Category: Article Archives

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 […]

Cheryl Hyatt & Marylouise Fennell Partners Hyatt-Fennell In our earlier article, we emphasized that because no two searches are alike, all colleg-es would profit from using the customized services of an executive search firm to re-cruit the best-qualified candidates for senior-level positions. If colleges and universities do so, they will save time and money while expanding their candidate pool. The executive search firm will ensure a thorough vetting process, assist with the selection of finalists and constantly manage contact with the client and appointee. Contrary to popular myth, firms such as ours (Hyatt-Fennell) are not ?headhunters? seeking merely to fill […]

Dr. Marylouise Fennell Cheryl Hyatt Hyatt-Fennell, Higher Education Services ?A search is hard work requiring daily attention. We bring best professional practice to this critical process,? says Marylouise Fennell, partner in Hyatt-Fennell: Educational Services and Charitable Resources Group. Hiring a search firm will not only be cost-effective, saving the institution both time and money, but outside assistance can enlarge the candidate pool, identify those who might not otherwise apply, and produce a sound, long-lasting fit between candidate and employer. Every search is different. The ?bullpen? approach used by some ?headhunters?, in which candidates are recycled for different positions at several […]

John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. More good news continues to come out of Virginia. Ferrum College has been on a historic, record-setting enrollment growth trend since Dr. Jennifer Braaten took over the presidency. So much has been accomplished during her short tenure including: -rapid growth -academic program expansion -additions to the physical plant -new athletic offerings -additional co-curricular opportunities -green initiatives -targeted retention efforts Well a new milestone has been reached at the formerly small college located in Southwest Virgnia. The total enrollment at Ferrum College will exceed 1,500 students for the first time in decades. Despite […]

Dr. Marylouise Fennell Partner Hyatt Fennell, Higher Education Services Dr. Scott Miller President Bethany College When it comes to student retention, it turns out that what we thought we knew ain?t necessarily so. Current research reveals that many key assumptions on which we have often based enrollment management practices need to be challenged and modified. Take, for instance, the traditional institutionally-centered focus on retention. When we as college CEOs and senior enrollment (admissions) managers turn this issue around, examining persistence from the student?s standpoint, we enhance existing perspectives about what fosters students success, says Dr. Joe Pace, a nationally-known specialist […]

John W.Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. College and university presidents are rightfully focused on fundraising, endowments, curricular growth and public relations. For small, private colleges and universities, these priorities can often come at the expense of the most important issue for presidents at tuition-driven schools?enrollment. I am always surprised at how often enrollment, recruitment and financial aid take a backseat to other priorities. Perhaps it is because presidents usually do not bring significant enrollment management experience to the table. Perhaps presidents place too much faith in their enrollment management professionals, despite disappointing outcomes. Presidents may too often be swayed […]