The Perceptions of College and University Enrollment Managers on the Relationship between Institutional Enrollment Performances and Enrollment Management Effectiveness.

In this time of limited financial resources, two concerns of higher education have become paramount: enrollment growth and improvement of academic quality. Evolving demographic conditions and changing state and federal aid programs are likely to alter the composition and characteristics of the student body on many campuses. Uncertain socioeconomic trends along with a growing public dissatisfaction toward the pricing and support for higher education should exert real pressure upon higher education and affect institutional enrollment cycles. In response to these concerns, many colleges and universities are more closely monitoring and shaping the characteristics of their student bodies. Traditional efforts to cultivate academic quality and maintain enrollment levels include recruitment and retention programs. The problem, however, is that these programs are typically developed and carried out apart from one another. Too often, the result is a set of programs and policies that work at cross-purposes. To remedy this situation, enrollment management attempts to coordinate and monitor the recruitment and retention programs and policies which influence student enrollment. The basic assumption of enrollment management is that institutions of higher education can exert more influence on their enrollments through systematic efforts in the areas of marketing, organizational operations, pricing policies, recruitment, retention activities, and strategic planning. The guiding proposition is that if institutional programs and services are interrelated through intentional coordination of services, then an institution can be more responsive to students and their educational needs. Thus, the enrollment management model attempts to satisfy both the institution's need for stable tuition and fee revenues and the student's desire to obtain a quality college education. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of enrollment managers at different types of undergraduate institutions concerning the effectiveness of the enrollment management model to determine if use of enrollment management strategies and activities affects enrollment performance. Results of this study should provide educational leaders with increased understanding of the relationship between enrollment management effectiveness and enrollment performance at different types of undergraduate institutions. One major research question guided this study: What are the perceptions of enrollment managers regarding the relationship between enrollment management effectiveness and enrollment performance at two-year public institutions, two-year private institutions, four-year public institutions, and four-year private institutions? Review of the Literature While many institutions have not implemented comprehensive enrollment management systems, a good number have incorporated some of the components of the enrollment management model into their recruitment and retention programs as a way of optimizing student enrollments (USA Group Noel-Levitz 1998). Some have reorganized their recruiting and retention functions while others have adopted new enrollment management strategies calling for increased coordination between campus constituencies without making structural changes. Although many institutions report significant enrollment growth as a result of this approach, little research has been conducted assessing the overall effectiveness of the model in supporting institutional enrollment goals (Pollock and Fox 1989). Based on a qualitative study involving 16 independent and six public enrollment management programs, Dolence (1989-90) developed 12 effectiveness indicators for enrollment management programs. They are, according to Dolence, not of equal importance but cannot be ranked. The effectiveness indicators are: * Assessments: Inputs into the strategic planning process (i.e., key performance indicators, enrollment management calendar, student faculty needs and priorities). …