INTRODUCTION TO STRATEGIC ENROLLMENT PLANNING
Volatility is the new norm in both the higher education environment and the availability of resources to accomplish its vision and mission. It recognizes the changing demographics, preparation, employment market, overall economic conditions, and needs of an increasingly diverse body of learners that are both traditional and non- traditional. Competition to attract students is greater than ever among colleges and universities as the numbers of students in traditional cohorts decline and the expanding higher educational models of two year colleges and exclusively online degrees draw students away. Strategic enrollment planning connects mission, current state, and a changing environment to long-term enrollment and fiscal health. It’s a data-informed and on- going process that first identifies and implements strategies and tactics to achieve enrollment goals. Just as importantly, strategic enrollment planning assesses if those strategies advance the goals, and makes changes when needed. State and national conditions change, and a university must remain nimble CWU developed the Strategic Enrollment) Plan to meet the university’s undergraduate enrollment goals from 2018 through 2024. Its mission is to develop, execute, and monitor key objectives, goals, and metrics that will help Central Washington University reach 14,000 annualized undergraduate headcount by June 30, 2025. While every major planning group within the university has its own goals and objectives, the SE Plan is the thread that connects it all together. It is intentional, aspirational and informed by data and analyses. It is an enrollment by design approach which will guide the university toward optimum enrollment while fulfilling the institutional mission, not the least of which is generating a revenue stream to ensure financial sustainability. Attracting students most likely to succeed at CWU and then providing support for their success is a top priority. Central Washington University’s Strategic Enrollment (SE) Plan moves us forward in fulfilling our commitment to excellence in teaching, learning, and scholarship; student centeredness; and engaged citizenship. First, the Environmental Scan provides the campus with an evidence-based foundation upon which the plan’s goals and strategies are based. The Environmental Scan also sheds light on opportunities through the strategic development of new programs, expansion of the recruiting footprint, the leveraging of financial aid to prospective students, and development of clear pathways for our transfer and online students.
At the heart of the SE Plan is the success of our students. In 2018, 3,185 students
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