Strategic Enrollment Management Plan

Strategic Enrollment Management Plan Overview 2024-25

Strategic Enrollment Planning The need for strategic planning has become more critical than ever in today’s higher education enrollment landscape. Higher education institutions compete for the attention of prospective students amongst each other regionally and nationally. Strong employment opportunities o en result in individuals choosing to participate in the workforce and forgoing the pursuit of furthering their education. In addition, there will be a decline in the number of high school graduates that will exacerbate the complex enrollment picture in the next five to ten years. An additional consideration is the impacts of increased costs of higher education versus the ability to enter the workforce at a perceived higher salary due to the labor shortage. Investing in intentional planning and strategy to address these converging factors will position the University of Wisconsin-Stout to be competitive in this landscape. Strategic enrollment planning (SEP) is “a complex and organized effort to connect mission, current state, and the changing environment to long-term enrollment and fiscal health, resulting in a concrete, written plan of action. It differs from traditional enrollment planning in that it brings academic and co-curricular planning into the center of the initiative,” as defined by Ruffalo Noel Levitz. At UW-Stout, the SEP process was designed to create a comprehensive plan that is clear, proactive, and identified enrollment opportunities for different student segments and new points of entry to the University; establish specific and achievable enrollment targets; identify funding and reasonable implementation timeline to support the SEM Plan with resources needed to make UW-Stout competitive; create a structure and culture that supports and sustains strategic enrollment planning at the University both through the planning and implementation phases; and to engage the campus in a process that is collaborative, aligned with other initiatives on campus, and leverages data to inform decision-making. UW-Stout had engaged in the strategic enrollment planning process during the 2021-22 academic year that resulted in the development of its Strategic Enrollment Management Plan (SEM Plan). The planning process included over 100 staff, faculty, students, and administrators. The highly collaborative process resulted in this SEM Plan. The UW-Stout SEM Plan is a five-year strategic roadmap that will guide and align strategic enrollment efforts university wide. The SEM Plan includes details for six prioritized enrollment strategies approved by the SEP Committee and SEP Council. Timeline The SEM is based on a five-year timeline, beginning in 2022-23 and ending in 2026-27. Targets The target is to grow to 7,067 students by the end of Fall 2026. To achieve this, key performance indicators have been identified for each enrollment strategy action plan. Focus Areas It is anticipated that the plan will remain focused on these enrollment strategy action plans for the duration. Accountability There will be an annual process to review results from the key performance indicators and update the strategies and resource allocations to ensure we remain on track. Agility This SEM Plan Overview reflects a snapshot of the evolving SEP process. While the focus areas are anticipated to remain throughout the duration, the strategies and tactics may change at any time. Enrollment Strategies The enrollment strategies are designed to increase UW-Stout’s market share of new students and increase retention of current students. Each enrollment strategy has a detailed action plan that will be used throughout implementation and evaluation. UW-Stout’s SEM Plan is comprehensive and aligns strategic enrollment efforts across the University. Investment in these strategies demonstrates a university-wide commitment to agility, data-driven decision making, and an approach to strengthen and grow enrollment in a strategic way.

Management Structure To ensure the SEP remains a participatory process that is grounded in data, it is managed by several groups: SEP Council The role of the SEP Council is to engage senior leaders on campus to determine the scope of the SEP process, to identify KPIs, and to oversee and support the work of the SEP Committee. The Vice Chancellor of Enrollment and Strategic Initiatives is the liaison between the SEP Council and SEP Committee. SEP Committee The SEP Committee oversees the SEM planning and implementation process and develops mechanisms for tracking the implementation and effectiveness of the SEP. SEP Data Team The SEP Data Team supports the data needs of the SEP process and helps prioritize data requests that come forward through this process. The Data Team focuses on the enrollment projection model and will continue to support the SEP project through tracking and monitoring data pieces. SEP Action Plan Implementation Teams The SEP Action Plan Implementation Teams work together to implement each of the Strategic Enrollment Action Plans, some of which contain subplans. Strategic Planning Group The Strategic Planning Group oversees implementation of the university strategic plan, FOCUS2030. On an annual basis, an SEP action plan is submitted to this group.

