Category: Article Archives

April Clark CAS One of the challenges for colleges and universities in the twenty-first century is to keep adult programs full of qualified students. This segment of our society has many options. They are usually working full-time, have families with multiple activities, and have many other competing activities for their available time.

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Shirley E. Arnold Director Academic Enrichment Center Brevard College One of the hot button topics on college campuses today is retention! Today’s college students love to flirt with transferring, as many of them do not have a strong commitment or allegiance to the college at which they matriculate. Students seem to change colleges on a whim: a girl friend talks her boy friend into coming to the school she’s attending after their first semester apart; another student leaves due to a (perceived) lack of campus social activity; yet a third student never intended to stay in the first place; etc. […]

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Robert Waggoner Vice President Premier Collegiate Communications Successful recruitment has become an arms race. Colleges and universities are continuously seeking to find better ways to communicate with prospective students. The personalization of communication with prospective students has evolved from individualized direct mail and specific messages based upon student interest to tailored web experiences. Well, you have to see the latest in personalized communication. Variable digital printing is the next phase. Imagine the ability to send color, picture postcards to students in a manner that personalizes the name and message. The options are virtually unlimited. You can specify the picture, the […]

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David Archibald Vice President for Marketing and Enrollment Ohio Dominican University John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. Dr. Jack Calareso was appointed President of Ohio Dominican College in 2001. He immediately set a vision for the institution to grow the enrollment, increase the number of residential students, improve academic quality and better control institutional financial aid expenditures. Total enrollment at Ohio Dominican University has increased more than 50% in the ensuing years. Institutional financial aid expenditures have stabilized and become predictable despite the significant growth. Net revenue has increased dramatically. The academic quality of entering students has increased […]

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Dr. Wally Sanders President Vanguard Global Institute Globalization is one of the most important factors in today’s business environment. The success of Japan, the Asian Dragons (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan) have been past reminders of a progressive global economy.  However, we now face an even greater challenge from Asia – China. The increasing competitiveness of the global environment has been well established and business educators have begun to focus on the need to internationalize the curricula. Many universities are currently adopting a global mind-set for the good of the institution and students. 

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Michael Tapscott Director of the Multicultural Student Center George Washington University It is no secret that as higher education costs go up, inevitably, many students will be more dependent on financial aid. Recent federal legislation ensures that eligibility for a higher loan amounts will grow while federal grant programs remain stagnant. Loan maximums for freshmen and sophomore students will increase but there will be no corresponding increase in federal grants.

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John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. The beginning of April is upon us and there are a few benchmarks that can be reviewed by top administrators at private colleges and universities. The following do not apply to institutions that can consistently rely on the national reply date to secure their class of new students.  At least 70 percent of applications for admission should either be accepted or rejected at this point. Percentages lower than the recommended amount might be a sigh of poor admission counselor follow-up with admission applicants. Low folder completion rates can also be a sign […]

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Dr. Marylouise Fennell Senior Counsel Council of Independent Colleges Dr. Scott D. Miller President Wesley College Higher education has become progressively more competitive, forcing ever more institutions to adopt and apply best business practices to thrive. For presidents, the “business” of higher education consumes increasing amounts of time. Regardless of the size or location of an institution, most college presidents today tell us that they are spending at least 60 percent of their time off-campus dealing with external stakeholders including friend raisers, fundraisers, and chief financial and marketing officers. This new “business” model means that college presidents are functioning mainly […]

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April Clark CAS It is very easy to overlook your in-house database when planning your annual budget. There are several processes that are imperative for successful communication. If the post office cannot find your students, then you cannot communicate with them.  Data hygiene is not an unmanageable mystery, you simply need to have a specific plan and choose a trusted partner to handle the process. Data hygiene can be cost-effective. In fact , it is less expensive to keep your lists clean, than pay the cost for wasted postage and wasted print materials sent to inaccurate addresses. 

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John W. Dysart President The Dysart Group, Inc. While nothing is ever certain, it does seem we have some new things to consider about laws and regulations related to financial aid.  Federal Stafford Loan limits are going to be increased for undergraduate student beginning in 2007. Consider that these changes in eligibility could be positive for institutions, especially private institutions. Federal Stafford Loan eligibility will increase for freshmen from $2625 per year to $3500. Eligibility for sophomores will increase from $3500 to $4500. Increased borrowing eligibility levels will provide the opportunity for students to cover a greater portion of their […]

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