OFFICE OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT

Annual Report

2014-2015

20142015

MESSAGE FROM THE VICE PROVOST

A YEAR OF RECORDS3 Undergraduate Enrollment6 First-Year Students

MOVING FORWARD THROUGH INNOVATION8 Amazon Textbooks9 Admissions Dashboard10 Email Building Tool10 Private Loan Automation

SCHOLARSHIPS11 Assessing Retention and Graduation Rates

GALLUP-PURDUE INDEX13 Spreading the Word

Table of Contents

Strategic enrollment management requires a part-science, part-art approach. We live and breathe data, and predictive modeling is our crystal ball. But creativity, innovative thinking, data visualization, and new ideas help us get better and better at what we do.

Once again this year I’m pleased to share information about the successes we’ve been able to celebrate this school year – a first-year class that breaks multiple records, new highs in student retention and graduation rates. And, of course, on the following pages you’ll find the data we share every year – academic profile, diversity, residency, etc. This is the science – the use of data to make well-informed decisions to help shape the future. That’s critical to Enrollment Management’s ability to manage enrollment.

We don’t always talk about the art, but with this year’s annual report we do. Data is the substance of our crystal ball, but innovation is the substance of our competitive advantage. Our University’s commitment to each student’s return on investment requires us to never be satisfied with what is. We always need to keep our eyes on what could be, and we’ve devoted an entire section of this year’s report to the many ideas that were could be’s a year ago but are now in place, helping us meet our goals and provide better service for our students and campus partners.

Also in this year’s annual report, we take a look at the retention rates of our scholarship recipients. Students who receive merit awards are selected through holistic evaluation of their admission application. Students who receive many of our need-based awards have access to individualized support networks to help them thrive and succeed. This assessment of our scholarship cohorts helps us recognize that these systems are working.

Although this publication is the “Enrollment Management” Annual Report, it also represents the hard work and dedication of our partners across the University. If you work or study at Purdue and are reading this, that likely includes you. So thank YOU for your willing partnership and the contributions you have made in support of our students and enrollment goals. It’s clear that the people of Purdue are why this institution is a place our students want to be and where they can and do succeed.

Pamela T. HorneVice Provost for Enrollment Management

The Science and Art of Enrollment Management

From the Vice Provost | 2

A Year of Records—Undergraduate EnrollmentWhen 6,812 new freshman enrolled in Fall 2015, Purdue welcomed its most academically prepared and most diverse class ever. With a record number of applications, 45,023, the University set pace to gradually increase overall undergraduate enrollment, which climbed to

in 2015. As planned, additional capacities in

3 | A Year of Records

29,497residence halls and in some academic programs will allow Purdue to reach 30,000 undergraduates by 2017 and remain between 30,000 and 31,000 for the foreseeable future.

57.3% Male

42.7% Female

A Year of Records | 4

Undergraduate Enrollment by College/School

PERCENTAGE OF 2015 UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT

Engineering: 27%

Health and Human Sciences: 13%Science: 12%Polytechnic: 11%Liberal Arts: 9%Agriculture: 9%Management: 9%

Exploratory Studies: 4%Pharmacy: 2%Education: 2%Veterinary Technology: 1%

Non-Degree: 1%

1,000

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

0

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

FIVE-YEAR ENROLLMENT TRENDS

5 | A Year of Records

FIRST-YEAR RETENTION RATES

92.8%FEDERAL PELL GRANT RECIPIENTS5,440

FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTSAPPROXIMATELY 7 OF 10

5,215INTERNATIONAL

15,971INDIANA

8,311DOMESTIC NONRESIDENT

SIX-YEARGRADUATIONRATES

75.4%

All Undergraduate StudentsThe continuously increasing strength of each new freshman class contributes to improved retention and graduation rates. Enrolling students who are well prepared and have access to the resources they need to succeed establishes a strong foundation for students to thrive at Purdue.

The four- and six-year graduation rates increased to 51.5 percent and 75.4 percent from 49.2 percent and 73.8 percent, respectively. The first-year retention rate is at 92.8 percent compared with 92.6 percent last year, and the second-year retention rate is 87.7 percent, up from last year’s 86.1 percent.

A Year of Records | 6

21.5% 20%

New First-Year Students: Academic ProfileEven though larger class sizes make it more difficult to increase the overall academic profile, Fall 2015 new freshman average SAT scores reached an all-time high of

and average

ACT scores rose to a record

179027.7

3.72The average high school GPA increased to

also a new peak.

