Recruitment materials such as videotapes help students to form expectations about the college experience. Students' expectations have been linked to retention. Research has indicated that students whose pre-matriculation expectations are not consistent with the reality they experience in college are more likely to drop out. The frequent use and socializing effect of recruitment videos suggests that determining the messages the videos communicate is an important matter to address. This study analyzed the messages of 30 college recruitment videos in regards to four content areas: academic, social, personal, and institutional characteristics. The content analysis compared the messages from public and private institutions, as well as the messages from small, medium, and large institutions. The narrative and images in the videos were categorized as relating to one of the four content areas. The frequency and duration of content devoted to each area was analyzed. The actual messages communicated about each content area were also analyzed. Each video in the nationally representative sample of four-year institutions was obtained from an institution with an existing enrollment management system. The enrollment management philosophy includes a commitment to depicting institutions in an honest an accurate fashion. Since enrollment management systems were designed to stabilize enrollments, examining how recruitment videos depict college to prospective students is an important step in assessing the effectiveness of the enrollment management system. Results of the content analysis for duration and frequency indicated that videos emphasized personal issues. Academic issues received the second greatest attention, followed by institutional characteristics. Social issues received the least emphasis. Although very few differences among institutional types were found, large, public institutions devoted the most emphasis to personal issues. The analysis of messages revealed that college provides students with a great deal of practical, hands-on learning. The purpose of attending college was characterized as career preparation. Narrative indicated that academics were challenging,; however, this characterization was not supported by images in the videos. Images indicated that studying is a casual activity, and that students receive support, often through one-on-one instruction and interaction with faculty. Another disconnect between narrative and images was found in the characterization of student diversity. Narrative indicated institutional commitment to diversity, while images displayed a majority of racially homogenous social groups. Finally, institutions were pictured as sites of activity and movement. Students were frequently depicted walking on campus, characterizing them as busy and purposeful. Institutions would be well advised to case their recruitment videos on data gathered through institutional research. By presenting accurate messages about their respective campuses, institutions would help prospective student form realistic expectations about the college experience. / Master of Arts

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This investigation was designed to determine the factors and conditions associated with graduate enrollment management practitioners’ participation in professional development activities (PD). The sample consisted of members of a professional association, focused solely on supporting graduate enrollment managers and related staff, whose patterns of involvement in various PD events for the previous 5 years were classified as low or inconsistent. In an effort to identify member preferences, as well as characteristics associated with PD activities, the investigator sought to provide information useful to developing future PD programs for the association. An electronic quantitative instrument, the Professional Development in Graduate Enrollment Management (PDGEM) survey, consisted of closed-ended questions related to PD grouped under the following headings: Demographic Information, Support for and Knowledge of Professional Development Activities, Attitudes and Beliefs About Professional Development: Individual and Institutional, Components of Professional Development in Graduate Enrollment Management, Professional Development Plans, Participation and Involvement in Association Professional Development Activities, Other Organizations’ Professional development, and Professional Development Overall. It was disseminated to 1,461 members of the Association, with a return rate of 163 (11%). Descriptive and linear regression analyses were conducted in order to discern (a) the frequency of participation in PD and (b) the demographic and other variables predictive of participation in PD. The study’s findings revealed that about one-quarter of the respondents participated regularly in association-sponsored PD and that the involvement levels of the remainder of the membership were inconsistent. Additionally, on-site activities were favored over online, content relevance greatly influenced whether practitioners participated, and member interest in conducting academic research was low. Cost was also a primary factor in determining participation in professional development.