Advising Model Subplan: Financial Wellness Center

Overarching Strategy: Create a comprehensive advising model to improve the advising experience for students, professionals, and faculty advisors. Regularly assess the impact of the advising model for continuous improvement. Provide UW-Stout students with a centralized and coordinated financial wellness center that offers peer-to-peer financial support, guidance, and customized resources. Key Performance Indicators: • Advising Model: Growth in university retention rate from first to second year, and from second to third year. Baseline: 64.2% (3-year average for 2nd to 3rd year retention); 71.0% (3 -year average for 1st to 2nd year retention); Current Year Outcome: 66.7% (64.5% 3-year average for 2nd to 3rd year retention; 78.9% (75% 3-year average for 1st to 2nd year retention) • Financial Wellness Center: Retention rate of the users of the Wellness Center exceeds the university retention rate. Baseline: Compare to University-wide retention rate for the same year; Current Year Outcome: Retention Rates of Financial Wellness Center Users vs. University Retention Rate: FWC Users – New FY Full Time: 75%, New Full Time Transfers: 75%; University Overall – New FY Full Time: 78.9%, New Full Time Transfers: 79.7% Lead: Kelly Wenig Cabinet Sponsor: Ediz Kaykayoglu Comprehensive Recruitment Plan Subplan: High-Demand Credentialing, CE, and Non-Credit Options Overarching Strategy: Create a comprehensive recruitment plan that includes strategies to increase student enrollment including new undergraduate, transfer, international, graduate, and customized instruction students. As part of the recruitment plan expand offerings to align upskill and reskill adults tied to industry micro-credentials and competency-based certifications. Expand continuing education, non-credit, and credit outreach offerings for post-traditional learners. Key Performance Indicators: • Comprehensive Recruitment Plan: Growth in yield for both graduate and undergraduate students compared to baseline. Baseline: 6281 (Fall 2022 UG apps), 42.4% UG yield (Fall 2021), 70.6% graduate yield (Fall 2021); Current Year Outcome (Fall 2024): Total Apps: FR=5586, TR=978, GR=930, Acc Apps: FR=4827, TR=556, GR=597 (Act Acc=515), Yield Rate FR (2024)=24.4%, Yield Rate TR (2024)=72.5%, Yield Rate GRAD (2024)=55.7% • High-Demand Credentialing: Growth in the number of students enrolled in high demand credentials (credit and non-credit). Baseline: 204 (3-year average number of credit-bearing certificates awarded annually), 0 baseline for non-credit; Current Year Outcome: For Credit: 149 students (awarded 2024 Academic year), Non-Credit: 5 Co-Leads: Jim Ramsay & Darren Ward Cabinet Co-Sponsors: Michael Huggins & Ediz Kaykayoglu First Year Experience Overarching Strategy: A First Year Experience (FYE) Program Model is strategically aimed at creating a holistic approach to support students in their transition to higher education with intentional, immediate, and ongoing programming and resources designed to increase their ability to succeed academically and socially during their educational career and beyond. Key Performance Indicators: Growth in university retention rate from first to second year. Baseline: 71.0% (3-year average); Current Year Outcome: 78.9% (3-year average 75%). Co-Leads: Tina Lee & Britta Miller Cabinet Co-Sponsors: Glendalí Rodríguez & Sandi Scott

Review & Expand Sports Module Overarching Strategy: At the beginning of the SEP, UW-Stout offered 19 varsity sports. Sports expansion provides opportunities to recruit new students who may not have attended the University otherwise. Key Performance Indicators: Growth in the number of new students enrolled in a sports module. Baseline: 193 (3-year average); Current Year Outcome: 2024FA = 212 (3-year average 198) Co-Leads: Duey Naatz & Erin Sullivan Cabinet Sponsor: Duey Naatz Strategic International Student Enrollment Partnerships Overarching Strategy: Developing strategic partnerships with domestic and international institutions of higher education and third-party education organizations serves multiple purposes (e.g., brand-building, increased awareness of Stout programs, elimination of barriers to admission, facilitation of transfer credits, dual-degree articulation agreements, etc.) with the aim to increase international student enrollment. Key Performance Indicators: Growth in the number and retention of international students. Note: the primary focus will be on enrollment growth. Baseline: 196 (Fall 2022); Current Year Outcome: 2024FA – 322 (317 in person, 5 online) Lead: Scott Pierson Cabinet Sponsor: Glendalí Rodríguez Transfer Center Subplans: Credit for Prior Learning, Veteran and Military Students Overarching Strategy: Develop a one-stop center for transfer students to streamline recruitment, admission, transfer evaluation, articulation, and advising. Simplify transfer credit evaluation and course transfer processes. The transfer center action plan will: • Attract, retain, and graduate veteran and military students through a comprehensive, integrated approach that addresses considerations unique to this student group. Additionally, attract, retain, and graduate students who are the spouses or children of veterans and military members through efforts that address factors that may apply to their situation. • Identify policy change, process efficiency, and marketing/promotional recommendations to extend and improve Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) in an effort to attract and retain adult, degree-completion students who have a wealth of work experience that can meet the learning objectives of UW-Stout coursework. Key Performance Indicators: • Transfer Center: Growth in enrollment and retention rate of the transfer students compared to the transfer student numbers in the baseline year. Baseline: 78.9% (3-year average), 399 transfer enrollments (fall 2022); Current Year Outcome: Transfer retention rate for 2023FA cohort, full time: 79.7%, Fall 2024 Transfer Enrollment = 402 • Credit for Prior Learning (CPL): Growth in the number of students who receive credit for prior learning and growth in the number of credits students receive for prior learning, measure the number of CPL offerings and/or programs with CPL that we are promoting to prospective students and growth in those offerings over time. Baseline: 92 (CBE); 489 (Portfolio) (add these numbers together) (3-year average number of annual credits); Current Year Outcome: 2023-2024: 79 (CBE), 349 (Portfolio) Total: 428 • Veteran and Military Students: Growth in Retention rate of the veteran and military students compared to retention rate of veteran and military students in baseline year. Baseline: 61.7% (Fall 2021); Current Year Outcome: 65.9% (Fall 2023-Fall 2024) Lead: Darren Ward Cabinet Sponsor: Meridith Wentz

