As we continue our work together, it is important to revisit the project goals and objectives:

• Assist KCTCS and the colleges in the 16 college districts gain control over enrollment by developing the capability to consistently achieve annual enrollment goals through improved marketing, recruiting, and retention.
• Facilitate the development of 16 district-specific enrollment management plans that incorporate both annual and long-range strategies and tactics to achieve enrollment goals for new and returning students.
• Provide opportunities for training and professional development in state-of-the-art enrollment management practices, leadership, and change management in order to institutionalize enrollment management as a way of doing business on each campus and in the system office.
• Help KCTCS and each of the college districts become self-sufficient in enrollment management by the conclusion of the project so enrollment goals can be achieved in the future.

Remember that the overall project goal is to increase headcount enrollment in the KCTCS by 5000 by fall 2002 (approximately a 10 percent increase systemwide).

Noel-Levitz’s role is to aid and abet the KCTCS colleges in the successful accomplishment of these goals. It is Noel-Levitz’s intent to assist KCTCS to become a model for state-of-the-art enrollment management practices in two-year community and technical colleges nationally.

As your consultants in this important initiative we will continually strive to achieve the following four key outcomes:

• Enrollment Goals Achieved. The bottom line will always be related to achieving enrollment goals. This will include the development and successful implementation of an effective enrollment plan that leads to success. Without positive results in enrollment, our services can not be defined as high quality.
• Client Professional Development. Our approach relies on developing the potential of the client’s enrollment staff and teaching the knowledge and skills that promote long-term success. The client’s investment should be rewarded with improved planning and management skills as a result of our work.
• A High Level of Client Satisfaction. The client must be satisfied with the consultation. Satisfaction will result from our meeting or exceeding 100 percent of the client’s expectations. In general, this will involve the ability to provide what the client perceives as expert advice and to always work in the client’s best interests.
• Effective Client/Consultant Relationship. The other outcomes rely heavily on this. In our most successful projects, the common denominator seems to be an especially strong working relationship between the consultant and the project coordinators – characterized by commitment to our approach and a belief that it is right.

The Noel-Levitz project team is cognizant of the various levels of readiness by KCTCS colleges to implement successfully some project strategies and recommendations (e.g., computer-assisted telecounseling). It will be our intent as your consultants to introduce the KCTCS colleges throughout the project to what we believe to be "best practice" enrollment management strategies. Each college will need to modify and adapt project recommendations if necessary to best fit particular situation and capabilities. A major responsibility of our consultants is to be of assistance in this adoption, adaptation, and implementation process. Be proactive in seeking their advice and counsel as the project progresses!

In closing, I would like to suggest 12 ways to get the most out of the enrollment management project both individually and institutionally:

1. Practice optimism and positive expectancy regarding the project.
2. Don’t give into the "nay sayers," rather seek consensus and work with those willing to consider new ideas, approaches, and strategies.
3. Participate fully and enthusiastically in all project activities.
4. Adhere to project deadlines and schedules.
5. Read carefully and digest all project materials and resource documents.
6. Engage in innovative thinking designed to find new solutions to how the institution attracts and retains students.
7. Continue to build collegewide support and commitment to an enrollment management approach to achieving enrollment goals.
8. Keep energy, time, and resources focused on those strategies with the greatest likelihood of favorably impacting enrollment.
9. Consider carefully the advice and counsel of your Noel-Levitz regional consultant. Do not hesitate to ask questions, raise issues/concerns, and seek clarification.
10. Seek the assistance and expertise, where needed, of the KCTCS system office staff.
11. Share openly with other project participants successful enrollment practices and ideas.
12. Have fun and view the enrollment management project as a major professional development opportunity.

David S. Crockett, Project Director

A Message From the Project Director

Ninety-Day Action Plan and Organizational Workshop, Survey Finds Jump in Electronic Applications, Retention Tools Workshop, KCTCS Enrollment Management Project Information

Dates, Participants and Locations of Upcoming Project Workshops, List of Enrollment Management Campus Coordinators

KCTCS Corner

Students Give High Ratings to KCTCS Experience, Changes Made in Market Research

Top-Line Enrollment Opportunities for Two-Year Institutions, Telecounseling Listserv Available, KCTCS Enrollment Management Project Newsletter

Vince Lombardi

• Provide an overview of the KCTCS enrollment management project
• Introduce Noel-Levitz consultants to the KCTCS colleges with whom they will be working
• Begin the development of a 90-day action plan designed to positively impact fall 2000 enrollment
• Introduce KCTCS colleges to telecounseling techniques as the single most important strategy for impacting fall 2000 enrollment.