This study investigated enrollment management practices found in higher education. The research identified enrollment management and retention practices described in the higher education literature. These suggested practices were incorporated into a sixty-six question survey that was distributed to a random sample of colleges and universities taken from the 1999 US News and World Report of college rankings. The survey data were used to identify which of the suggested enrollment management practices were of greatest utility. First, the sixty-six items were grouped into 14 categories of enrollment management strategies. Second, the institutional responses for each category were averaged and then correlated with each institution's graduation rate. Finally, each institution's "yes" responses for the entire survey were totaled and correlated with each institution's graduation rate. This study developed a list of the 26 most frequently used enrollment management practices in higher education, and as well, identified the 10 least used enrollment management practices. Given the results of this study graduation rate is not a sufficient criterion to assess enrollment management practices at a college or university. Enrollment management strategies contribute to many institutional and student outcomes; thus, multiple indicators are required to accurately evaluate enrollment management practices.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which enrollment management models have been successfully implemented within the 28 Florida community colleges. The study also sought to determine when enrollment management structures began and whether expected benefits were achieved. Analysis of the data collected in this study indicated the following five major findings. First, enrollment management concepts and practices have been implemented at some level within the 23 Florida community colleges surveyed. This was evident by the use of the word "enrollment" in the organizational titles as well as in the titles of the individuals who were responsible for the models. Second, enrollment management models reported were determined to be relatively new in comparison to four-year institutions. The literature on enrollment management demonstrated that four-year colleges began enrollment management practices in the early-to-mid 1970s. Much of the existing literature on enrollment management has been based on the experiences at four-year institutions. Third, some enrollment management divisions appeared to have key enrollment offices displaced. The key enrollment offices selected in this study were supported throughout the literature. Those offices represented were as follows: Admissions, Records and Registration, Financial aid, Orientation, and Advising. Fourth, increasing enrollment was the strongest reason for implementing the enrollment structure and subsequently was the strongest benefit realized. The anticipated decline in high school graduates, and the expectation of subsequent declining college enrollments during the 1970s, provided the impetus for the adoption of models of enrollment management. The fifth finding was that moving key enrollment offices such as financial aid into the enrollment management organizations would be an improvement to existing models. As enrollment management concepts are implemented into practice, the realignment of related offices may be necessary to effectively accomplish goals.

College recruitment practices have remained stagnant for quite some time. However, due to decreases in state funding and hypercompetitive applicant pools colleges must adapt their recruitment practices to remain competitive. Due to precautions and social distancing guidelines which occurred in 2020 caused by the coronavirus pandemic, college information sessions, college fairs, campus tours and other recruitment events were suspended. As such, admissions administrators were forced to rely on virtual recruitment practices, including virtual campus tours, to recruit applicants. Virtual campus tours allow colleges to expand their applicant pool by engaging with prospective students, who may not possess the required finances or ability to travel to campus. While considerable research has centered on the factors that influence the college choice process, there is a lack of research pertaining to virtual campus tours. This study reviews the influence of virtual campus tours in the college choice process by interviewing 13 matriculated college students about their experiences with virtual campus tours. This qualitative phenomenological study focuses on the role of virtual campus tours in the college choice model and their influence on perceived levels of student-institution fit.

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Each year, institutions of higher education devote valuable financial and personnel resources in the hope of enhancing student recruitment and matriculation. The purpose of this study was to examine the demographic characteristics, the factors that influenced students’ decisions to apply for admission to a university, their educational intentions, and their reasons for not enrolling after they had been admitted. The subjects of the study were first-time freshmen accepted for admission to a mid-size, public, southwestern university who did not enroll for the fall 1997 semester. Statistically significant differences were found when comparing no-shows and enrolled students by gender, ethnicity, age, ACT/SAT score, and distance of their hometown from the university. There were more female no-shows, and more males enrolled than females; a greater percentage of no-shows reported the distance of their hometown to be more than 200 miles; and the mean test score for no-shows was higher. Factors important in the college selection process found to be statistically significant among the groups were: a greater percentage of Minorities than Caucasians reported the importance of the financial aid award or a scholarship offer; students living within 100 miles of the campus reported the proximity of the university as important, advice received from current or former students and high school counselors was more important to those living more than 100 miles from the campus. Cost of attendance and scholarships were important to students with the higher test scores. Statistically significant reasons cited by the no-shows for not enrolling were more Minorities than Caucasians reported financial difficulties and job demands; students living farther from the campus reported attending other universities while those living within 100 miles reported attending a community college. Recommendations the university studied could pursue include: developing a program to follow-up on the no-shows, directing more energy at recruiting students living within 200 miles of the university, and increasing the availability of scholarships.

Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 40-45).

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