Category: Article Archives

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. It is that time of year again. Students and families are in the midst of the college selection process. Up until now, choosing a college has been an abstract exercise. Now that the choices have narrowed, affordability comes into play. There is no question about the importance of price and financial aid. While we may hope that the final decision will be made based upon academic offerings, the quality of faculty and the opportunities for co-curricular activities, net price certainly influences the decision and sometimes is the determining factor. The role of […]

Academic Impressions is hosting a conference on tuition discounting in December. This is a reprint of a short interview regarding tuition discounting with enrollment management expert John W. Dysart, President of The Dysart Group, a boutique enrollment management consulting firm specializing in recruitment, financial aid and retention. Several industry experts continue to warn of higher-than-ever average tuition discount rates. However, a recent Academic Impressions survey completed by nearly 100 institutions revealed several institutions experiencing net tuition revenue gains, despite offering discounts at or above national averages. Do you see these situations as merely outliers or are they proof that institutions […]

Susan Coia Galley Founder Institutional Research, Assessment and Report Consulting Cost-Effective and Return On Investment (ROI) are terms with origins in the business sector. The dictionary defines Cost-Effective: ?Producing optimal results for the expenditure.? Complementing this definition: ?Return on investment (ROI) is the concept of an investment of some resource yielding a benefit to the investor. A high ROI means the investment gains compare favorably to investment cost. As a performance measure, ROI is used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or to compare the efficiency of a number of different investments. In purely economic terms, it is one […]

April Clark Strategic Sales CAS Once upon a time, direct mail was the only game in town for student communication.? Then everyone predicted that direct mail would soon be obsolete.? But direct mail didn?t die, it was put on the back burner by some, until it was discovered that such communication is both measurable and predictable.? If you understand the creative component, select appropriate lists and make the right ?offer?? direct mail performs! The next chapter reveals that lo! And behold! direct mail in combination with other direct marketing channels performs even better.? So multi-channel marketing was born and prospers.? […]

Dr. Kathleen Ross President Emerita & Director ISIS Heritage University When the Institute for Student Identity and Success (ISIS) started at Heritage University in 2011, we focused on identifying under-addressed factors in the retention and graduation of New Majority (first-gen and/or low-income and/or minority) students.? We wanted to identify and then tackle an issue that wasn?t currently recognized as vital, rather than merely adding to the innumerable national and institutional initiatives to increase retention.? What surfaced in our search was a genuine surprise.? We found that very few projects were focusing on faculty practices that responded to the specific challenges […]

Dr. Marylouise Fennell Principal Hyatt-Fennell Dr. Scott Miller President Bethany College For many years, we partnered on a program for new presidents sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC).? Each year, new presidents would gather prior to CIC?s Presidents Institute to hear the sound advice of veteran presidents.? Early on, we heard feedback about the lack of programs for aspiring college and university leaders.? Both the CIC and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), along with the American Academic Leader- ship Institute (AALI), now offer outstanding leadership courses for aspiring vice presidents and presidents.? These programs […]

Dr. Scott Miller President Bethany College Dr. Marylouise Fennell, RSM Principal Hyatt-Fennell Reports abound of colleges and universities grappling with the realities of changing demographics, resulting in steep enrollment declines.? Nationwide, college enrollment fell about 2 percent in 2012-2013; the number of new high school graduates peaked in 2011 and is not projected to reach a new high until 2024, according to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. Successful presidents are fully engaged in the student enrollment process, driving a business paradigm and culture focusing on recruitment and retention while recognizing that students spend the bulk of their time […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. Ginger Young Director of Academic Services Freed-Hardeman University Summer Judd Director of Financial Aid Freed-Hardeman University Joseph Askew Director of Admission Freed-Hardeman University Many discussions, meetings, planning sessions and research projects have been conducted at colleges and universities regarding retention.? For the hundreds of small, private colleges and universities that enroll large numbers of ?at-risk? students, proactive retention activities are extremely important.? Retention is a topic, however, that is much discussed but rarely really addressed. At many institutions, the focus has been on trying to recruit ?better? students.? Colleges have been trying […]

Dr. Scott Miller President Bethany College Dr. Marylouise Fennell, RSM Principal Hyatt-Fennell In a climate of unfilled seats, a decline in the number of high school graduates and ?widespread concern about the price of higher education,? in the words of a November 23 front-page Washington Post article, it is vital that college boards, presidents and enrollment managers work seamlessly as a team. Working in tandem, a president and trustees can effectively advance a college or university, if expectations are clear and each understands and observes its proper role.? But frequently miscommunications occur around how ?hands on? a board should be […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. Much discussion has taken place over the last few years with regard to tuition pricing strategies, especially at private colleges and universities.? Developments in the marketplace are stimulating new approaches. – Some families are beginning to question the value of a college education and ?return on investment? concerns have been fueled by the media. – Pressure is growing from the federal government to slow the growth of college tuition. – Some states are forcing public institutions to freeze tuition or are establishing caps on their future increases. -Federal and state aid has […]