Growing Emporia State
Michael Lane - President ESU
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I BELIEVE IT is no secret that one of our goals at Emporia State University is to grow. How do we accomplish this goal? To answer that question, I think it is helpful to understand the changes that have occurred in higher education recruitment in the last ten or so years.
In the early 1990s, the primary role of admissions staffs at state regional universities like ESU was to process applications from students who applied. Direct competition among such universities was limited; there was little marketing taking place. In the intervening years, though, several things have happened to change this model.
The entry of private, for-profit universities, such as the University of Phoenix, has made it easier for students to earn degrees in their local communities. With expanded technologies and growth in on-line education, it is now possible for students to earn degrees without leaving their homes.
Competition for enrollment growth has created an aggressive environment among all institutions of higher education. Much of this pressure is financial in nature. Colleges and universities want to increase the revenue base for their institutions at a time of declining support from state legislatures.
In the past, ESU relied on its lower cost as an incentive to convince students to attend. In the current environment, that is not enough. We must compete with all the other institutions offering scholarships to entering students.
How have we adapted to these changing conditions? One of the first responses at Emporia State was to create a robust scholarship program for entering students.
We recently revised our freshman scholarship program to remain competitive for high-achieving students. Our new program rewards students according to their academic achievements in high school and their performance on the ACT test.
The area where we need to improve is in marketing ESU. We recently appointed a director of marketing who is developing a comprehensive marketing plan to ensure that prospective students have the information they need about Emporia State. These marketing efforts will highlight the significant strengths ESU has in helping students achieve success in their academic programs, in their careers, and in their lives.
The Emporia community also plays a significant role in making ESU an attractive institution for prospective students. When prospective students and parents visit the campus, they also want to know about services that the community can offer. Amenities such as shopping opportunities, restaurants, and other entertainment venues are important to these students. Housing options on and off campus also have a significant impact on a prospective student’s decision to enroll at ESU. I think we already have several good housing options, with more being developed in the community by local investors.
So how do we grow ESU? With Kansas high school enrollments remaining relatively flat over the next decade we must look in different directions to increase enrollment at ESU.
First, we are planning to increase our recruitment of community college students to ESU. Degree completion opportunities that are well articulated with their community college curricula will help a great deal, making the community college student’s transfer to and graduation from ESU a seamless operation.
Second, we are looking to some out-of-state markets. We have begun recruitment activities in Nebraska and Texas where we have experienced some success and hope to continue to step up recruitment of students from these areas.
Third, we are increasing efforts to bring more international students to ESU. Not only do these students bring cultural diversity to the university, they also bring that same enrichment to our community. I want to thank the many members of our community who act as hosts to these international students during holidays and university breaks. These kinds of partnerships help the university greatly!
Finally, we are working hard to keep students at ESU. Nationally, approximately 67% of freshmen who start at regional universities stay for a second year. ESU currently retains approximately 72% of our new start freshmen for their sophomore year. We intend to increase that number through additional services offered to our students.
Recruiting students to the university is now a very competitive business. We continue to update our materials, our processes and our scholarship programs. We will continue to expand our investment in marketing efforts over the next three years until we are fully funding a high-quality marketing program that represents ESU and all of the best opportunities we offer. We continue to work with the community to expand opportunities for our students in shopping, restaurants, and entertainment. Most importantly, we continue to offer an educational experience designed to help our graduates succeed.
Growing a university is not an easy task. ESU has embarked on a concerted effort to grow and to bring more students to Emporia. We appreciate the manner in which the community helps by welcoming prospective students and parents. Together, we can grow and succeed.
ksnewsie (anonymous) says...
Want to grow ESU?
1. Tout the strengths...everywhere...nationwide. We have outstanding education and library programs. Let the world know. Every high school student in this country who is considering either major should know of Emporia State.
2. Identify the university's weaknesses and either strengthen them or dump them. This could be programs, administration, facuty or staff (if I had my choice, you could start with journalism. The professors are out of touch, the program does nothing to prepare graduates for working in new media, The Bulletin is run like a club and we have nothing to prepare us for television, radio or Web journalism).
3. Hire marketing, public affairs and admissions staff that actually know what they are doing. Focus less on getting students here at any costs and more on finding quality students. It is no wonder ESU is the smallest university in the state system with a reputation for not getting the best students. Quality programs attract quality students. Enough said.
4. Have the administrators climb down from the Ivory Tower and make a serious effort to talk to students (not just the SGA puppets, but students who have real issues, real concerns and real needs).
Do this, and ESU will grow by leaps and bounds.
GUARANTEED
March 19, 2008 at 8:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gregorymed (anonymous) says...
Pres Lane,
If you want to grow ESU you need to start competing with your competition(Washburn U.) 50 miles to the north. You need modern(new) on campus housing, winning football and men's BB teams, and an entertainment strip just off campus. This will bring the male enrollment to town. Diversity should include the rich, jewish, foreign, and secular city people. Remember your time in Boston? Invest in the greek system for socialization and student development. The marketing needs to focus on city kids where the numbers are and what their wishes and requirements will have to be to come to the emporia campus. Juco transfers do not build loyalty to the school...high school students do. Expecting more from the faculty and paying more will help improve the education delivery and make the educational experience at ESU seem more valuable.Also, you need to publicly show you want to compete....take jerry farley on for a change...in anything(MIAA, faculty recruitment, fund raising, even a game of poker!!!) Seriously, Pres Lane, show the emporia campus, alumni and kansas communities you publicly want to compete then ESU will grow.
