Author: Dwyer Education Strategies

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. Enrollment growth continues at Mars Hill University in North Carolina despite troubling demographic trends, economic uncertainty and new questions about the value of a college education. The enrollment team of Dr. Craig Goforth, Assistant Vice President for Student Enrollment Services, Kristie Vance, Director of Admissions, Alan Young, Supervisor of Marketing and Admissions, and Nicole Buckner, Director of Financial Aid have implemented significant changes over the last three years that have resulted in transformational growth. So many exciting things are happening. Traditional student enrollment has reached another high. Fall 2013 enrollment has increased […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. There are exciting trends emerging at a small college in Colorado Springs. After a number of years of enrollment declines, a new growth spurt is occurring. Nazarene Bible College has recently adopted a new recruitment and financial aid strategy. Working with The Dysart Group, Inc. positive outcomes are already being realized. In the seven months since new tactics have been utilized, the impact on recruitment has been significant. – The application pool grew by 131%. – The number of new students accepted for admission has grown by 43% compared to last year. […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. The higher education landscape is rapidly changing. Despite the general acceptance of the concept of enrollment management as an effective vehicle for understanding admissions, financial aid and retention, few schools have successfully brought together the three departments in an effective manner. Freed-Hardeman University adopted a new organizational structure to ensure that the enrollment management plan is a truly collaborative effort. The University has created a leadership team that includes the Director of Admission, the Director of Financial Aid and the Chief Retention Officer and these individuals have worked together in making all […]

Ms. Allison Morris Contributing Writer OnlineEducation.net Online learning has grown into an integral element of higher education.? No longer an? experimental novelty practiced by a handful of tech-loving pioneers, digital classrooms have enjoyed a steady surge in popularity for their low cost and ease of access.? But you can’t change the way people approach learning without permanently impacting a few things along the way.? Recent studies offer plenty of insight when it comes to better understanding how online and blended courses influence the students enrolled in them.? And current trends and undertakings might reveal some of the possible hamstrings students […]

Dr. Scott D. Miller President Bethany College Marylouise Fennell, RSM Principal Hyatt-Fennell To paraphrase T.S. Eliot, May is often the cruelest month for college admissions offices.? That?s when shortfalls in projected enrollment become evident.? On small campuses, even a slight decrease in yield can translate into layoffs and cutbacks. For many years, we have written on the vital role of boards of trustees in hiring transformational, exceptional leaders for college presidencies; it is those individuals who set the leadership tone for the institution.? Extraordinary times require extraordinary leaders, and this is such a time in higher education. In addition, it […]

Andrew Jackson Financial Counselor Oak View Law Group Some of the students who are drowning in the student loan debt mire are the ones who have treated the loans as monopoly money. No loan can ever act like a grant and hence if treated as a grant, students could be trapped in an impending disaster.? If you are working with students who have taken out one or more student loans and they?re not able to make the monthly payments, let them know there are debt consolidation options. Your students should consider securing debt consolidation loans from the US Department of […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. The higher education landscape is rapidly changing. Despite the general acceptance of the concept of enrollment management as an effective vehicle for understanding admissions, financial aid and retention, many private colleges and universities have still not adopted the model. Administrators should seriously consider implementing the approach to deal with myriad challenges facing institutions. Consider the following: Discount Rates Continue to Rise The average discount rate reached 45% in 2011 which means many schools are dealing with rates in excess of 50%. Enrollment management tactics can enable institutions to control and even reduce […]

Dr. Susan Coia Gailey Founder Data-based Institutional Research, Assessment & Reporting Systems Institutional research is needed to utilize assessment results. Research enlightens us on how to have an impact on outcomes that are important to us. Research identifies contributing factors so we can manage, or control, outcomes. Learning is one such outcome. Institutional research enables Learning Management, just as it enables Enrollment Management. Although learning and Enrollment Management are often separate pursuits, Enrollment Management has long term success with Learning Management ? students graduate and knowledgeable and competent alumni enhance the reputation of the institution in the workplace and community. […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. There are only four months remaining in the recruitment cycle and many colleges and universities are still concerned about their ability to realize their recruitment goals for Fall 2013. Perhaps you are running behind in applications? Maybe the number of applicants you have accepted for admission is less than at this time last year? Perhaps you have generated fewer enrollment deposits compared to the same time last year. It is not too late. There are still some initiatives that can be undertaken to improve outcomes: Consider a late search If your customer […]

Dr. Scott Miller President Bethany College Marylouise Fennell, RSM Principal Hyatt-Fennell ?With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.? When he uttered these words, President Lincoln, besieged from all sides, was in the midst of the Civil War, yet he realized that mobilizing public opinion in support of the conflict was critical to the Union?s success. Effective marketing is no less vital to a college CEO. ?Doing well by doing good? has become a philanthropic mantra, but if institutions don?t market their own successes, who will? Don?t rely on others to tell your story. In a previous […]