Browsing by Subject "College enrollment"
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Item Enrollment and fiscal health of small, tuition-dependent private colleges with new football programs(2011-05) Dalton, Brian Francis; Somers, Patricia (Patricia A.); Heilig, Julian V.; Kameen, Marilyn; Vick, Jim; Taylor, CeceliaThe primary focus of this comparative research was to explore the impact of the addition of football programs on the enrollment and fiscal health of 530 small, tuition-dependent private U.S. colleges and universities from 1985 to 2000. The institutions studied represented a group of institutions that are increasingly challenged to manage or improve their enrollments and fiscal health at a time when competitive pressures raise questions as to their long-term viability. In the analysis, institutions were separated into four groups. The first group consisted of 52 institutions that established intercollegiate football programs during that time period. The second group was comprised of six institutions that ended football programs during that time period. The third group involved 172 institutions that had football programs during the entire time span. The fourth group consisted of 300 institutions that had no football program during the entire time span of the study. Data regarding enrollment and fiscal health for all 530 institutions were collected from publicly available sources to account for the 25 years of the study and the analysis was conducted. This study incorporated an interrupted time series design, which allowed for a large series of observations made on the same variable consecutively over time. The results of this study demonstrated that initiating a new football program produces a greater increase in undergraduate enrollment for initiating institutions than for those institutions not initiating a football program. Initiating a football program also produces a greater increase in fiscal health for initiating institutions than for those institutions not initiating a football program. In addition the study confirmed that initiating a football program increases the rate of growth of undergraduate enrollment of initiating institutions compared to those institutions that did not have a football program during the time span of the study. This was not the case for institutions that had a football program during the time span of the study. Finally, starting a football program increases the rate of improvement of the fiscal health of initiating institutions compared to those institutions not initiating a football program.Item Why optional does not work : an analysis on recruitment through College Connection(2010-05) Ponce, Christina; Roueche, John E.; Bumphus, Walter; Cantu, Norma; Saenz, Victor; Kinslow, SteveThere is an ever increasing need to ‘Close the Gaps’ in higher education and increase college enrollment rates. Colleges have responded to this need through numerous recruitment efforts yet limited research exists on the successful components of model programs that have been established. This study explored components of College Connection, a nationally recognized recruitment initiative by Austin Community College. College Connection is geared toward increasing the college-going rate in central Texas by providing all high school seniors with the tools, support, and guidance to enroll in college. The research was conducted through a qualitative study of graduating high school seniors from two different high schools in central Texas. The study explored whether students were participating in the four ‘required’ components of College Connection, and if so, were the ‘optional’ and ‘recommended’ support services at each of the high schools being utilized. It was also important to examine which of the student support services offered on the high school campuses were most helpful according to students. Factors that students perceived were preventing them from participating in enrollment activities were also explored. Additionally, themes and recruitment strategies that emerged from the qualitative interviews were collected and used as suggestions to refine current practice. Background data on the participation rates, success, and retention of students who had participated in College Connection showed enormous progress in central Texas. This study, however, reaffirmed the idea that “students don’t do optional,” and it was essential to have students in all high schools participate in all of the enrollment steps. None of the participating students in this study attended any of the ‘optional’ evening or Saturday events held on their high school campus. The study went on to reveal that even the ‘required’ enrollment components at one of the high schools were not being required of all high school seniors. This prevented many graduating high school seniors from participating in enrollment activities and gathering college information as was intended. Furthermore, both high schools elected not to schedule any of the optional or recommended components the college had offered such as registration support, teleconferencing or campus tours. This study overall found that students who did participate in the required enrollment activities found the college support services to be extremely “helpful and informative.” It also became evident that the recruitment efforts at both high schools had begun to establish a college-going culture where students were familiar with college enrollment steps and terminology, and all but one student mentioned they would be pursuing higher education after high school graduation.