Community colleges face an increasingly competitive and uncertain enrollment landscape. To succeed, institutions must implement a future-oriented Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Plan that is actionable, measurable, and aligned with institutional priorities.
Effective SEM plans analyze the forces shaping the enrollment landscape and craft strategies that respond to and capitalize on these forces to generate sustainable enrollment. Once you have determined how your landscape is changing, the next step is to assess potential student segments to determine the return on investment (ROI) of your enrollment efforts.
Based on EAB’s extensive SEM research, this framework guides college leaders through the most critical planning steps, helping them analyze trends, assess market opportunities, and prioritize high-ROI strategies for long-term success.
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Once you’ve completed the framework template, send your Strategic Leader your Implementation Timeline to receive best practices tailored to your institution’s goals.Â
Why use the strategic enrollment management plan framework?
The Strategic Enrollment Management Plan Framework assists you in developing a holistic understanding of your enrollment environment helping you adjust to changing enrollment trends and institutional needs. It is designed to serve as an active document across the life of your SEM plan.
What’s inside the framework?
Analyze the forces impacting the enrollment landscape
Economists expect the higher ed landscape to change dramatically over the next five to ten years. To remain solvent, community colleges must be aware of—and strategize specifically for—these shifts. The framework includes tools for assessing demographic changes, labor market shifts, competitive pressures, and public policy impacts.
Assess potential market segments to determine ROI
As the enrollment environment becomes more competitive, enrollment efforts must become more targeted. To succeed, institutions should evaluate potential market segments with a comprehensive view of opportunities, risks, and resource needs.
The framework outlines three critical steps for assessing ROI:
1. Get a complete picture of potential market segments
Evaluate market size and penetration, competitive pressures, and the current return of your marketing efforts (e.g., net revenue, retention rates, average term credit hour). For instance, the high school graduate segment may face intense competition but often requires comparatively lower recruitment investment while producing strong retention outcomes.
2. Determine the pros and cons of prioritizing a market
A realistic assessment of pros and cons is essential. The prospective adult market may seem full of opportunity, but appealing to such a large, diverse group requires substantial upfront investment. A smaller segment—such as stopped-out students near degree completion—may offer quicker returns, providing resources to fund larger-scale recruitment campaigns later.
3. Define requirements for market success
Determine what is required for your institution to succeed in each segment. For example, capturing the adult market may require expanded marketing channels, new program portfolios, or strengthened advising. Use these definitions to create stakeholder buy-in, establish benchmarks, and focus institutional efforts around a common goal.
Prioritize high ROI opportunities to hit enrollment goals
A one-size-fits-all plan has proven ineffective. Colleges must develop targeted approaches that incorporate trade-offs and prioritization around the students they recruit and the messages they send into the market. The framework includes prioritization tools, scorecards, and scenario planning exercises to help institutions make evidence-based decisions.
Completed the framework? Contact your Strategic Leader or [email protected] for best practices tailored to your institution’s specific goals.
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