March 20, 2008 at 12:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
gregory....formula very well presented. Student recruiters should have a few years experience as used car salesmen so they KNOW how to sell!
March 20, 2008 at 2:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
barry51 (anonymous) says...
This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
March 20, 2008 at 3:08 p.m. ( permalink )
bobhornet (anonymous) says...
ksnewsie has said it well; I would add one thing. ESU is a wonderful place to get an education, but the restructuring of the scholarship program a few years back exacerbated an already large problem. First-year students can get a nice scholarship package, but returning students have far fewer scholarship dollars available to them. If you want to retain good students, and especially promising students who may come from families that cannot afford to send their kids to college, this is one are where ESU must approve. The "Guaranteed GPA" scholarships are a pittance of the cost of tuition and room and board. I hope President Lane and the administration will address this serious issue so that students can not only afford to start their education at ESU, but FINISH it!
Forever ESU!
March 20, 2008 at 4:09 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
What is "The Guaranteed GPA Scholarship"?
General question. Do other colleges have way better scholarship opportunities than ESU?
March 20, 2008 at 4:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bobhornet (anonymous) says...
admireed: A few years back, the foundation took most of the scholarship dollars that used to be dispersed among individual departments and programs and pooled them together to make the "Guaranteed GPA" program. There are still some specific scholarship programs, but they tend to be in the Teacher's College and Library Science for the most part. Students now, regardless of major, get a certain dollar amount based on their cumulative GPA. Here's the dollar amounts:
4.00 - 3.75 = $1,200
3.74 - 3.50 = $1,000
3.49 - 3.25 = $ 500
Here's the tuition and fees cost for 2008-2009:
$4,082
Here's the approximate cost of living in the dorms:
$5,858
While those scholarships are nice, as you can see--they don't put much of a dent in the actual cost of attendance. This means students are borrowing more to get their education, and for the average ESU student and their family, this is a major hardship!
March 21, 2008 at 9:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bobhornet (anonymous) says...
P.S. Here's an example of how returning students can actually lose scholarship money:
A student comes in as a freshman with an ACT of 29 or above. That student is eligible for a "Hornet Scholarship" of $1800 for the first year. Here's the breakdown for a Hornet Scholarship award for the student's remaining years based on GPA:
3.95 - 4.00 $1,800
3.85 – 3.94 $1,400
3.75 – 3.84 $1,200
3.50 – 3.74 $1,000
3.25 – 3.49 $500
Now, I would consider a 3.5 GPA student a real success, but as you can see, they lose 44% of their initial scholarship for years 2,3,4, etc. This is where I think ESU needs to step it up and do better for rewarding students who excel at ESU, and not just who come from high school with a good ACT score (which isn't always the best indicator of future success anyway).
Please realize, too, I am not trying to bash the university here--I am a PROUD alum and am just offering a suggestion to try and get and KEEP the best students in Emporia!
March 21, 2008 at 10:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
gregorymed (anonymous) says...
bobhornet,
How about the thought of doing some marketing toward students and families who do not care about <$2,000 scholarships but want good modern housing, fun college entertainment, and college professors who help them with their ESU educational experience(relationship building) and/or get a career or grad school started. Don't you think ESU has enough rural/farm, low income, first generation students seeking to be teachers already? How about some kids who aspire to be in big time corporate business, medical, or law fields. Maybe these types of families and students would be eye openers for the campus and town.
March 21, 2008 at 12:15 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
Bobhornet...thanks for your detailed response. Does tying scholarship dollars to GPA lead to grade inflation? Does this program "suggest" to students that they better take the easier stuff rather than tackle chemistry as an elective for fear of getting a "D" or "F"?
March 21, 2008 at 2:55 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
tmt (anonymous) says...
IMO - improving distance learning programs is the key to the future. Ironically, I have spent the better part of this week alone researching various distance learning programs which will allow someone like me - a typical "non-traditional" student the flexibility to complete my B.S.
I would love to finish my educational career at the school where it started, but unfortunately this is not an option as I am not at a point in my life where a traditional brick-and-mortor school setting would fit my full-time employment schedule.
Internet based learning has come so far (the university that I am looking at even holds a formal graduation via satellite) and ESU is not keeping up. Offering complete distance learning degrees and more degree programs will make them a competitive entity in todays cyber world.
Consider this - If you could get an accredited degree in your spare time, after the kids are in bed and the dishes are done - by logging into your computer would you? Increase the technology and enrollment will rise.
March 21, 2008 at 3:56 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Absolute (anonymous) says...
Yes, they really need to increase online classes. I received my undergraduate from ESU and would love to get my masters there as well. As it stands, I will be starting my all online masters program at KU in the fall.
March 21, 2008 at 4:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )