Chris Ferguson Director of Admissions & Assistant Professor Wilmington University

Samuel Sudhakar Vice President of Administrative Services & CIO Carl Sandburg College

About Wilmington University   Private, Non-Profit, Non-Sectarian University   Undergraduate, Graduate, and Doctorate Programs   12,500 students   11 Locations in Delaware and New Jersey   Commuter   41 Years Old

About Chris Ferguson   10-years in College Admissions   Director of Admissions: Oversees Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions   Assistant Professor of Social & Behavioral Sciences   Doctoral Candidate at University of Pennsylvania   Specialized in College-Created SNS & Mass Notification for Yield Management   Specialized in Developing Robust Communication Plans

Engagement is the Fundamental Recruitment Principle

•  Primary Goal of Admission Lifecycle

Prospect Inquiry Applicant Student

To develop and strengthen student-centered relationships while moving future students through the Admission Lifecycle. This invites future students into Wilmington University’s community while exploring it as their institution of choice. After moving through the lifecycle, a personalized relationship has been established enabling the potential for maximum student success.

Use Multi-Channel Methods Inquiry Applicant

•  Website (Student-Driven Navigation, Virtual Tour, IM [Live Communicator], Online Application, Online Event Scheduling)

•  Email Campaigns •  Online Information Sessions •  Postal Letters & Publications (Viewbooks, Postcards, Application

Materials) •  Person-to-Person Telephone Calls •  Face-to-Face Appointments •  Campus Visits (Tours, Info Sessions) •  On-Campus School Counselor Dinners and Trainings

Five-Year Application Growth

160%

59%

110%

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09

Undergraduate Applicants

Graduate Applicants

Total

Use Multi-Channel Methods

Applicant Student •  Website •  Blackboard Connect Mass Notification Campaigns •  Private Social Network (wilmYOU)

–  Integrates Applicant/Student Profiles, Blogs, Groups, Videos, Events, RSS Feeds, IM, and Direct Website Links

•  Campus Visits (Tours, Info Sessions, etc.) •  Email Campaigns •  Postal Letters & Publications (Postcards, Brochures) •  Face-to-Face Appointments

Five-Year New Enrolled Student Growth

63%

18%

44%

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09

Undergraduate

Graduate

Total

Email is used for…

•  REINFORCING postal communications

•  SPECIALIZING .edu website content

•  INCREASING touch points

•  QUANTIFYING communication plan

•  EVALUATING messages

College-Created Social Networking Site is used for…

•  ENGAGING admitted applicants

•  INTEGRATING social media strategies

•  CONNECTING peer applicants

•  TAILORING one-click navigation

•  ENABLING self-service

•  PREDICTING yield rates

Mass Notification is used for…

•  DELIVERING specific messages

•  TRACKING audience receipt

•  REPORTING outcomes

•  INCREASING tuition revenue/yield rates

•  SURVEYING enrollment decisions

DELIVERING a message (Spring 2009)

TRACKING audience receipt

REPORTING outcomes

89.2%

INCREASING tuition revenue

$483,000

Test Campaign (Spring 2007 Test)

262 non-registered undergraduate and graduate applicants received an email three working days prior to the first day of courses for Spring 2007. At 7:00 p.m. two days prior to the first day of courses, more than half were also sent a pre-recorded Blackboard Connect telephone call from the Director of Admissions encouraging them to register for courses.

Spring 2007 Test Results

•  35.4% (93) registered for one or more courses •  Tuition revenue totaled more than $198,000

•  This was compared to a test group of 168 non-registered undergraduate and graduate applicants who were only sent a postal letter. This group was not communicated via Blackboard Connect telephone contact and email.

•  19.6% (33) registered for one or more courses •  Tuition revenue approximately totaled $40,000

One Question Survey

42.3% Responded

Remember…

Student Retention Through Engagement

Opportunity to Succeed To provide accessible, quality education in a

caring environment by keeping the learner’s needs

at the center of decision making and by working in partnership with communities of the College

district.

  People Actively Collaborate To Understand More About The Student Experience and Work Together to Design Better Approaches and Programs

  Faculty Seek Out Student Perspectives On Their Own Learning and See them as Critical Voices in the Ongoing Conversation About Quality

  NSSE, 2008

Institution Student Student Student Faculty Student

  Communications Management – Datatel   eAdvising – Datatel   iTunes University Initiative   U.Select   Retention Alert – Datatel   Blackboard Connect – Blackboard   Blackboard Learning System – Blackboard   iClickers   Insight - Faronics

  Noel – Levitz Engagement –Online CSI   mySandburg Portal – Online Student Self Service   Vertical and Horizontal Alliances (K-12, WIU, Franklin U,

SECC, Internships etc…)   Campus Refresh   Digital Signage Monitors   Climate Control Projects   Orientations   Social Networking   COMPASS Testing – Web Based   eScript Initiative

  Part of the Overall Communications Strategy   Emergency and Informational

Communications   Granular Targets   Built into the Culture   Standardized Formats   Hosted – Foray into the Cloud

  Scripts Run to Select Audience from Database   Student Services   Financial Aid   Business Office   Academic Services   Faculty   Dispatch Office

  mySandburg – Skydrive Interface   Operating Analytics – Business Intelligence   Faculty Engagement Strategies   Student Relationship Management   Move Apps to the Cloud