FIRST GENERATION U.S. PELL-ELIGIBLE

Inquir

y

Prospe

ctive

Applica

nt

Select

ivity R

ate

Yield

Rate

58.9%

25.7%

Admitte

d

Enrolle

d

170,72

2

116,30

6

45,023

26,524

6,812

7 | A Year of Records

B E G I N N I N G F R E S H M A N

Minority StudentsTotal undergraduate minority enrollment reached a record high of 4,746 students. Minorities now account for 16.1 percent of Purdue’s undergraduate population compared with 12.4 percent in 2008. New freshman minority enrollment also reached a record high of 1,206 students, 17.7 percent of the class.

International StudentsTargeted recruitment efforts and enrollment priorities have also helped Purdue enroll a first-year international student population that is the most diverse it has been in recent history. As planned, the enrollment of first-year international students decreased slightly, to 1,064, but there is greater representation from India, the Middle East and South America.

Indiana ResidentsThe first-year class includes 3,518 Indiana residents, an increase of 300 over the previous year and the most in-state, first-year students since 2010. In part, this increase can be attributed to higher value Marquis Scholarships.

Intended for middle-income Indiana residents, these scholarships increased in value from $2,000 to $4,000 annually.

Transfer StudentsAnother of Purdue’s 2015 enrollment goals was to increase the number of new transfer students, which had been declining over the past few years. As part of the University’s new Transfer Up campaign, efforts from additional recruitment/outreach

programming to transfer-friendlier colleges and schools contributed to a transfer student enrollment of 770, up from 696 in Fall 2014.

Moving Forward Through InnovationNew and useful. At its foundation, this is the very definition of innovation. And when staff are charged with supporting a university that provides “Higher Education at the Highest Proven Value,” continuous innovation is not optional.

This commitment to our students means that administrative units often need to do more with less, but it doesn’t mean they need to do things the same way. In fact, resource constraints breed innovation and over the past year, staff and departments within Enrollment Management have spearheaded or played key roles in innovative projects that are proving to be game changers across campus and attracting attention across the country.

Amazon Textbook ImplementationOne of the University’s “Purdue Moves” initiatives is to increase the value of a Purdue degree, and an important factor in that equation is to reduce costs. To that end, the Registrar’s Office and Student System Competency Center were instrumental in partnering with Amazon to implement the University’s Amazon Adoption Tool. This tool allows faculty to submit required textbook materials for each course, which then allows students to easily identify and order or rent books through myPurdue.

After registering for classes, students see links to course materials in the Purdue Amazon Store via their class schedule. In addition, the myPurdue interface provides a link to Purdue Libraries so that students can also explore options to borrow textbooks.

By ordering through Amazon, students can save up to 30 percent on textbooks, which

is the third largest expense for college students. In addition,

Amazon offers free one-day shipping on textbooks delivered to the West Lafayette area.

SAVINGS UP TO

30%

Innovation | 8

Admissions DashboardIn another cross-campus collaboration, Enrollment Management Analysis and Reporting partnered with the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Effectiveness and the Business Intelligence Competency Center to create an online, visual dashboard of undergraduate admission and yield data.

The dashboard allows stakeholders (Admissions, Enrollment Management, colleges/schools, etc.) to track admission and yield compared to the same point in time from the previous year. The data can be filtered in a wide variety of ways – by residency type, college, ethnicity, male/female, etc. – and the easy-to-use, visual interface allows users to quickly find and interpret the data.

The dashboard also allows Purdue’s Admissions Committee members to better manage their work as they evaluate applications and assess progress toward specific enrollment goals for each college.

9 | Innovation

SAVES TIME FOR STUDENTS, THEIR FAMILIES AND PURDUE STAFF

USERS DO NOT NEED TECHNICAL EXPERTISE TO USE THE TOOL OR EXTRACT THE CODE.

Email Building Tool

Over the past several years, Enrollment Management Communications (formerly Admissions Communication) has worked closely with Marketing and Media (M&M) to support campus-wide use of the Constituent Relationship Management (CRM) system for undergraduate recruitment communication. This year, the effort took a giant leap forward with EM Communications’ home-grown email building tool.

The tool is populated with customized content that allows users to select individual elements (graphics, photos, department-specific brand elements, etc.) to build an HTML email. The tool produces the HTML code they can then cut and paste for use in the the CRM.

The only original content they must provide is the text for the body of the message, and as part of the partnership with EM Communications, M&M is providing free service to support colleges and schools in developing many of their messages.

Automation of Private Loan Data ImportFor the 2015 enrollment year, the Division of Financial Aid and Student System Competency Center partnered to create an automated import of student and parent private loan data, an efficiency that saves time for students, their families and Purdue staff.

