In the fall of 2020, Kent State University developed a holistic Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) plan designed to assist the University increase enrollment and graduation rates.  The plan is driven by metrics of student demand and success, and simultaneously developed to promote a culture of student success.  This plan engages the entire campus community, including units that support strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, budgeting, and institutional research.  The following plan presents priorities, initiatives, and strategies, through six focus areas:

  • Academic Affairs
  • Data and Technology
  • Enrollment, Access, and Completion
  • External Visibility and Brand Awareness
  • Fiscal Sustainability
  • Student Support Services and Co-curricular Experiences

This new strategic enrollment approach will enable Kent State University to better manage the entire student life cycle. Instead of simply providing enrollment services, we will embrace comprehensive strategic planning focused on identifying, recruiting, enrolling, retaining, and graduating a student body that supports our mission, while maintaining fiscal sustainability.

In June 2021, Kent State University’s Board of Trustees approved the SEM plan. Efforts are now underway to implement the SEM Plan.

 

  • Charge: Provide oversight to the Implementation Team to ensure an integrated approach to implementation.  The governance team will assist in supporting SEM initiatives and efforts and evaluate requests for University investment.

  • Charge: Own the SEM Plan and foster conversations and actions to execute the initiatives and strategies identified in the plan. Strategic priorities and recommendations will be presented to the governance committee for discussion and onto the President’s Cabinet.

  • Charge:  Responsible for leading the SEM Plan initiatives through implementation.  The Action Teams will provide monitoring and updates on SEM initiatives within the Action Teams.

 


Objective

To develop a strategic enrollment management culture across all 8 campuses, with Kent State University becoming a national leader in generating the highest level of student access and completion.

 


SEM Guiding Principles

  • Ensure students are central to the academic enterprise and the focus of university action
  • Provide an equitable student experience
  • Foster flexibility and responsiveness to changing environments
  • Encourage diversity of thought
  • Support a collaborative approach
  • Inspire innovation over complacency
  • Expand technology to support and enhance student success
  • Promote responsible decision making

 


SEM Outcomes

  • Become a Student Ready College
  • Develop an optimal enrollment plan that focuses on academic program alignment, net tuition growth and student aid optimization
  • Understand curricular/program needs with student/market demand
  • Strengthen university brand with internal and external stakeholders to improve market position
  • Enhance and diversify financial position
  • Improve data efficiencies and enhance technology support to increase student success
  • Reduce complexity and gain greater efficiencies
  • Enhance the student experience throughout the lifecycle
  • Increase access and completion
  • Improve post enrollment metrics
Planning

October 2020 – December 2020

  • SEM Kickoff
  • Form SEM Planning Committee
  • Governance Checkpoint
Identification of Initiatives & Strategies

January 2021 – March 2021

  • Form SEM Action & Steering Committees
  • Data & Information Gathering
  • Governance Checkpoint
  • Finalize Action Committees’ Reports
SEM Plan Creation

April 2021 – May 2021

  • SEM Plan Creation
  • Governance Checkpoint
  • Final Planning Reports
Board of Trustees Approval

June 1, 2021

SEM Prioritization & Implementation Committees Formed

September 2021 – October 2021

  • Call for Action Team Nominations
  • SEM Town Halls (Oct. 6 & 7)
  • Form Implementation & Action Teams
SEM Prioritization

November 2021 – December 2021

  • Action Teams Finalize Prioritization of Initiatives
  • Prioritized Initiatives Presented to Implementation Team (Nov. 29)
SEM Implementation

January 2022 – August 2022

  • Prioritized Initiatives Presented to Governance Team (Jan. 14)
  • Action Teams Begin Roll Out of Prioritized Initiatives
Assess Progress

September 2022 – October 2022

  • Initiatives and Strategies Plans Revised
  • Action Plan Report Out: Progress, Milestones, Measures of Success and Challenges (Sept. 22)
Realign Strategy Objectives and Operational Plans

November 2022

  • 2023 Goals and Priorities Established