|
November 1998
by Dr. John W. Bardo -- jbardo@wcu.edu
This fall we are giving a great deal of attention, as a University, to issues of undergraduate student recruitment and retention, as well as ways of improving enrollments in our Asheville graduate programs. The goals of these reviews are consistent with Western's strategic direction and focus which necessitate our: (1) increasing enrollments; (2) improving the quality of students admitted and increasing academic rigor; and (3) enhancing service to Western North Carolina. The health and future of the University are tied directly to appropriately addressing both undergraduate and regional graduate enrollments. What has begun to emerge are two organizational changes that will allow the University to more effectively manage both issues without necessitating an increase in the number of senior level administrators. This Chancellor's Update focuses both on the nature of the problems and the changes in organization designed to more effectively address them.
ADMISSIONS AND RETENTION
By now, many of you have had the opportunity to read the reports of the Pappas Consulting Group. While they make a number of specific recommendations, there are some significant themes that I believe define the approach to admissions and retention that they recommend:
Personal attention. Effective admissions and retention systems are geared to the needs of the individual student. Mass marketing, anonymous mailings, and impersonal processes just do not work well.
Consistency in the "Personal Touch." For admissions and retention to function optimally, a student needs to have an ongoing relationship with an individual over time. The student needs to know that there is a person on campus who has a specific interest in helping him/her. This cannot be left to chance. Currently, we are much too inconsistent and not very systematic in our approach to admissions and retention. We rely too heavily on the willingness of individual faculty and staff members to work with students. That is, we do not have an effective system and too many students "drop through the cracks."
Individual people, not offices, must have responsibility for individual student recruitment and retention. We need to focus our admissions and retention processes on the relationships between individuals. We must be much more systematic in assigning prospective students to an individual admissions counselor and to a specific advisor. These individuals then become responsible for helping that student.
Cross training is critical. Individuals who have responsibility for admissions or retention need to have a sense of the broad range of issues that a student faces including financial aid, academic advising, adjustment issues, registration, etc.
All divisions of the University must work together for admissions and retention. There needs to be a coordinated, philosophically based system for admissions and retention.
Academic support services are severely understaffed. Regardless of other issues, we have not had adequate staffing in the CAP Center and related services to allow them to be effective.
Admissions and retention policies should be reconceptualized and focused on the needs of the student. Too many processes require the student to walk from office to office or to make multiple telephone calls to find the answer to a specific problem. There needs to be a "one-stop shopping" approach to solving problems.
No manager has both the training and responsibility to coordinate admissions and retention activities. Retention activities have become so decentralized that they have little effect. Further, this decentralization has resulted in inconsistent, and at times, conflicting expectations. There needs to be both a manager for the most critical functions and a means for all involved offices to coordinate activities.
These recommendations are, for the most part, focused on the University's lack of an integrated system for both admissions and retention. Alceste Pappas and her associates were, time and again, complimentary of the faculty and staff who are working in these areas. Her reaction was very much the same as mine: We have excellent people; we simply need to give them the tools with which to work.
ASHEVILLE GRADUATE PROGRAMS
In addition to managing enrollments at the undergraduate level, the University also has been working on managing and increasing enrollments in Asheville. Generally, because of our array of graduate programs and the increasing educational needs of working adults, there appears to be strong potential for graduate enrollments in the Asheville area.
Last academic year, Harry Ramsey, who directed the Asheville Office as Assistant to the Chancellor, retired. As a result of this change of management, Vice Chancellor Rick Collings and I conducted a thorough review of the organization and management of Asheville programs. We had the opportunity to talk with many faculty who teach in Asheville and we appreciate their input. Several issues emerged:
The Assistant to the Chancellor had responsibility for Asheville enrollments, but little authority to act. Because the college deans and the graduate dean are responsible for resources and faculty assignments, the Assistant to the Chancellor had insufficient authority to assure that programs in Asheville were effective. The system worked only because of Harry Ramsey's special skills and the affection and respect that people have for Harry.
