Enrollment numbers

[crusadermoe]

I suggest to the moderator of the board that the ML2 posts and related ones be moved to a General University thread.  Either this  one or the Construction on Campus thread.

The "Facilities" thread addresses the type of facilities desired for basketball.  The borrowing and bonds topic is VERY RELATED to the likelihood of athletics building in the near future.  But it has broader implications.   

[crusadermoe]

There should be some year-over-year data comparisons at this point that predict enrolment (applications submitted, visits to campus) 

The FAFSA filing is much earlier and students get award packages earlier.  The award package usually is the tipping point for private college student applications.  By March 31 some predictions will start to form that will probably prove out in August.

Earlier posts from others in this thread show the importance of the masterplan and the 6,000 student goal stated in 2013. 

[crusadermoe]

The 2019-2020 deposits are likely wrapped up now.   The new VP hopefully pulled the numbers upward.   

[NotBryceDrew]

Has anyone seen or heard the sentiment for the 19-20 numbers?

[crusader05]

I don't think we get those until the fall but everything I heard was to anticipate them being lower both due to expected decline in enrollment in general and the switch to a new company and strategy combined with the fast transition of needing a new VP enrollment at a crucial time.

[mj]

Switch to what new company?

[crusader05]

Most universities contract out to help them identify students to target (much like sales teams get ledes). From what I understand the goal was to move to a company that employs a more targeted strategy identifying the types of students who most succeed at Valpo and putting more effort in on recruiting them while the prior company was much more of a wide net approach. I've heard from someone that the problem with the wide net strategy was that they felt that they weren't able to best focus on the types of students most likely to come and be successful at valpo and so wanted a more focused strategy. The problem with switching to that strategy is that it pays more dividends a year or two later after the students you've been targeting since sophomores are finally applying vs trying to get in front of seniors that you have not have been contacting enough prior so generally universities who switch to this style see a dip the first year.

[wh]

I don't think we get those until the fall but everything I heard was to anticipate them being lower both due to expected decline in enrollment in general and the switch to a new company and strategy combined with the fast transition of needing a new VP enrollment at a crucial time.

It sounds like the university is replacing one enrollment management consulting firm with another.  Is this true?  Whichever the case, I'm a huge believer in the value of using consultants for assistance in dealing with complex issues.  The key is finding someone with vast experience and proven results in working with similar types of universities and settings - no cookie-cutter solutions.  Good companies develop and work from an issue-specific strategic plan, complete with action steps, timelines, etc.  The good ones go so far as to commit to a range of expected results within a specific time-frame. 

Here's a testimonial from Wisconsin-Parkside about an enrollment management consultant they worked with:

"The conversion rates are tremendous. Since Full Measure implementation our campaigns have driven our completion rates, confirmed rates and overall first year enrollment. We have seen a growth of over 11% in less than one year.

Troy Moldenhauer
Director of Admissions and Recruitment, University of Wisconsin, Parkside

https://fullmeasure.io/portfolio/boosting-orientation-registrations-with-text-messaging/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvuC9x8Ct4wIVnf_jBx0OHQ5cEAAYASAAEgKeMPD_BwE

[FWalum]

Would love to have a more Hillsdale like strategy. They really seem to be able to target the type of student that fits their niche.

[78crusader]

Is it really that difficult to figure out that a Lutheran kid from Ft. Wayne is more likely a better fit at VU than, say, an international student from Croatia?  Or that a kid from a small high school in Wisconsin might feel more comfortable in Valparaiso, Indiana than a student from inner city Newark, NJ?

Paul

[FWalum]

Is it really that difficult to figure out that a Lutheran kid from Ft. Wayne is more likely a better fit at VU than, say, an international student from Croatia?

Wish they recruited Fort Wayne harder.  The number of kids going to Valpo from Concordia Lutheran High School has declined significantly over the last 25 years.  I would be willing to bet that more kids from CLHS have gone to Calvin in the last ten years than have gone to VU.  And oh by the way, Calvin which is the #1 Regional College in the Midwest, just became a university on July 8th.  It will be interesting to see how that works out as they enter a new classification in the US News rankings.

[mj]

When was the old company originally hired? The reason I ask is that I used to volunteer with the VAN for college fairs. A few years back Valpo suddenly stopped participating in them in the DC area, which I found a bit odd.

[valpo64]

Valpo has done a terrible job in recruiting the Ft. Wayne area, especially in recent years, which is very disappointing.  I believe that they have missed many opportunities in both the academic and athletic areas.

[vu72]

Valpo has done a terrible job in recruiting the Ft. Wayne area, especially in recent years, which is very disappointing.  I believe that they have missed many opportunities in both the academic and athletic areas.

I raised the Lutheran issue with the last VP of Enrollment, suggesting that one admission counselor be dedicated to only recruiting Lutheran high schools.  He may have been a talented guy, but was also a Catholic with no known ties or understanding of the Lutheran school systems.  I note that the new guy is a graduate of Concordia, (not sure which one) so hopefully there may be an increased effort toward places like Fort Wayne.

