The university’s first Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) plan kicked off in Fall 2020. The objective of the SEM plan was to develop an enrollment management culture across all eight campuses with Kent State University becoming a national leader in generating the highest level of student access and completion. Under the leadership of the SEM Governance Committee, Action Steering Committees were formed around six themes:
- Academic Affairs
- Data & Technology
- Enrollment, Access & Completion
- External Visibility & Brand Awareness
- Fiscal Sustainability
- Student Support Services & Co-curricular Experiences
Seventy-two Action Steering members worked throughout the Spring 2021 semester to explore each of the themes through an enrollment management lens. In May 2021 Action Steering Committees recommended 21 priorities, 77 initiatives, and 282 strategies that became the foundation of the SEM plan. After the Board of Trustees approved the SEM Plan the Implementation Team began work in earnest. Due to the robust number of recommendations proposed in the SEM plan, the Vice Presidents facilitated the prioritization of initiatives and strategies impacting their respective units. Project Owners and subject matter experts were then identified to lead the work.
In over a year since the SEM implementation phase began significant progress has been made on many fronts. Highlights of just a few of the accomplishments include:
- Slate – The launch of the Slate admissions application, CRM, and applicant portal has enhanced the overall applicant experience from communications and event registration to application and admission. Slate allows our teams to process applications more efficiently and have greater insights into how students and families are engaging with our website, social media, and communications. Nearly 94,000 applications have been submitted since the launch. The new applicant portal launched this fall provides easy-to-find status updates and enticing content about campus visits and events. Click here to check out a demo video of the portal
- Flash Credit Estimator (FCE) – Prospective transfer students now have a quick and easy self-service transfer portal to discover how their previously earned credits will transfer to Kent State. Students enter their coursework and toggle between KSU majors to determine the best academic fit and time to degree completion. Since the launch on May 15, 2022, over 950 prospective transfer students have used the FCE to explore Kent State.
- Scholarship Universe – The new search portal, offered through ScholarshipUniverse, helps to match students to scholarships.
- Financial Aid Videos – In addition to receiving an email and letter mailed to the home, newly admitted students now also receive a personalized video which explains their financial aid offer.
- Analytics – A comprehensive, user-friendly admissions dashboard has resulted from leveraging the enhanced functionality of Slate and the implementation of a robust Data Lake hosted by the Division of Information Technology. Now colleges and Enrollment Management staff have easy access to up-to-date data on prospective student behavior and engagement with our outreach efforts.
It is important to note that the SEM plan is a living document, designed to be flexible and responsive to the ever-changing higher education landscape. Through an iterative process we continue to update and revise initiatives and strategies as they are elevated and completed. You can follow the progress of the SEM plan and view Action Plan updates by visiting the Strategic Enrollment Management Plan.