College Recruiting, Enrollment & Retention Services - Higher Education Development Resources - EducationDynamics.com

Avoid Prospecting Pitfalls

mulmer — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:00:00 GMT

New White Paper Helps Schools Avoid Costly Pitfalls in Student Prospecting

As competition to recruit students to online programs heats up, understanding what works, what doesn’t and what outreach is most meaningful to prospects becomes imperative for postsecondary institutions seeking to increase conversion rates. This is the basis of a new EducationDynamics white paper, titled Closing the Gaps: Meeting Emerging Student Preferences and Increasing Yield in the Post-Inquiry Enrollment Process, which identifies the four most common gaps in student prospecting and provides best-practice solutions for each.

“Understanding the needs of today’s online learners and tailoring post-inquiry institutional outreach to adhere to those preferences is critical in the hyper-competitive online higher education landscape,” explains Andrew Gansler, president of the Prospecting Services Division of EducationDynamics.

Now available for download at http://www.educationdynamics.com/closing_the_gap, the white paper addresses tactics to improve the four prominent gaps in post-inquiry enrollment processes that emerged throughout the course of the Prospective Student Enrollment Preferences Research, the most comprehensive survey of prospective students for online higher education to date. Based on responses from 2,000 prospects who inquired about online degree programs on eLearners.com and EarnMyDegree.com, deficiencies in the recruitment process were revealed in the areas of:

Speed and consistency of contact
Quality of contact
Method of contact
Web-based prospecting activities

The white paper not only identifies emerging student preferences and the gaps that occur when needs and expectations are not met, but also incorporates real-world, best-practice solutions for closing those gaps in an effort to help institutions of higher education avoid costly pitfalls in the student prospecting process.

“Aligning prospecting initiatives with emerging student preferences not only drives improvement of enrollment yield, but also facilitates a more meaningful outcome—increased accountability in regards to overall student success,” continues Gansler.

Closing the Gaps: Meeting Emerging Student Preferences and Increasing Yield in the Post-Inquiry Enrollment Process is the latest white paper to be added to EducationDynamics’ Sharing Center. Additional white papers are also available for download, including Best Practices in Enrollment Marketing Management, Attracting the Next Generation of Online Learners and Incorporating Online Lead Generation Advertising with Traditional Marketing without Creating Havoc. Visit http://sharing.educationdynamics.com/ to browse the resource library.

Rates vs Outcomes

mulmer — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 19:57:00 GMT

Completion Rates or Learning Outcomes: Which Should Be Higher Education’s Focus?

Many postsecondary institutions are evaluating whether to pursue a share of the dollars associated with the proposed Access and Incentive Completion Fund, an initiative intended to support state efforts to help students persist to graduation or program completion. Given the limited information thus far released by the U.S Department of Education, colleges and universities are struggling to decipher the opportunities and challenges associated with the Fund.

How can institutions position themselves for pending federal support in the areas of access and completion and what are the possible strings attached? Scott Fleming, former senior policy advisor with the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, addresses this topic, along with the various nuances driving federal policy on higher education, in an exclusive EducationDynamics interview.

Some feel that institutions of higher education should be rewarded for adding value to measured student learning outcomes rather than completion rates, since students often attend more than one institution. However, instead of focusing on completion and retention to improve student learning outcomes, should legislation focus on student competence and persistence?

The notion of growth assessments or value added assessments is something that has already gained substantial support among policymakers and think tanks working with the public K-12 system. According to Fleming, there are a lot of compelling reasons for why this would be helpful, particularly with highly mobile populations, like migrant farm workers, as well as with English Language Learner populations.

One of the problems with such an approach at the postsecondary level is that marginal contributions, such as additional credit hours, may not be very helpful for students until they reach the degree or certificate threshold. Fleming adds, “An additional year of education is helpful, but it’s much more helpful when it leads to a degree. So in many ways, the idea of value added measurements of student outcomes is most helpful when it’s also combined with a degree attainment standard. On its own, value added assessments may help institutions feel good about the work they do, but it may not ultimately help the student.”