Based on the evaluations, the opening workshop met or exceeded the overall expectations of a majority of those attending and completing an evaluation form, as can be seen by the results below: (87 percent very satisfied or satisfied)

• Indicate your overall satisfaction with the workshop.

Survey Finds Jump in Electronic Applications
Electronic and early decision applications are increasing, according to the recently released "Who Got In? 2000 National Survey of College Admissions Trends" conducted by College Bound.

The 14th annual survey collected data from 126 colleges and universities in fall 1999 about the 1999-2000 admissions cycle reporting by the institutions themselves.

Among the findings:

• The most significant trend suggested by the survey is the growing number of schools offering electronic applications. More than two-thirds of the schools surveyed reported offering (e)pplications in 1999, compared to less than half – 42 percent – in 1997.

Retention Tools Workshop
The project’s second workshop was held in Lexington on July 20-21, 2000, at the Hyatt Regency.

The workshop had three basic goals:

• Provide KCTCS institutions with an understanding of the purposes and content of each of the retention tools.
• Provide suggestions and recommendations on how to best implement the programs on campus.
• Provide examples/models of how these retention tools have been successfully implemented in a two- year college environment.

Participant evaluations shown below would confirm the overall success of the second project workshop.
(97 percent very satisfied or satisfied)

• Indicate your overall satisfaction with the workshop.

Very Satisfied	40%
Satisfied	57%
Dissatisfied	3%
Very Dissatisfied	0%

KCTCS Enrollment Management Project Information
to be available soon on Noel-Levitz Web site
A new KCTCS enrollment management project communication tool will be available in the near future with the introduction of a project web site managed by Noel-Levitz. Pertinent project-related information will be readily available to participating colleges. The site will also have the capability for the college districts to exchange project items of interest with each other, as well as direct questions to Noel-Levitz. The site is currently being finalized and should be operational by October 1, 2000. College district coordinators, KCTCS staff and presidents and directors will be given the new site’s address and a password to gain access to the site prior to bringing the site up. More information on the specific contents of the site will be forthcoming soon.

Dates, Participants and Location of Upcoming Project Workshops

The September workshop will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Lexington. The October, November, January and March workshops will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Lexington.

Each of the fall 2000 workshops and the March workshop will conform to the desired KCTCS time format (Day One from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Day Two, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.).

The January 2001 retention workshop will follow a three-day schedule (Day One, Tuesday, January 30, 2001 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Day Two, Wednesday, January 31, 2001 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Day Three, Thursday, February 1, 2001 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon). This workshop needs to be extended to three days given the scope of content.

Enrollment Management Campus Coordinators
Those with questions about the KCTCS enrollment management effort can contact their college’s enrollment management campus coordinator.

The coordinators are:

• Ashland Community College - Jim Cargill
• Ashland Technical College - Lisa Butcher
• Rowan Technical College - Nina Wright
• Mayo Technical College - Carla Reynolds
• Prestonsburg Community College - Jeffery Hicks
• Central Kentucky Technical College - Michael Krause
• Bowling Green Technical College - Ron Baldwin
• Elizabethtown Community College - Jon Burke
• Elizabethtown Technical College - Rene’ J. Emond
• Hazard Technical College - Renee Clevenger
• Henderson Community College - Patty Mitchell
• Hopkinsville Community College - John Wheeler
• Jefferson Community College - Denise Gray
• Jefferson Technical College - Beverly Livers and Emery Lee
• Madisonville Community College - Joelle Bachman
• Madisonville Technical College - Joelle Bachman
• Maysville Community College - Elizabeth Diamond and Jerry Griener
• Northern KY Technical College - Paul Brinkman
• Owensboro Community College - Bernie Hale
• Owensboro Technical College - Lantana Bray
• Somerset Community College - Linda Bourne
• Somerset Technical College - Steve Phillippi
• Laurel Technical College - Paul Ledford
• Southeast Community College - Red Sellars
• Cumberland Valley Technical College - Rebecca Parrot
• West Kentucky Technical College - Janett Blythe
• Paducah Community College - Barbara Veazey

KCTCS Corner
On-line Associate Degree Boosts KCTCS Enrollment
A new degree program is assisting KCTCS’ enrollment management initiative. Students can earn an associate degree without leaving the comforts of home because of a cooperative venture between KCTCS and the Kentucky Virtual University (KYVU).

