compliance and Student-Athlete Success to support student-athlete education regarding academic compliance and student support on campus.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Continued strategies from FY22.

FY21 Highlights:

  • Identified cohort of “at risk” students for additional support efforts.
  • Worked with Faculty and Student Affairs to:
    • Intervene early and often – notified faculty of concerns
    • Scheduled academic meetings for “at risk” athletes with their head coach
    • Had early conversations with “at risk” athletes about Add/Drop options and NCAA eligibility
    • Follow-up emails to instructors with signs of academic difficulty
    • Required all first semester freshmen to take two on-line workshops: Time Management and Effective Note-Taking

Lead Unit: Enrollment Management

Progress: 85%

FY23 Highlights:

  • Utilization at Niche and Common App Direct Admissions Pilot Program
  • Restructuring territories counties within New Jersey based on historical application volume
  • Increased number of Onsite Instant Decision Days

FY22 Highlights: 

  • Expanded Targeted High School Visits, College Fair participation, and on-campus Special Group Visits.
  • Enhanced utilization of social media by providing application assistance, financial aid assistance and highlighting student testimonials.
  • Promoted one-to-one personal counseling for first-year, transfer, and international students available in-person and virtually.

FY21 Highlights:

  • Reorganized undergraduate and graduate admissions staffing and management with a renewed commitment to recruiting students of color.
  • Provided Economic Relief to DACA/DREAMER Students Impacted by Covid-19 that could not receive Federal Stimulus Funds. 
  • Admission information sessions held for Spanish speaking parents/guardians.

Lead Unit: Executive Vice President

Progress: 90%

FY23 Highlights:

  • Created the Associate Director of Alumni Relations position to specifically focus on career readiness, mentorships and post-graduate success. 
  • Created University Advancement teams to work in partnership directly with each dean.
  • Promoted new alumni clubs and alumni achievements.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Showcased successful alumni in marketing campaigns and University publications to increase engagement.
  • Leveraged 50th anniversary celebration as opportunity to engage with alumni, highlight successful alumni and create new networking opportunities for students. 
  • Partnered with Career Education and Development to develop Alumni Mentor Circles for first year students from underrepresented communities.

FY21 Highlights:

  • Continued to work with Career Education and Development for opportunities to showcase alumni achievement.
  • Enhanced OspreyConnect, the online networking platform for alumni and friends. Launched new monthly newsletter, solicited alumni mentors, marketed the platform to new graduates.
  • Planning in place to launch Corporate Club program in FY22.  

Lead Unit: Enrollment Management

Progress: 100%

FY23 Highlights:

  • Full participation from Academic Schools for all in-person programs.
  • The Office of Financial Aid collaborated with EOF to ensure University compliance with OSHE when determining eligibility to reauthenticate EOF renewal students.
  • GOALS GEAR UP collaborated with EOF and Financial Aid to provide FASFA information to senior students.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Collaborated with campus partners in identifying services for prospective students such as Learning Access Program and Wellness Center. 
  • Collaboration with Academic and Student Affairs in on-campus programs and events.

FY21 Highlights:

  • The creation, collaboration and implementation of Nest Fest Overnight orientation programming.
  • Experience Stockton & Discover Stockton Day programs for prospective students and families.
  • Hosted virtual recruitment events aimed at re-affirming Stockton’s commitment to diversity.

Lead Unit: Student Affairs

Progress: 100%

FY23 Highlights:

  • Completed Atlantic City Strategic Plan to move Business to Atlantic City.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Redesigned EOF Student Success Coach responsibilities- resulting in over 4000 individual student advising contacts in Spring 2022.

 

Lead Unit: Enrollment Management

Progress: 85%

FY23 Highlights: 

  • Streamlined application process for students applying into EOF, Specialty majors and programs.
  • Streamlined the application review process for counselors within one system.
  • Streamlined the review process for campus partners including but not limited to specialty programs, EOF evaluation, Athletics, Academic Advising, Student Success and New Student
    Transitions.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Created new and updated tutorial and instructional videos regarding the application process, financial aid process, and EOF requirements to improve prospective student and parent experience.
  • Utilizing daily reports to identify daily, weekly, and monthly goals for application generation and yield.
  • Implementing Slate CRM to replace Recruit CRM with Summer 2022 expected go live. 

FY21 Highlights:

  • Automated Bursar Account Receivable Reporting to track point in time comparisons daily.
  • Automated Bursar reporting to track student accounts that have a higher chance for default to offer payment options.
  • Redesigned Bursar website with more straightforward navigation for website visitors..
  • Developed a Strategic Communication Plan that maps the Bursar billing cycle to several modes of communications to mediate outstanding Account Receivables. 

Lead Unit: Enrollment Management

Progress: 85%

FY23 Highlights: 

  • The Office of Financial Aid successfully implemented and updated a new net price calculator.
  • The Office of Financial Aid changed the reporting timeline for academic activity which increased the response rate and satisfaction by instructors.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Section One of the Financial Aid Policies and Procedures Manual has been completed. 
  • Provided compliance training and professional development opportunities for financial aid staff.

FY21 Highlights:

  • Developed recruitment strategies to assist with targeted student recruitment and retention.
  • Developed strategies for closing the financial gap between financial aid and college cost using Stockton Grant in Aid.
  • Creation and implementation of freshman and transfer communication plan that provides students with next steps from application to enrollment.
  • Implementation of online enrollment deposit form as well online Educational Opportunity Fund Program supplemental application.