SEP Contributors 2024-25 • Kylie Anderson, Frist-Year Advisor • Gabriella Bjurquist, Advisor • Jamie Bowe, Governance Administrator • Tamara Brantmeier, Professor • Kathy Brock, Assistant Professor • Heidi Catlin, Director, Learning Technology Services • Jen Chapek, Data Analyst • Emily Cutler, Digital Marketing Manager/Lecturer • Stephanie Danielson, Program Office Associate • Kelly Droege, Program Director/Assistant Professor • Kevin Drzakowski, Associate Dean/Professor, CAHS • Diane Duerst, Department Assistant • Yvonne Eaton, Int’l Admissions & Recruitment Coordinator • Chris Engen, Veteran Services Professional Consultant • Dale Evans, Alum • Mark Fenton, Program Director/Professor • Mollie Ficek, Transfer Admissions Counselor • Katherine Frank, Chancellor • Dana Fritz, Asst. Director of Operations, University Housing • Nelu Ghenciu, Dept. Chair/Professor • Heidi Gilbertson, First-Year Advisor • Erik Guenard, Vice Chancellor for BFAS • Amy Gullixson, Associate Director, Stout Online • Brian Hackner, Military Education Benefits Coordinator • Kathryn Hamilton, Department Chair/Professor • Beth Hein, Executive Director, Educational Pathways & Outreach • Anne Hoel, Professor • Seth Hudson, Executive Director, Corp. Relations & Economic Engagement • Michael Huggins, Strategic Marketing Officer • Courtney Juelich, Assistant Professor • Joe Kauffman, Director, Financial Aid & Student Employment • Ediz Kaykayoglu, Vice Chancellor for ESI • Eric Konsela, Associate Registrar • Kristi Krimpelbein, Head of Staff • Beth Kucko, Graduate Admissions Examiner • Henry Leckenby, Lecturer

• Tina Lee, Program Director/Professor • Josh Lind, Registrar • Adam Ludwig, Director, University Housing • Amy McGovern, Retention Specialist • Terri Mertz, Alum • Britta Miller, Director, FYE • Cory Mitchell, Collection Development Librarian • Duey Naatz, Director, Athletics • Tim Nelson, Alum • Casey Parrott, Director of Athletics Communication • Scott Pierson, Director, International Education • Jim Ramsay, Asst. Provost, Graduate Studies • Scott Revoir, Assoc. Director, Continuing Education & Conferences • Glendalí Rodríguez, Provost • Cheryl Schmidt, Bursar • Anne Schmitz, Dept. Chair/Associate Professor • Rick Schutta, Lecturer • Sandi Scott, Dean of Students • Mandy Stasiek, Program Manager • Mackenzie Stutzman, Assoc. Director of Recreation, University Recreation • Erin Sullivan, Deputy Director, Athletics • Renee Surdick, Assoc. Dean/Director of School of Mgmt., CSTEMM • Jennifer Swoboda, Assistant Registrar • Sue Traxler, Assistant Chancellor for Learning & Information Technology • Darren Ward, Interim Director & Assoc. Director, Admissions • Julie Watts, Department Chair/Professor • Kelly Wenig, Director, Advisement Center • Meridith Wentz, Assistant Chancellor for PARQ • Emily Whitcomb, Transfer Coordinator • Mandy Wolbert, Adult & Student Services Coordinator • Sarah Wood, Program Director/Professor • Mai Khou Xiong, Executive Director of Student Opportunity & Excellence • Lystra Yates, Records Manager • Julie Zaloudek, Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Curriculum Quality • Javan Pham, Outreach Program Mgr. • Julie Pichler, Business Systems Analyst II