The two institutions have created Kentucky’s first totally on-line associate degree. Students will be able to complete the Associate in Arts Degree, which focuses on a business curriculum, entirely over the Internet.

The degree consists of courses that are designed to transfer to bachelor’s degree programs in business offered by Kentucky universities. Enrollment is strong in the first semester the degree has been offered — 635 students enrolled in the program statewide.

A total of about 1,750 students are taking various Internet-based courses through KCTCS, which is offering 80 courses over the Internet this semester.

"We live in a 24-hour-a-day society, and our colleges must accommodate the busy lifestyles of today’s students," said Dr. Michael B. McCall, KCTCS president. "This on-line degree will enable us to deliver a quality education whenever and wherever a student needs it."

"KCTCS is a leader in on-line learning, and this complete AA degree available anywhere, anytime marks one of the most advanced concepts for delivering full degree programs in a student-friendly fashion," added Dr. Mary Beth Susman, CEO of the virtual university.

KYVU officials and KCTCS faculty developed the on-line course formats for the degree, which will include classes delivered by all of the 13 community colleges in KCTCS. This fall, students may choose from 19 courses and two labs in the 61-hour program of study. In the future, the offerings will continue to expand.

Students may enroll at a home KCTCS campus, which will provide support services such as financial aid and advising. KCTCS students enrolled at any community or technical college may take the courses as long as they meet the usual admissions and degree program requirements.

Students also may enroll through the KYVU web site at www.kyvu.org or by calling KYVU toll-free at 1-877-740-4357.

"Students can pick and choose what courses they take at any given time, and they don’t have to take all of them over the Internet - they can take classes on-line or in person," McCall said. "And because students have many choices available through distance learning, we will ensure that all courses are both convenient and high-quality."

The AA degree comprises general education and business courses. The general education courses include Writing I, Writing II, Introduction to Literature, Basic Public Speaking, Introduction to Music, Introduction to Art, History of the United States through 1865, History of the United States since 1865, Introduction to Sociology, General Psychology, Principles of Economics, Introductory General Chemistry, Basic Ideas of Biology, Introduction to Physics, and College Algebra. The courses in the business core include Statistical Method, Introduction to Computers, Financial Accounting, and Managerial Uses of Accounting Information.

Students Give High Ratings to KCTCS Experience
A survey of students in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) shows that they are significantly more satisfied with their educational experience than are students who attend two-year colleges across the nation.

The Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI), commissioned by KCTCS and conducted by Noel-Levitz as part of a statewide enrollment management and student retention project, found that KCTCS students’ satisfaction with services at their colleges exceeded national averages in 10 of 11 categories.

"The survey demonstrates that, overall, our colleges are doing a good job of serving the needs of their students," said Dr. Michael B. McCall, KCTCS president. "That is welcome news."

The survey, conducted in spring 2000, found that KCTCS students were more satisfied than students at two-year colleges nationwide in the following areas: institutional effectiveness; academic advising and counseling; concern for the individual student; effectiveness of the registration process; the importance that colleges place on students; campus climate and pride; admissions and financial aid processes; service excellence; campus safety and security; and campus support services.

KCTCS students’ satisfaction fell slightly below the national average in the category of academic services, such as libraries, labs and areas set aside for studying.

"These studies are self-examinations that enable institutions to measure their students’ satisfaction with a wide range of college experiences," said Dave Crockett, senior vice president of Noel-Levitz, which is based in Littleton, Colo. "By taking ‘soundings’ of student satisfaction, institutions are able to pinpoint their strengths as well as needed improvements.

"Based on Noel-Levitz’s consulting work with community and technical colleges nationally, these are truly impressive results and are a tribute to the quality of KCTCS’ educational programs and services," said Crockett, KCTCS project manager for Noel-Levitz.

The Noel-Levitz survey also found that 72 percent of those surveyed said the KCTCS college they are attending was their first choice among all colleges and universities.

Some 5,386 KCTCS students were surveyed at 29 campuses. The nationwide data reflected surveys with 242,809 students at 344 colleges.

Sixty percent of KCTCS students surveyed were women; 87 percent were white; 87 percent were daytime students; 80 percent were full-time students; 66 percent were employed; and the largest age category (48 percent) was 19-24.