Reporting lines for the program were confused; the Assistant to the Chancellor reported both to the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. The matrix reporting structure was developed in response to specific issues that affected the University a number of years ago. This arrangement does not address current needs or issues. It resulted in confused reporting lines and little ability to effect needed actions.
Western's Asheville presence involves both the educational program and regional outreach provided by the Mountain Resource Center. Originally, the Assistant to the Chancellor was responsible both for outreach and the academic program. In recent years, the needs of the academic program have become paramount.
REORGANIZATION OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR ASHEVILLE GRADUATE PROGRAMS
What was most clear about the situation in Asheville is that the courses and programs needed to be integrated as part of the core of the University. The separate management structure did not produce better coordination-it separated those programs from regular graduate programs. To make the Asheville programs more effective, it is critical that the people who have both the ability and responsibility to act be placed in charge. Therefore, the University will upgrade the responsibility for Asheville enrollments as follows:
The Graduate Dean will have responsibility for meeting the academic needs of all graduate students regardless of location. Dean Abdul Turay is assigned primary responsibility for coordinating and promoting all graduate programs. This provides a clear line of authority and responsibility. Likewise, the Graduate School is expected to have a regular presence in the Asheville Graduate Center and to coordinate with the Director of the Center. We are particularly fortunate because Dean Turay brings to his position a clear understanding of the needs of adult learners.
The college deans are assigned responsibility for assuring that graduate programs in Asheville are adequately staffed and that the program schedules address the needs of adult learners. As with both the undergraduate program and Cullowhee-based graduate programs, college deans are responsible for assuring that appropriate faculty and support resources are available for Asheville-based programs.
Patsy Miller is assigned responsibility for student advising and for coordinating WCU's Asheville Office. Patsy has been performing these functions very well since Harry's retirement, so this assignment in Academic Affairs will continue permanently.
The Mountain Resource Center will take additional responsibility for assessing the academic needs of business and the Asheville community. Because MRC has a major office in Asheville dedicated to business and community service, it is uniquely suited to provide information regarding community needs. Its role is specifically modified to assure that both noncredit training and credit educational needs of the Asheville community are systematically identified.
These organizational changes will result in an upgrading of responsibility for the Asheville program by assuring that administrators with line authority and resources take specific primary responsibility for graduate enrollments in Asheville. Further clarification of the lines of authority and communication should result in clearer assignment of responsibility for specific improvements in enrollment.
UNDERGRADUATE ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT
As you are aware, a task force has been appointed to look at specific issues regarding undergraduate retention. This task force is co-chaired by Vice Chancellors Rick Collings and Bob Caruso. The work of this task force is progressing, and I would like to thank all of you who sent e-mail responses regarding your thoughts on the Pappas reports. The task force is including your ideas in its deliberations. While this work will continue for quite some time, there are several organizational changes that need to be made immediately to address the most pressing problems:
The Assistant to the Chancellor-Asheville position will be reallocated to Academic Affairs as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management. This position will report directly to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. A search will begin immediately for an appropriate individual to fill the position. It is expected that the associate vice chancellor will have extensive background in enrollment management, including both admissions and retention functions.
The position of director of the CAP Center will be eliminated and salary savings will be used to hire staff to directly support student retention. This position is currently vacant, so no jobs will be lost. Funds available will allow the University to better address the needs of the new student. The staff will report to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management.
Along with these organizational changes, there are significant shifts in the assignment of staff in the admissions office to more effectively serve the needs and interests of the potential student. Admissions processes also are being overhauled to assure that admissions decisions are made more effectively. As the retention task force continues its work, there will, undoubtedly, be changes in the assignments of academic support personnel. I will keep you informed of any additional significant changes.
Again, I remain impressed with the willingness of Western's faculty and staff to address critical issues that directly involve the health and future of this University. We can positively affect both recruitment and retention as we raise academic quality. Thank you, again, for all your hard work in raising academic standards, improving the image of the University, and providing strong support for our students and region.
|
