| The
President's Post
 In
a recent issue of the Campus Communiqué, I highlighted
the campuswide strategies we are using to improve student retention
and enhance success. Within a comprehensive model of enrollment management,
retention and recruitment are equally important. In this issue I will
address our admissions process and several things we are now doing differently.
What are we currently doing to refine our approach
to student recruitment and to stay competitive in an increasingly competitive
market? That is an important question. As we have built next year’s
budget on a projected enrollment of 640 students, with 260 of that number
being students new to the campus, we must be proactive and cutting edge
with recruitment.
Under Jana Hart’s leadership, as Interim Dean
for Admissions and Financial Aid, the following strategies have become
important components in the admissions process:
1. implementing a net revenue model to ensure the
equitable distribution of institutional scholarships;
2. maintaining a specific tuition discount rate while, at the same
time, being flexible for those potential students who are a good match
for Ozarks but require additional funding;
3. using a more systematic and aggressive approach
when processing and responding to online applications;
4. acting upon all applications – online
and traditional – in a more timely manner;
5. forwarding information packets to potential
students within five days of request;
6. appointing Deborah Sisson as Faculty-Admissions
Liaison;
7. piloting a faculty feedback form for assessing
the success of potential students;
8. strengthening the relationship between the Admissions
Office and high school counselors.
We are also seeking activities to bring additional
groups of students onto campus, such as the recent Future Business Leaders
of America conference and the upcoming math competition for high school
students. As with retention, the recruitment of new students is a campuswide
effort, especially when potential students and their families visit
Ozarks. The more we stress a potential student’s good fit with
Ozarks, the more successful we will be with retention. The two go hand-in-hand.
Let me know if you have any comments or suggestions about recruiting
and retention..
Dr. Rick Niece
President
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