Enrollment Strategies:

Recruitment and Retention

June 3, 2017

Dana L. Thomas, Ph.D.

Fall 2021 goals

• 2300 associate-level students

• 5000 baccalaureate students

• 1200 graduate students

• 30% associate-level graduation rate

• 50% baccalaureate 6-year graduation rate

UAF strategic enrollment initiatives

• Recruitment and retention teams established

– Associate-level

– Baccalaureate

– Graduate

• Active military, dependents, and veterans outreach

• Invest in high growth programs

• Scholarships

• Intensive advising support

Guiding principals of recruitment

Everything is recruitment

Relationships are the foundation

16-20 month cycle

Strategy, not reaction

Recruitment strategies

• Targeted digital marketing

• Active military, their dependents, and veterans

• Strategic use of recruiting scholarships

• Degree completion outreach

• Programs online

• New high demand programs

• Industry and school district partnerships

• Community college articulation agreements

Targeted digital marketing

• Collaborating with higher education digital marketing firm:– Expertise and insights in higher education

– Consumer data driven

– Outsourcing allows for flexibility and campaign refinement

• Measurable outcomes inform decision making

• Creates opportunity for collaborations and leveraged

resources across departments

• Increases UAF’s visibility to students across Alaska and in the

lower-48

Alaska high school graduation race distribution

4% 3% 3%

22% 23% 25%

10% 10%9%

7% 7%9%

58% 57% 54%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

AY17 AY21 AY25

White

Hispanic

AAPI

AIAN

Black

Retention and graduation strategies

High impact practices

• Undergraduate research

• Capstone experience

• Learning communities

• Student Engagement

Academic support

• Intensive Advising

• Student success workshops

• Math bridge

• Scholarships

Baccalaureate student retention and graduation

Baccalaureate student credit load

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 F06 F07 F08 F09 F10 F11 F12 F13 F14 F15 F16

Ave

rage

Cre

dit

Lo

ad

Total Population

Under 25 years of age

25 years of age or older

Year 6 – 8 baccalaureate graduation rate

17.26%

9.27%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

18%

20%

UAF Peers

Fall 2021 goals

• 2300 associate-level students

• 5000 baccalaureate students

• 1200 graduate students

• 30% associate-level graduation rate

• 50% baccalaureate 6-year graduation rate

Additional Information

Six year baccalaureate graduation rate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Fall 98 Fall 99 Fall 00 Fall 01 Fall 02 Fall 03 Fall 04 Fall 05 Fall 06 Fall 07 Fall 08 Fall 09 Fall 10

Six

-Year

Gra

duati

on R

ate

(%

)

Entering Cohort Term

UAF 6-Yr

UA 6-Yr

UAF Peer 6-YrAvg

Three year associate-level graduation rate

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Fall 04 Fall 05 Fall 06 Fall 07 Fall 08 Fall 09 Fall 10 Fall 11 Fall 12 Fall 13

Thre

e-Y

ear

Gra

du

atio

n R

ate

(%

)

Entering Cohort Term

UAF 3-Yr

UA 3-Yr

UA peer average

UAF academic peers

• Idaho State University

• Montana State University- Bozeman

• New Mexico State University- Main Campus

• North Dakota State University- Main Campus

• Oregon State University

• The University of Montana

• University of Idaho

• University of Maine

• University of Nevada-Reno

• University of Wyoming

• Utah State University