Lead Unit: Enrollment Management

Progress: 75% 

FY23 Highlights:

  • Created separate email account within the Bursar’s department to work with defaulted accounts.
  • Leveraged Ellucian Banner ERP system to create a repository for Bursar communications and used workflow messaging for certain processes. 
  • Developed automated reporting to identify student liability after financial aid and payments received.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Established quarterly joint operational and training meetings between the staff of the Office of Financial Aid and Bursar’s Office.
  • Provided institutional wide training on handling cash items throughout the University.

Lead Unit: Student Affairs

Progress: 25%

FY23 Highlights:

  • Successfully recruited and hired Director of Assessment and Communication.

Lead Unit: Student Affairs

Progress: 50%

FY23 Highlights:

  • Developed strategies with cultural organizations to develop programs for newly-opened Multicultural Center.

Lead Unit: Enrollment Management

Progress: 85%

FY23 Highlights: 

  • Collaboration with the Office of Financial Aid including but not limited to FAFSA completion, outside scholarship offers.
  • Collaboration with the Office of Academic Advising regarding Accuplacer testing. 

FY22 Highlights:

  • Completed expansion of High School dual-credit partners, dual-path partners, and Community College Partnerships.
  • Strategically grouping NJ counties throughout the state in creating depth for counselors, enrollment specialist and ambassadors by assigned territories.
  • Worked closely between Admissions and the Office of Financial Aid in identifying students that meet the criteria for Stockton Promise and GSG. 

FY21 Highlights:

  • In collaboration with URM, the Enrollment Team used data analytics to make marketing and advertising decisions, including Google AdWords, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
  • In conjunction with ITS and Video Productions, the Enrollment Team is now live-streaming in-person events so maximize audience reach. 
  • The Enrollment Team expanded the use of communication tools to reach various populations. These tools are tracked to monitor open rates in order to make data-driven decisions for future campaigns.

Lead Unit: Executive Vice President

Progress: 100%

FY23 Highlights:

  • Implemented new web design elements such as cards and infographics to highly trafficked pages to deliver relevant content in an interesting and accessible form.
  • Updated layout of key Admission pages for a more modern web experience.
  • Merged both Admission landing pages into one centralized resource for less visitor clicks to get to admission funnel.

FY22 Highlights:

  • Revised the Choose campaign to feature a new group of diverse students.
  • Secured a 2-year contract with Falcon.io for social media management services.
  • Worked with University partners to identify and promote key selling points for Summer 2022.

FY21 Highlights:

  • Revamped the Choose campaign to emphasize “Choose Stockton.” This was our most diverse campaign, with 3 males and 3 females, including 2 Black, 1 Latinx, 1 Asian and 1 veteran student(s).
  • Created a virtual tour series for Admissions to reach prospective students unable to visit campus due to the pandemic. Launched the series with four tour stops: Campus Center, Academic Spine, Freshman Housing, Lake Fred. 

Lead Unit: Planning & Research

Progress: 40%

FY23 Highlights:

  • IR staff has continued to update Dual Credit High School student data, specifically tracking students who participated in the program and have matriculated at Stockton.
  • Launched reimagined interactive public dashboard focusing on the Dual Credit High School Program. 

FY22 Highlights:

  • Continuing development of interactive dashboards on website with new Dual Credit High School dashboard going live in early FY2023.
  • Preliminary analysis of Transfer Pathways programs was completed, and additional analysis will occur as the program continues

Enrollment Reports

The University maintains a comprehensive set of enrollment reports that are provided to University faculty, staff, and administrators on a regular basis. To request access to these materials, please email IR@stockton.edu.

Stockton has an obligation to support students who arrive in their first year, those who transfer later in their academic career, as well as those who return to school as adult learners.

The University has begun the important work of evaluating its recruitment goals and strategies, updating its institutional aid programs, and developing a formal and structured student retention process. This work will continue to be refined over the next five years to ensure that enrollment, persistence, and graduation goals are aligned with institutional capacity. Strategic enrollment management also has an important role in recruiting students that adds to the diversity of the institution.

Since its last strategic plan, Stockton has grown in many respects—physically, geographically, demographically, and academically. Consequently, the University has been developing a comprehensive enrollment management plan that responds to our responsibility as a public institution, our role as an anchor institution, and our financial realities. In support of these objectives, Stockton will take a considered and measured approach to establishing enrollment goals in the context of inclusive student success.

Enrollment objectives should be considered at the institutional, school, and program level to ensure goals are realistic and are both manageable and sustainable through our support structures.

We will do this by developing strategies and tactics that:

  • Develop enrollment and retention strategies at the institutional, school and program level that account for our mission, market demand, cost, and capacity.
  • Continue to strengthen the University’s data analytics efforts regarding recruitment, persistence, and graduation, as well as enrollment, placement testing, housing, and financial aid projections.
  • Recognize and support the inherent value and contributions of faculty in their courses (program, at-some-distance, general studies, service, and curricular subscripts), as well as activities outside of the classroom, such as preceptorial advising and internship supervision.
  • Strengthen partnerships with high schools and community colleges through programs such as our Dual-Credit and Transfer Pathways programs.