Having lived in Minnesota where close to half the population is Lutheran, it was very disappointing to find the lack of knowledge as to even the existence of Valpo.  Having said that, it is only fair to point out the many Lutheran college competitors in the region. None, however, have the professional schools offered at Valpo.  There simple needs to be a bigger effort.

[usc4valpo]

My daughter and I went on a tour last April, and she crossed Valpo off the list afterwards. She wants to major in education and we did not see distinct value in their program compared to other schools we visited - it felt as if they have an education program to fill a hole.

I think Valpo needs to invest much more on STEM related education as that is where the long term demand lies.

[vu72]

I think Valpo needs to invest much more on STEM related education as that is where the long term demand lies.

Not sure what else they can do.  They just added a brand new $60 million Bio/Chem building.  Have also added a human cadaver lab (which is very rare for colleges).  Engineering has added an environmental engineering degree as well and is ranked in the top 20 undergrad programs in the nation.

I'm sorry your daughter didn't find the education department satisfactory.  My understanding is that, as with all Valpo teaching in general, an outstanding program.

[usc4valpo]

Honestly and objectively, we did not get that impression. The facilities, curriculum, and student teaching opportunities were limited. Living on campus for three years was not a plus.

I think Valpo needs to recruit  nationwide and worldwide - the world outside of  Valparaiso, Indiana is quite different and learning and collaboration from a diversity student body is critical to make it in this world. That being said, being a proud Lutheran Christian university also needs to part of the mission. Reverence and diversity can be effectively integrated at a university, it happens at many colleges nationwide.

[FieldGoodie05]

I think Valpo needs to invest much more on STEM related education as that is where the long term demand lies.

Not sure what else they can do.  They just added a brand new $60 million Bio/Chem building.  Have also added a human cadaver lab (which is very rare for colleges).  Engineering has added an environmental engineering degree as well and is ranked in the top 20 undergrad programs in the nation.

I'm sorry your daughter didn't find the education department satisfactory.  My understanding is that, as with all Valpo teaching in general, an outstanding program.

Why would your daughter spend $25K+ a year to receive an education in education?  I'm not well versed here, but isn't the expected income for teachers in most districts $40k to $50k annually even after years of tenure?

Teaching sounds like her passion and that's awesome, because we need good teachers.  But why spend Valpo tuition on something that a Ball State tuition is more than adequate for?

[usc4valpo]

More like Iowa State or UNI, which is where we live. I totally agree.

[vu84v2]

A few comments on postings in this thread:

-If the enrollment numbers are down, it should be attributed to people not doing their job effectively. Saying "we changed companies" or "the effects from our new strategy have not taken effect" is a self-protecting attribution that ultimately leads to less accountability and future performance.

-Someone said "what else can be done to promote STEM?"  I do not think that is the main issue. If the university is making a greater investment in STEM (a great idea), it needs to make hard decisions where not to spend money. Good strategy involves pruning as well as new investment in key areas, otherwise you are likely to not have a revenue stream to support your investment.

-The 'reverence and diversity' idea is great and what I believe Valpo should pursue (i.e. we have a great religious-oriented program of which you are free to choose your level of involvement). However, this is extremely hard to market to people looking for a religiously oriented university. Many prospective students (and their parents) who prioritize that experience would seem to be more likely to go to a school like Concordia, WI (Lutheran), Baylor (Baptist), etc. where the religious environment is the only accepted and allowed environment. I do not think that Valpo will (or should even try to) satisfy those students who seek a religious environment focused on a single accepted set of beliefs.. Not sure what the answer is here from a marketing perspective, but it seems a much more difficult issue that many might assume. Perhaps something can be learned from the many Catholic universities that are more successful in balancing reverence and diversity (e.g., Creighton, Marquette, Dayton)

[FieldGoodie05]

More like Iowa State or UNI, which is where we live. I totally agree.

Ball park, what's the "real" tuition difference between Valpo and UNI?  I strongly disregard List Price that Valpo publishes and wonder what the difference is with your daughters offers.  Please just ball park it, I don't think it's my right to ask but hoping you might share.

[valpo64]

Interesting note...a few years ago our grand daughter applied to both Valpo and Indiana U.  When all was said and done the total cost between the 2 schools was nearly identical.  She chose IU only because of the study area at IU was exactly what she wanted.

[valpotx]

I was pleased to see Valpo on a few Software Engineer resumes in the last few months.  I even hired one away from Amazon .

[usc4valpo]

Pruning would be required, and some programs may need to be closed or reduced. It happens at all colleges. You need to consider placing your eggs in the right basket.

[usc4valpo]

From what we are seeing, if I can estimate, the difference is about around 10k to 15k a year more to attend Valpo. The big issue, however, is the program - UNI has a great teachers school reputation.