User:Kcdalleyne/sandbox

Strategic Enrollment Management [SEM] is a crucial element of planning for new growth at a university or college as it concerns both academic program growth and facilities needs. Emerging as a response to fluctuations in student markets and increasing pressure on recruitment strategies in higher education, SEM focuses on achieving student success throughout their entire life cycle with an institution while increasing enrollment numbers and stabilizing institutional revenues. SEM strategies accomplish the fulfillment of an institutions mission and student experience goals by strategically planning enrolments through recruiting, retaining and graduating specific cohorts of students followed by targeted practices to build a life long affinity with the institution among alums. In addition to a focus on student achievement, SEM also fundamentally understands the student as holding the role of a learner in addition to a customer and citizen of the global community.

Originating at Boston College in the 1970’s as a reaction to fluctuating student enrolment markets and increased pressure on recruitment strategies, SEM was created and developed into a critical pillar in the institutional planning process. Although originating as an American concept and practice, the same requirement for response to demographic shifts and increasing competitiveness among institutions can be seen in other nations with substantial footholds in higher education such as Canada. Despite originating as an American experience, the critical issues Canadian post-secondary institutions face are similar enough in nature to those at American institutions that applications can be borrowed across the border.

The functional aspects of what a SEM operation considers and works to advance and optimize can include :


 * Characteristics of the institution    and the world around it
 * Institutional mission and priorities
 * Optimal enrollments (number, quality, diversity)
 * Student recruitment
 * Student fees and Financial aid
 * Transition
 * Retention
 * Graduation Rates
 * Institutional marketing
 * Career counseling and development
 * Academic advising
 * Curricular and program development
 * Methods of program delivery
 * Quality of campus life and facilities
 * Evaluation of assessment outcomes of institutional initiatives.

SEM Structures
SEM operations can take a variety of forms and structures at colleges and universities that prioritize SEM as a part of its planning process from committees made up of key stakeholders from across the institution to stand alone functional units with a senior leader and staff responsible for SEM priorities. When determining which SEM format will be most optimal for any one institution there are a number of key considerations that can be taken into account :


 * Residential mix of the institution - campuses that have a greater presence of students in residing in on or around campus housing tend to devote more funds to student programming, campus life initiatives, orientation and health and safety.
 * Mandate of the SEM operation – the functional nature of SEM priorities are typically distinct from those of student services units so when championed by a senior student services official there is considerable potential for efficiencies and unity in a common purpose to holistically serve students.
 * Funding of SEM initiatives – whether or not there is a reliance on government or tuition funding or other means of financial support can determine the direction of SEM operations.
 * Reporting relationships – the direct or indirect relationship of the senior administrator leading SEM initiatives and the President of the institution.
 * Personnel qualifications – having competent and capable employees in the existing complement of staff in order to respond to the unique demands of SEM initiatives.