Txgap keynote address 2015

RECRUITMENT: LEADING THE WAY WITH STUDENT CARE

Brenda Harms, Ph.D.

Harms Consulting

Harms Consulting

Dedicated to the idea of helping colleges and universities do a better job serving students.

The Importance of Student Care…

The Importance of Student Care…• Starting graduate school is not the goal – completing is• While historically graduate retention has been quite strong

at many universities we are beginning to see some trends that are beginning to make us nervous

• In graduate programs we tend to point toward “academic ability” as being the determination of success but with more executive programs and programs designed for working adults we see this shifting

• We (colleges and universities) MUST become better at getting students across the finish line

The Importance of Student Care…• Enrollment Management (aka Student Care)

• Truly a high level picture• Includes looking at overall revenue generated by

graduate students by program• Should include retention rates – by program – of your

graduate students• Focused broadly on the bigger picture of a students life

cycle• Requires a systematic evaluation from point of inquiry to

point of graduation

The Importance of Student Care…• Recruitment

• Often our main focus when we think about growing enrollment• Focused on relational recruitment – or at least highly personal • Elaborate communication flows – focused on their needs • Extensive efforts are made to guide students through the process

and getting started• Dedicated human resources are in place to bring prospective

students in• Somewhat elaborate Open House events to attract graduate

students to us • Expensive CRM’s

The Importance of Student Care…• Use of Scripts and Key Questions Designed to Help

Prospective Students Think About Their Academic Goals

• Emphasis – what is going on that has caused you to think about returning to school at this point

• Experience – what type of field are you interested in working in

• Employment – wanting to climb a ladder• Earnings – is increasing your income part of your goal • Education – what was your past academic experience like• Economics – what do you know about paying for school• Environment – who is supporting you as you consider this

choice

The Importance of Student Care…Suggested Communication Flow for Unresponsive Inquiries

• Adult inquires – Day 1• Personal connection (email, phone, personal note) Day 1/2• Follow-up contact (call) – Day 3• Follow-up contact (email) – Day 6• Follow-up contact (call) – Day 10• Follow-up contact (email) Day 14• Follow-up contact (call) – Day 18• Follow-up contact (email) – Day 21• Follow-up contact (call) – Day 26• Follow-up contact (email) – Day 33• Follow-up contact (email) – Day 45• Follow-up contact (call) – Day 60• Follow-up contact (maintenance) – holiday/newsletter/special announcements


Utilization of Scripts and Standard Messages• Timed emails being sent via CRM• Mindful phone follow-up (hopefully)


Auto-Response Electronic Messages• Inquiry – Day 1

“Thank you for your interest in XYZ University, we are delighted you have considered us as you are looking for an affordable and flexible MBA designed for professionals in the field. Brenda or Nancy from our admissions office will be following up with you within the next day to further discuss your goals. We look forward to working with you as you make this important personal and professional decision.”


Initial Phone Message or Email

“Thank you for taking the time to inquire about XYZ University, my name is Brenda and I will be assisting you throughout your process with us. I’m anxious to hear about your professional goals and what had led you to thinking about graduate school at this time.

If possible I would like to speak with you to discuss what you are looking for in an educational experience. Please let me know if you are available by phone at any time this week. My schedule is flexible and I am able to call any time before 7:30pm.”


Coordinated Phone Message with Email

“Good afternoon, this is Brenda with XYZ University. You may have received my email yesterday and I was hoping we might be able to set up a time for me to hear about your professional goals and what interests you most about graduate school. I am available at 111-222-3333 until 7:30 tonight – I look forward to hearing back from you.”


Communications Highlighting Program Benefits

“As you consider returning to school to earn your degree I wanted to mention to you that XYZ University places a premium on your current and past work experience. Many of our students have already gained valuable knowledge in their professional roles and that knowledge will be helpful in your classroom work and interactions with your peer network.”


And then they enroll…….


Silence….


The Role of Communication

• We often do a great job communicating with prospective students while they are making their decision but allow them to completely slip off the radar once they start school

• Retention focused communication allows for more than “its time to register for class” communication

• Retention focused communication allows for an ongoing reinforcement of the decision that a student has made to select you as their educational partner

The Importance of Student Care…Typical Approach - Melt Prevention (a shift to process)

• Register for classes• Check your university email• Get your books• Accept your financial aid award• Pay your bill• Login to your courseroom• Show up for class


A New Way to Think About Melt Prevention

• Reinforcing the decision• Heading off buyers remorse• Getting the support team for each student on board• Preparing for the unexpected (difficult work schedules,

employer tuition running out, etc.)

The Importance of Student Care…• From yes…

• Stop EVERYTHING and take a moment• Celebration and Congratulations – have a party (or at

least take a moment to say WOW)• A human being has just made the huge decision to

give up time and money for the next few years in an effort to better themselves – get a card, send a note, do SOMETHING

• NOTE – less than 12% of the American public over 25 has a masters degree!


“I know we celebrated when you were in my office but I was thinking more about your decision to start graduate school

while I was driving home last night and I just wanted to send you a note. Please know that I am so happy for you

that you have made this commitment to yourself. Your professional goals are getting closer already!”