Prior to the 2015-16 academic year, data from private loans had to be entered manually. During peak seasons, such as just before the fall semester, incoming applications would create a backlog of work for DFA staff. In turn, delays from the data entry backlog would cause students and families to call, creating more work for DFA staff.

Today, private loan applications are processed daily, as they are received. Greater satisfaction among students and families has virtually eliminated these types of phone calls, and staff time devoted to this process has been reduced significantly. In addition, automation greatly reduces the possibility for errors.

Innovation | 10

Trustees Scholarship * Presidential Scholarship ** Marquis Scholarship *** All Undergraduate Students

1st-YearRetention

Rate

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4-Year Graduation

Rate

4-Year Graduation

Rate

5-YearGraduation

Rate

Entry Year

2013-14

Entry Year

2012-13

Entry Year

2011-12

Entry Year

2010-11

Entry Year

2014-15

10%0

20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Merit scholarship awarded based on exceptional academic achievement and holistic evaluation of admission application*

Merit scholarship awarded based on academic achievement and holistic evaluation of admission application**

Scholarship awarded to middle-income ($40,000-$100,000) Indiana residents with 2.65 high school GPA or higher***

ScholarshipsAssessing Retention and Graduation RatesJust like the combination of science and art that is necessary for successful enrollment management, there is a strategy to the awarding of centrally funded scholarships.

Merit scholarships are used as incentives to attract the students who will allow us to meet our enrollment goals, students who we know are well prepared to succeed academically and who will add to campus diversity in all its forms. Rather than award merit scholarships strictly on minimum high school GPAs or SAT/ACT test scores, our holistic selection process ensures recipients represent the breadth of our applicant pool, regardless of academic interest or student demographics.

11 | Scholarships

1st-YearRetention

2nd-YearRetention

Entry Year 2013-14

1st-YearRetention

Entry Year 2014-15

Emerging Leader Scholarship *

All Underrepresented Minority Undergraduates

10%0

20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

Scholarship awarded to high ability underrepresented minority students. An evolution of the former Emerging Urban Leader Scholarship, it was first awarded in 2013-14.

*

Scholarship awarded to Indiana 21st Century Scholars who also are financially eligble for the Federal Pell Grant program.*

Purdue Promise Scholarship * All Pell-Eligible Undergraduates

10%0

20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

1st-YearRetention

Rate

1st-YearRetention

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4-Year Graduation

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5-YearGraduation

Rate

Entry Year 2011-12

Entry Year 2012-13

Entry Year 2013-14

Entry Year 2014-15

Entry Year 2010-11

Our primary, centrally awarded need-based scholarship is Purdue Promise. This award includes programmatic components to ensure these students, who are more likely to have had less guidance and fewer advantages in preparing for college, have the support they need to succeed at Purdue.

Using first- and second-year retention rates as well as graduation rates, we assessed the success of students who received centrally awarded merit and need-based scholarships vs. comparable groups of those who did not receive central scholarships.

In nearly all cases, scholarship recipients persist and graduate at higher rates.

Scholarships | 12

Gallup-Purdue IndexIt’s been about two years since Purdue initiated its collaboration with Gallup and the Lumina Foundation on research to better understand the most important outcomes of higher education, the experiences that influence those outcomes and alumni attitudes about the value of their education.

In 2014, Gallup surveyed more than 30,000 college graduates (including alumni from Purdue and many other institutions). Through that, we learned about “the Big Six” – the six student experiences that are most likely to lead to “Great Jobs, Great Lives”:

1. Professors who care about you2. Professors who make you excited about learning3. Mentors who encourage you4. Projects that take a semester or more to complete5. Internships or jobs related to classroom work6. Extracurricular activites

In 2015, Gallup surveyed a second set of nearly 30,000 college alumni. Through that we gained additional insights, including how student loan debt and campus diversity affect alumni attitudes toward their college investment.

The 30,000-foot answers are that alumni with debt of $25,000+ are much less likely to agree that their education was worth the cost. And those who had regular interaction with people of different backgrounds are 2.2 times more likely to strongly agree that college was worth the cost.

Spreading the WordAlso in 2015, in partnership with Marketing and Media, the Office of Admissions continued its efforts to spread the word about this research. Each student who visits campus during an Admissions program receives a flyer with information about how they should factor the “Big Six” into their college search and, more importantly, into their plans to be highly engaged as college students.

Using stories to illustrate how students are highly engaged at Purdue is also an important component in Admissions’ presentations and conversations with students and families.

Additionally, EM staff are presenting on these findings (and their implications for the college search process) at high schools and professional conferences across the country.

P R O F E S S O R S L E A R N I N G M E N T O R S P R O J E C T S I N T E R N S H I P S A C T I V E

13 | Gallup-Purdue Index