Date of Award

8-2004

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Abstract

The Westem Interstate Commission on Higher Education, along with other organizations both public and private, both inside and outside the state of North Dakota, have forecast that areas of the Upper Midwest, including North Dakota, will experience a significant decline in high school-aged population by 2012. Estimates range from a 2% decline in Minnesota, to a projected 21 % decline in North Dakota. A loss of high school-age population of this magnitude will significantly impact colleges and universities in North Dakota.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not the 11 colleges and universities of the North Dakota University System (NDUS) used enrollment management policies and procedures to plan for the expected loss in the numbers of students; and, if they did, what those measures entailed. The primary sources of information for this study were the National Enrollment Management Survey, designed by Noel-Levitz, Inc., and previously administered to all 11 higher education institutions; reports from state government and regional education agencies; and reports and promotional materials from each of the 11 institutions. The data and other materials were also studied to measure the cost effectiveness of the enrollment management programs of the NDUS institutions

The methodology of this research was policy analysis, which was appropriate since the study dealt with institutions of varying size, mission, and constituency, as well as varying administrative and organizational structures. The data and materials were used to build an institutional profile of the 11 institutions and to analyze each institution's use of enrollment management strategies

The study's findings revealed significant implications with regard to the current use of enrollment management strategies for the institutions studied. The institutions' heavy focus on North Dakota traditional-age students (the group which is expected to decline by 21 % by 2012) and the near complete lack of focus on other age groups were very telling. Additionally, the study's findings, which compared the cost-effectiveness of institutions using enrollment management strategies with institutions that did not, provided a keen insight into the power of actively managing a campus' enrollment

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