The Importance of Student Care…• From yes

• Reinforce the decision• Continue reminders of the professional and financial

opportunities they will have upon completion• Acknowledge that they have made a brave choice (This is a big

time/money investment in themselves) • Openly discuss the fact that they may now be overwhelmed with

the idea of actually starting• Connect them to other current students or peer mentors• Continue to help them navigate the sometimes messy process of

financial aid, course registration, buying books, getting final undergradauate transcripts, etc.


• Check in on their own support system• Supporters during the consideration process can occasionally

turn into detractors once a person has finalized their decision• Look for ways to build out support systems – encourage

students to create back up plans now, before they need them if there are snags in their return to school• Work• Children• Financial• Transportation


• Stay connected• Think about how diligent you were in your process of recruiting

this student – stay just as diligent with keeping them until they get to those first few classes

• Connect “starting students” to one another –• Facebook “MBA Graduate Group” is very popular • Coffee Groups• Early receptions


• 8 weeks to the start (as an example)• Process and paperwork (application complete, official

transcripts on file, financial aid application in place, books and materials, deposit made, etc.)• Provide a before you get started checklist and include

some fun notes• Celebrate your decision• Call your friends or family and tell them your great news

• Take yourself back to school shopping


• 6 weeks to the start (as an example)• Prepare beyond school

• Send email sharing some helpful tips • Double check work schedules• Housing (if a move is involved)• Review potential conflicts with schedules


“I was thinking about some of the things that concerned you when you were considering returning to college. I wanted to

check-in with you that you had talked with your supervisor and were comfortable that your employer would work with you on

your schedule. Please let me know if you were able to get that worked out or if we need to take a second look at your

schedule.”


• 4 weeks to start (as an example)• Phone message

“I was looking through the list of students who will be starting the MBA program next month and saw your name. I really am

pleased you have decided to take this step, I know finishing your masters degree is a significant goal for you and we are pleased to

be a part of it.”


• 3 weeks to start (as an example)• Electronic Communication

“As students at XYZ University prepare to start classes in a few weeks we wanted to share with you an interesting chart that really reinforces your decision to earn your graduate degree. While your financial future might not be the only thing you had in mind when you made your decision it is certainly a piece of the decision for many of our students.”


• 1-2 weeks to the start• Phone call appointment

• Any final questions• Reviewing classes/classrooms/etc.• Asking them to let you know how it goes after the first class


• Start of Class (if you have a standard first class start)• In person well wish• Ask them to let you know how it goes (again)


• Two days after classes start• Send email – acknowledge how overwhelming this will feel• Ask them to let you know how it went


• Two days after classes start• Send email – acknowledge how overwhelming this will feel

*** If you are serious about retention – make a phone call as well

*** This will let you know who you need to be most worried about right from the start


• Two weeks after classes start• Email – Hope things are going well • A nice place for the formal final handoff to advising (or not)


• 1 week prior to the end of the term or semester• Congratulations on your great success• One step closer to completing your goal


• 4 months into program • Reminders of why they made the decision

• Increasing their professional marketability• Positioning themselves for more opportunities


• 25% complete point• Acknowledge all that they have accomplished – credits earned, difficult

classes successfully completed, steps taken toward achieving their goal


• That difficult class• Every student has a class in their program they are fearful of taking.

Flag it in your system and send a supportive messages during this course


• 50% complete• Half finished!! Celebrate that they are closing in on their goal (and that

time is flying by)


• 75% complete• You would be shocked at the number of students who get within 12

credits of finishing a program and stop-out• Cheering that the end is in sight – remembering how worried they were

at the beginning that they could pull this off – celebrating GPA


• Last Term (or last group of classes)• Help them stop and look at what they have accomplished. • Pull out of the CRM some of what motivated them in the first place to

attend – remind them of goal completion.• Speak to how much they have grown both personally and professionally


• Last weeks of class• Thank them for being a part of a great group of graduate students at

your institution• Share with them that you will celebrate their success with them at

graduation (if you attend)• Be appreciative of the honor and the privilege of being a part of their

achievement• Welcome them to the 12% of masters level Americans

The Importance of Student Care…• Build on the relationship • Find reasons to celebrate• Setting a few quick reminders regarding each student will

allow for a highly personalized experience • Look for ways to be part of their academic experience that

have nothing to do with process or paperwork• Birthday notes, holiday cards, the no reason note in the

mail – you never know when your timing will be perfect

The Importance of Student Care…• Two Final Thoughts

• We really must take a new approach to graduate students being sensitive to the “new” way many of these individuals are attending school

• Institutional acknowledgement that starting doesn’t always mean finishing with graduate learners

• Providing student care over the entire student lifecycle allows for prevention of retention issues – who better to do that (or at least advise the effort) than recruitment


Thank You!


If you would like to discuss the idea of “student care” further please feel free to contact me at:

[email protected]

641-529-3535

mailto:[email protected]

Txgap keynote address 2015

Education

Transcript of Txgap keynote address 2015