Students look at everything from online reviews to tuition sticker price when choosing a college, but academic program offerings remain a top consideration. When many institutions are not meeting their May 1 enrollment goals, and with looming enrollment declines that could severely impact finances, university leaders can’t ignore the role of departments in meeting program demand.
Department chairs and faculty often assume that enrollment management staff are solely responsible for monitoring admissions data. That’s true—but only when it comes to high-level data about headcount and yield. But through our Academic Vital Signs research, EAB identified three points in the enrollment pipeline where chairs and faculty can improve curriculum and pedagogy based on program-level data:
#1: Recruitment: Where is the institution losing potential student applications due to its current departmental degree offerings?
Students might not even send in an application if they can’t find the program they are looking for in university materials. As job markets and student interests change, chairs and faculty need to consider adapting their degree offerings in response.
Leaders at Kansas State University work with EAB to identify fields with high-paying jobs that require college degrees where regional job growth in eastern Kansas outpaces national growth by at least 6%. Department chairs use these analyses to develop timely new program offerings or reshape existing offerings to respond to market changes.
#2: Yield: What programs is the department competing with for admitted students?
Once students apply, universities begin to collect information about their prospective majors and minors. Purdue University uses this data and National Student Clearinghouse data to track where potential majors went. Chairs and faculty use Purdue’s dashboard to see if competitor programs have more relevant names or modernized content, and adapt their programs accordingly.
Drake University reaches out to students who were admitted, but enrolled elsewhere. As just one example of how this information can guide program decisions, their surveys showed students were interested in data analytics and kinesiology—programs Drake didn’t offer. In response, they launched these majors, which were instantly popular with students.
#3: Retention: Where do students go when they transfer out of the institution?
Sometimes students transfer to a different university for personal reasons, like attending an institution closer to home. But sometimes they leave for program-specific reasons. Many universities offer exit surveys for students who transfer out, and EAB research suggests a few survey questions that could help faculty leaders better adapt programs to meet student needs:
- Did students want more flexible course offerings? Program heads and faculty are often responsible for course design and whether courses are offered in hybrid and online formats.
- Did students need accelerated course formats and/or alternative start dates? To launch accelerated offerings, instructors need to adapt course curricula.
- Was the program lagging behind new skills, technologies, and developments in the field? Program leaders can use EAB’s program revitalization resources to keep offerings relevant.
Even when departments know what enrollment data to monitor, they can’t determine next steps without specific, realistic goals and regular check-ins with their dean or provost. EAB’s Academic Vital Signs research covers how to develop meaningful annual reviews that keep academic units in the loop on enrollment goals and their role in institutional strategy.
