Enrollment Strategies:
Recruitment and Retention
June 3, 2017
Dana L. Thomas, Ph.D.
Fall 2021 goals
• 2300 associate-level students
• 5000 baccalaureate students
• 1200 graduate students
• 30% associate-level graduation rate
• 50% baccalaureate 6-year graduation rate
UAF strategic enrollment initiatives
• Recruitment and retention teams established
– Associate-level
– Baccalaureate
– Graduate
• Active military, dependents, and veterans outreach
• Invest in high growth programs
• Scholarships
• Intensive advising support
Guiding principals of recruitment
Everything is recruitment
Relationships are the foundation
16-20 month cycle
Strategy, not reaction
Recruitment strategies
• Targeted digital marketing
• Active military, their dependents, and veterans
• Strategic use of recruiting scholarships
• Degree completion outreach
• Programs online
• New high demand programs
• Industry and school district partnerships
• Community college articulation agreements
Targeted digital marketing
• Collaborating with higher education digital marketing firm:– Expertise and insights in higher education
– Consumer data driven
– Outsourcing allows for flexibility and campaign refinement
• Measurable outcomes inform decision making
• Creates opportunity for collaborations and leveraged
resources across departments
• Increases UAF’s visibility to students across Alaska and in the
lower-48
Alaska high school graduation race distribution
4% 3% 3%
22% 23% 25%
10% 10%9%
7% 7%9%
58% 57% 54%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
AY17 AY21 AY25
White
Hispanic
AAPI
AIAN
Black
Retention and graduation strategies
High impact practices
• Undergraduate research
• Capstone experience
• Learning communities
• Student Engagement
Academic support
• Intensive Advising
• Student success workshops
• Math bridge
• Scholarships
Baccalaureate student retention and graduation
Baccalaureate student credit load
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
F01 F02 F03 F04 F05 F06 F07 F08 F09 F10 F11 F12 F13 F14 F15 F16
Ave
rage
Cre
dit
Lo
ad
Total Population
Under 25 years of age
25 years of age or older
Year 6 – 8 baccalaureate graduation rate
17.26%
9.27%
0%
2%
4%
6%
8%
10%
12%
14%
16%
18%
20%
UAF Peers
Fall 2021 goals
• 2300 associate-level students
• 5000 baccalaureate students
• 1200 graduate students
• 30% associate-level graduation rate
• 50% baccalaureate 6-year graduation rate
Additional Information
Six year baccalaureate graduation rate
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Fall 98 Fall 99 Fall 00 Fall 01 Fall 02 Fall 03 Fall 04 Fall 05 Fall 06 Fall 07 Fall 08 Fall 09 Fall 10
Six
-Year
Gra
duati
on R
ate
(%
)
Entering Cohort Term
UAF 6-Yr
UA 6-Yr
UAF Peer 6-YrAvg
Three year associate-level graduation rate
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Fall 04 Fall 05 Fall 06 Fall 07 Fall 08 Fall 09 Fall 10 Fall 11 Fall 12 Fall 13
Thre
e-Y
ear
Gra
du
atio
n R
ate
(%
)
Entering Cohort Term
UAF 3-Yr
UA 3-Yr
UA peer average
UAF academic peers
• Idaho State University
• Montana State University- Bozeman
• New Mexico State University- Main Campus
• North Dakota State University- Main Campus
• Oregon State University
• The University of Montana
• University of Idaho
• University of Maine
• University of Nevada-Reno
• University of Wyoming
• Utah State University