Author: Dwyer Education Strategies

Cheryl Hyatt Principal Hyatt-Fennell Marylouise Fennell, RSM Principal Hyatt-Fennell We?ve seen it more times than we?d like to recall. Often a promising candidate begins the executive search process and seems to offer many of the skills and strengths our clients are seeking. He or she then frequently makes it into the semi-finals or even the finals of a rigorous, intensive search. But then, before the offer is tendered, something is said or done that derails the process. Usually it?s an action or oversight that could easily have been avoided with advance thought, preparation or planning. Such candidates cost themselves, us […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. As you think about the very complicated subject of retention, understand that there are often some simple things you can do to promote student satisfaction and retention. Let?s focus our thoughts on just some issues related to financial aid. Changes in financial aid policy and procedure are not necessarily complicated, do not require faculty committee discussions, are not expensive, but can make a real difference. See if your Financial Aid Office is doing the following: Proactively Encourage People to Apply for Financial Aid The role of an effective Financial Aid Office is […]

Dr. Scott Miller President Bethany College Marylouise Fennell, RSM Principal Hyatt-Fennell With some 50 percent of all college presidents at age 61, or older, according to a recent American Council on Education re-port, many campuses will experience significant change in leadership in the near future. Further, these shifts will not be limited to the presidential level; because changes at the top usually result in replacement of a number of senior personnel, an institution stands to lose momentum, vision and significant funding without a solid succession plan in place. Unlike corporate America, which has witnessed countless quick internal appointments during recent […]

Dr. Scott Miller President Bethany College Marylouise Fennell, RSM Principal Hyatt-Fennell We?ve written before on the critical topic of transformational presidential leadership. This column is devoted to the relationship between the college president and the chief enrollment officer. Because enrollment is the single most important revenue ?driver? at most colleges and universities, the strength of that relationship is critical to institutional success. In dozens of consultancies at diverse institutions, we?ve found that all have at least one thing in common: a proactive president who demonstrates a commitment to a culture of recruitment and retention. Keeping Your Eye on the Prize […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. When Dr. Martha Shouldis took over the presidency at Saint Joseph College in Bridgeport, Connecticut, one of her goals was to increase enrollment. In short order, she has achieved that objective. A new recruitment model was implemented last year that resulted in increases in both applications and acceptances for Fall 2011. The number of newly enrolled students grew by 26% compared to the previous year. Enrollment growth continued through the most recent term. New student headcount is up by 38% for Spring 2012 compared to the same term last year. The total […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. Mars Hill College in Mars Hill, North Carolina, posted a 34% increase in new student enrollments for Fall 2011. This success has continued into the new term with additional growth realized for Spring 2012. The good news began with an increase in the size of the customer base. Students indicating an interest in enrolling at Mars Hill College grew by 21% for the January term compared to the same time last year. The aggressive communication strategies utilized the previous cycle were applied to the new inquiries. Early notification of scholarship eligibility, systematic […]

Dr. Abraham S. Fischler President Emeritus and University Professor Nova Southeastern University During my long career in higher education and dealing with student retention, I have been amazed by the myriad factors that influence persistence. Dozens of research projects have been conducted over the years on retention and we now know several steps that can be taken to positively influence grade level progression and graduation rates. The challenge for colleges and universities is that many of these steps can be difficult to implement, arduous to maintain, politically complicated and expensive. Curricular updates and advancements can be helpful, but the process […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. Retention is an important topic for every college and university. It is a subject we have been actively talking about for nearly fifty years. Committees have been formed, data has been collected and surveys have been conducted. Meetings have been held, papers have been written, strategic initiatives undertaken and personnel have been hired to specifically focus on retention. Yet, for many colleges and universities, little or no progress has been made and it can be extremely frustrating. Some administrators and leaders are now seeking retention solutions by trying to change the profile […]

Tad Graham-Handley President The Art Institute of New York City The majority of colleges and universities in America do not have the luxury of being particularly selective. By definition, then, the majority of institutions admit students who are not ideally prepared to succeed in higher education. Many of these students struggle to find their footing, and quite a few fail. Any college?s retention rate can be predicted fairly accurately given the demographic characteristics of the student body. I and many others have found that four factors are strongly predictive of lower persistence: Low socio-economic status of students? families; poor quality, […]

Dr. Scott Miller President Bethany College Founded in the rugged foothills of one of the world?s ancient mountain ranges, Bethany College is West Virginia?s oldest private institution of higher education ? older, even, than the state itself ? with its creation in 1840. Since its beginning, Bethany has earned a reputation as the only liberal arts college in West Virginia to have achieved national prominence. Its long history of resilient response to challenges confronting the nation ? the Civil War, the World Wars, Great Depression and more ? has developed in the College some of its greatest assets, including flexibility […]