Lehmacher dissertation march 2012 final

BENEDICTINE UNIVERSITY SUCCESSFUL PRACTICES AND MODELS OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT IN ILLINIOS COMMUNITY COLLEGES: AN EXPLANATORY MIXED-METHODS RESEARCH CASE STUDY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION BY ANDREA LEHMACHER LISLE, IL MAY, 2012 Copyright by Andrea Lehmacher, 2012 All rights reserved. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my family, friends and colleagues who supported and encouraged me along my journey. First, I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Julie Bjorkman, Dr.

Ryan Smith and Dr. Thank you for your time, patience, encouragement, and guidance; were it not for each of you, I could not have completed this journey. Your faith in me as a doctoral student was an inspiration and I could not have asked for a better committee. You have my heartfelt appreciation.

Second, I would like to thank my fellow cohort members. You have helped me to grow personally and professionally from our lively class discussions, projects that we have worked on together, and through the sharing of our experiences within higher education. Anne, Regina, Matt, and Catherine, I thank you for the laughter when I needed it the most and for supporting me through this program. I could not have completed this journey without “a little help from my friends—lifelong friends.” Finally, I would like to express my deep gratitude for my family and friends who provided me with encouragement and incredible support, and who always believed in me when I thought I took on too much.

Thank you for seeing more in me than I saw in myself. To my amazing sons Nicholas and Zachary, who sacrificed the most and asked for the least, I hope you are proud of your mom. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. iii LIST OF TABLES.

ix LIST OF FIGURES. xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .1 Illinois Community Colleges: Enrollment Growth .2 Illinois Community Colleges: Funding Challenges .3 Illinois Public Agenda for Higher Education.7 Theoretical Framework for the Study .8 Community Colleges: Open Systems and Collaboration.9 Enrollment Management: A Driver for Change .10 Statement of the Problem .11 Purpose of the Research .12 Significance of the Study .14 Data Collection and Analysis Tools and Strategies .15 Limitations of the Study.19 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW .21 Community Colleges as Open Systems .23 Enrollment Management: The Role of Collaboration .25 Enrollment Management: Response to Accountability, Social Trends, the Market .30 Enrollment Management and Community Colleges .32 Enrollment Management: Definitions.33 Enrollment Management: Goal and Purpose .34 Enrollment Management: Orientations .36 Enrollment Management: Models.38 Barriers to Successful Enrollment Management.41 Enrollment Management: The Continuum .43 Enrollment Management: Implementation .49 Statement of the Problem .49 Purpose of the Research .59 CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS AND RESULTS .60 Statement of the Problem .63 Community College A: Findings .63 SEM as a system .64 SEM and academic program innovation .66 SEM and marketing .67 SEM and recruitment .68 SEM and retention .69 SEM and service delivery .70 Community College B: Findings .71 SEM as a system .72 SEM and academic program innovation .73 SEM and marketing .74 SEM and recruitment .75 SEM and retention .76 SEM and service delivery .77 All Participants: Findings.77 SEM as a system .77 vi SEM and academic program innovation .78 SEM and marketing .79 SEM and recruitment .79 SEM and retention .80 SEM and service delivery .83 Statement of the Problem .84 Recommendations for Community Colleges .96 Institutionalization of EM .97 Creation of a Shared Understanding .98 Data-driven Decision Making .99 Assessment and Evaluation .100 Recommendations for Future Research .102 APPENDIX A: MODELS AND PRACTICES OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT CONSENT FORM .103 APPENDIX B: RESEARCH ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT .106 APPENDIX C: FOLLOW UP INTERVIEW GUIDE.120 viii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Illinois Community College opening Fall Headcount Fall 2000–Fall 2009. Enrollment Management Continuum.

Site Selection for Research Study. SEM as a System at College A. SEM and Academic Program Innovation at College A. SEM and Marketing at College A.

SEM and Recruitment at College A. SEM and Retention at College A. SEM and Service Delivery at College A. SEM as a System at College B.

SEM and Academic Program Innovation at College B. SEM and Marketing at College B. SEM and Recruitment at College B. SEM and Retention at College B.

SEM and Service Delivery at College B. SEM as a System for All Participants. SEM and Academic Program Innovation for All Participants. SEM and Marketing for All Participants.

SEM and Recruitment for All Participants. SEM and Retention for All Participants. SEM and Service Delivery for All Participants .81 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Trends in Educational and Related Revenue in Illinois Community Colleges Fiscal Years 1996–2011.

Lehmacher Collaborative Enrollment Management Model. Explanatory Research Design .52 x ABSTRACT State budget crises, rising tuition costs, unpredictable enrollment trends, shifting demographics, and varying economic shifts are just a few of the external forces affecting community colleges. Bontrager and Clemetsen (2009) define enrollment management as “a concept and process that enable the fulfillment of institutional mission and students’ educational goals” (p. Responding to and managing enrollment, demographic, economic, and financial issues are central to the viability of community colleges.

If current trends continue, the most successful institutions will be those that identify best practices and implement enrollment management principles. The theoretical framework for this study includes three constructs: community colleges are open systems adapting to the internal and external environment; enrollment management should become an integral process throughout the community college system; and collaboration among internal departments is critical for successful enrollment management. The research method used is an explanatory mixed-methods case study that explores and describes enrollment management practices and models in two Illinois community colleges. The quantitative component to the study will utilize descriptive statistics from community college participants through a Likert scale survey.