Students who attend KCTCS’ community and technical colleges said the most important factors that contributed to a successful educational experience were convenient class times and schedules; quality of instruction; and knowledgeable faculty and advisers.

Students said the most significant challenges on campuses were lack of parking; security of parking; timing of announcements of financial aid awards; library resources; and lab equipment.

"While the message overall is positive, we recognize that we need to make improvements in selected areas, and we will pay close attention to what students had to say," said KCTCS President McCall.

The Student Satisfaction Inventory will assist KCTCS in determining how best to retain current students and enroll new students. KCTCS leadership has set a goal of enrolling 5,000 more credit-seeking students by 2002.

Systemwide enrollment last fall was about 46,000 students.

"Kentucky must increase access to higher education if the Commonwealth is to meet its economic goals," McCall said. "Just to reach the national average in quality of living, Kentucky must enroll 80,000 more students in higher education by the year 2020, and most of that growth will be in KCTCS.

"It’s important to remember that we are not just talking about numbers. We must build enrollment in courses and programs that provide the skills required to meet the needs of Kentucky’s workforce. When we do that, we are truly changing the lives of students."

Market Research
KCTCS has determined that it wishes to change the research project to focus on quantitative research with college-bound students, rather than an employer survey. The revised project will likely involve a telephone survey of traditional age high school students throughout the state of Kentucky and assess awareness, interest, and image of KCTCS colleges. Surveying will be done during the month of September with results presented at the October marketing/communications workshop.

Top-Line Enrollment Opportunities for Two-Year Institutions
Two-year institutions are the most recent sector of higher education to aggressively influence their immediate and longer-term enrollments. Like four-year colleges before them, these institutions, both public and private, are now developing comprehensive strategic enrollment plans to achieve their enrollment objectives.

Among the pressures responsible for this shift are flat or declining enrollments at many institutions combined with more planning and sophisticated enrollment management strategies on the part of the competition. Among the dozens of opportunities for aggressive enrollment planning at two-year institutions are:

• Development of longer-term strategic enrollment plans (three to five years) complete with specific enrollment goals, objectives, and strategies.
• Development of comprehensive annual enrollment plans that include integrated marketing, recruiting, and retention plans.
• More systematic and purposeful approaches to building and managing an inquiry pool (students expressing an interest prior to application).
• Expanded written and phone communications to prospective students at the inquiry stage.
• The introduction of an automated telecommunications program for students at the inquiry, applicant, and admit stages.
• Computerizing the admissions operation to not only efficiently manage an inquiry and applicant pool, but also to track the effectiveness of each recruiting activity and strategy and to execute an automated communications flow to prospective students.
• Conducting ongoing market research to determine why students enroll and do not enroll, to assess who succeeds and who fails, and to evaluate the needs of students and the community.
• Establishing an ongoing professional development program for staff to ensure that all involved in maintaining enrollment at desired levels are current in the latest and most successful enrollment strategies and technologies.
• Monitoring the price sensitivity of the marketplace and strategically devising ways of keeping education affordable for those wishing to enroll.
• Mobilizing the campus so everyone realizes that building and shaping the student body is a collegewide responsibility.

Peter Bryant, Senior Vice President, Noel-Levitz

Telecounseling Listserv Available
Like other listservs, the TELECOUNSEL-LIST is a means of posting information that would be interesting or valuable to the list’s membership, or posting questions to the membership in hopes of receiving back some insights, solutions, or sympathy to your query. When you send a comment or question, it is distributed to all the list’s members. Responses sent to the list likewise are redistributed.

To sign up, send an e-mail message to: listserv@listserv.buffalo.edu Leave the subject blank, but in the body of the message, type "sub telecounsel-list" (space or tab) then your first and last name. Do not attach any auto signature.

Send the "HELP" or "INFO" commands for more information.

KCTCS Enrollment Management Project information is now available at http://www.noellevitz.com

KCTCS Enrollment Management Project Newsletter
This is the initial edition of the KCTCS enrollment management newsletter. Noel-Levitz envisions the newsletter as a major communication tool for the project. The newsletter will be published as needed. Noel-Levitz will serve as editor and the KCTCS office will be the distribution agent.

Readers are invited to contact the editor with comments, suggestions, and submissions. We can be reached at:

Cindy Garsez, Project Administrator
Noel-Levitz
5161 E. Arapahoe Road, Suite 100
Littleton, CO 80122-2383
Phone: 303-694-3930
Fax: 303-741-5626
E-mail: cindy-garsez@noellevitz.com