The qualitative component of this study intends to portray current enrollment management practices and models through individual interviews with administrators and faculty from the two community colleges. xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION In 2006, the U. Department of Education assembled a commission to examine the challenges facing the U. higher education system under the leadership of the Secretary of Education, Margaret Spellings.

The outcome was a report entitled A Test of Leadership: Charting the Future of U. Higher Education and this report has been commonly referred to as the Spellings Report. When the Spellings Report was published, it described a nation that had dramatically changed in just four decades due to globalization, competition for scarce resources, new technologies, decreases in manufacturing capacities, and increasingly fluctuating unemployment rates (Spellings Commission, 2006). The report made clear the need for the U.

to re-invest in its human capital and provide the necessary educational opportunities and services to remain globally competitive in the 21st century. It states: “In an era where intellectual capital is increasingly prized, both for individuals and for the nation, post-secondary education has never been more important” (p. As the Spellings Report notes, the United States higher education system is also experiencing rapid change. Today’s colleges and universities are witnessing low graduation rates for historically underrepresented groups such as first-generation and ethnic minority students.

According to the Spellings Report (2006), only 36% of college- qualified low income students complete a bachelor’s degree within eight and a half years. Other challenges include student access to higher education, rising tuition costs, high student indebtedness and default rates, and state budget crises. Colleges are also challenged to demonstrate accountability by identifying the learning outcomes of students, demonstrating transparency, ensuring graduates have the requisite skills and 1 knowledge for today’s society, and that they are graduating students successfully and on time. The Obama Administration has called on community colleges to help the nation compete in today’s global economy and graduate over five million new community college graduates by 2020.

Community colleges are being asked to link curriculum to the needs of the business community, focus on results, develop a means for measuring success, improve aging facilities, ensure students have access to college, and graduate students in a timely a manner (Pulley, 2009). In 2009, the Obama Administration announced the American Graduation Initiative (AGI) which would have provided $12 billion in financial resources to community colleges to improve completion rates, generate new job growth, and re-educate our community; however, it was not passed by Congress (Pulley, 2009; American Association of Community Colleges, 2011). In April 2010, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) confirmed their commitment toward completion by establishing a Call to Action pledge for all community colleges (AACC, 2011). This pledge reaffirms an institution’s commitment to improving the completion rates of its students who are earning degrees and certificates as well as its commitment to access and quality.

Illinois Community Colleges: Enrollment Growth The community college landscape of Illinois is a large part of the state’s postsecondary environment and has seen significant enrollment growth over the last 10 years (1999–2009). According to the Illinois Community College Board (2010), Illinois has 48 community colleges that serve 383,960 students. In fall 2009, Illinois community colleges enrolled approximately 65% of all public and private postsecondary students. 2 As illustrated in Table 1, Illinois community colleges have experienced an 11% enrollment growth between fall 2000 and fall 2009 with an 8% enrollment growth just within the last five years.

Illinois Community College Opening Fall Headcount Fall 2000–Fall 2009 Illinois community colleges will need to manage enrollment growth and demographic shifts as well as employ retention strategies that lead to successful completion of associate degrees and certificates. Currently, only 41% of working-age adults in the state of Illinois have an associate’s degree or higher; by 2020, it is estimated 60% of jobs will require some form of post-secondary education (Higher Education Finance Study Commission, 2010). Illinois Community Colleges: Funding Challenges The primary sources of funding for community colleges are state general funds appropriations, local property tax revenues, and tuition and fees (Higher Education Finance Study Commission, 2010). As shown in Figure 1, Illinois community colleges are being challenged by reductions in state funding, revenue decreases from local property taxes, and rising tuition costs for students.

Today, the cost burden of a college education is increasingly falling upon the student. According to the Higher Education Finance Study Commission (2010): Illinois community college budgets in 2010 are at the same level as they were in 1999; Illinois community colleges rank 46th in the nation in spending on education; and since 1996, the state’s support for community college 3 spending has fallen from 28% to 17%. The Higher Education Finance Study Commission also notes that since 1996, the portion of student tuition covering expenses has risen from 28% to 40%, which means student tuition covers nearly 53% of institutional expenses. Another effect of decreasing state support is funding for financial aid.

During fiscal year 2011, Illinois students who were eligible for the Monetary Award Program grant could not receive funds because the money ran out in April 2010. As Illinois community colleges continue to adapt to the state’s strained financial resources, a collaborative approach to enrollment management can improve an institution’s financial stability through establishing retention and completion strategies, while reducing the reliance on tuition (Humphrey, 2008). Trends in Educational and Related Revenue in Illinois Community Colleges Fiscal Years 1996–2011. Adapted from the Higher Education Finance Study Commission Report, 2010, p.

Community college boards of trustees, presidents, and administrators will need to align internal resources and identify strategic enrollment management initiatives in order to address the demographic, economic, and financial challenges these colleges will continue to experience during the next 10 to 20 years. This focus will allow faculty to strategically partner with administration and identify strategies that are mission-centered, including achieving enrollment goals, increasing student retention, creating new programs that meet labor market demand, ensuring students are graduating on time, 5 engaging in effective financial and academic planning, and identifying services that students and employers need.