At the same time, institutions don’t control how long students remain enrolled. Students transfer, drop out or stop out, and make all kinds of life decisions that affect enrollment patterns. When a student leaves a program of study, however, it’s impossible to measure his or her learning. Obviously, only enrolled students can be assessed, and if we are only learning about how much additional value is obtained by students still enrolled, we’re missing much of the information that will help those students who already dropped out.

Still, Fleming believes there is a real role for competency-based instruction and that such a shift ought to be the future of education at all levels. Right now a degree means students have attained a certain number of credit hours―which may be completely independent of a student’s actual learning. “If we move away from credit hours as a means of demonstrating academic attainment and replace it with a competency-based model, a degree or certificate would mean a lot more. A handful of schools are already operating this way, even though it complicates things considerably in a credit hour-based world. Western Governors University is perhaps farthest along in completely replacing traditional credit hour programs with competency-based instruction.”

In addition to his insights above, we also asked Fleming about recent debate swirling around student retention incentives and learning outcomes assessment. Following are outtakes from that interview, which can be viewed in its entirety at http://sharing.educationdynamics.com/blogs/interviews/archive/2009/07/14/effects-of-federal-policy-on-higher-education.aspx.

Q: Is there a concern from Congress pertaining to incentives for retention and completion relating to institutions helping to produce quality students versus just passing them along for the incentive?

The first issue with that concern is that there is no real incentive structure right now. Congress continues to award financial aid to institutions that meet the requirements for participation regardless of completion rates. Efforts to develop incentives are relatively new; institutions interested in gaining any existing system would find greater administrative expense than would be warranted by the amount of incentive currently available.

Second, concerns such as those assume a level of control over student behavior that most institutions don’t enjoy. Students who don’t earn a certain number of credit hours can’t be awarded a degree. The accreditation system would also limit the ability of institutions to try to simply move students through a program in order to win any type of incentive that Congress might pass. The existing pieces of the postsecondary quality assurance system work against institutions trying take advantage of any incentive structure.

Q: Since students hold the most volition to complete, transfer, drop out or stop out, are there any direct incentives for students to help them persist to program completion or graduation? For example, reduced repayment schedule, etc.

A number of initiatives are available, such as loan to grant policies adopted by some other countries. Some of these have shown some promise in changing behavior, but they are costly in federal budgeting terms. Still, an effort to encourage students to weigh their postsecondary options against the potential costs of not completing might encourage more students to make smarter decisions about their programs of study, as well as the amount of loans they take on.

If Congress were willing, they could provide reduced interest rates for completing students, principal forgiveness, more advantageous repayment terms, and a host of other options on loans. Congress could also provide increased tax benefits for degree-completing students, or even cash assistance. It’s not clear that any of these would directly impact completion and retention rates, but it would probably have some positive effects.

Q: More than half of our Webinar participants feel that greater learning outcomes assessment measures are needed at the national level. Do you foresee this becoming a hot button issue among Congress? If implemented, what would this mean for higher education?

I think it’s already a hot-button issue in Congress. Research that goes back almost a decade from the National Center on Education Statistics has focused on completion and retention and a number of Congressional hearings have already focused in part on completion and retention rates, as well as efforts to determine how much students actually learn. Congress has heard from employers that students leaving college aren’t ready for the workplace, and the earnings differential for students with college degrees has declined when measured against inflation.

Congress may decide that accreditors need to begin to apply more direct learning assessments. Many of the national accreditors and some of the regional accreditors are already asking institutions to report specific outcome data. A federal initiative to increase the data reporting requirements would stretch institutions, but it may not be that far off.

There’s also an unspoken fear from many institutions that once Congress starts down the path of common learning measurements, they may not measure up as well as their peers. Adjusting for student population characteristics and institutional mission will help even the playing field, but there is some risk that poor performing institutions may be pushed out of the field―something that not a small number of institutions may fear.

Scott Fleming is President of Madison Education Group where he leads work on federal relations, strategic management and regulatory issues. He is an expert on student financial aid programs as well as issues related to accreditation, distance education, minority serving institutions and international education. Prior to joining Madison Education Group, Fleming served as the lead higher education policy advisor for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, where he led negotiations of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, and the Higher Education Reconciliation Act.

Career Coaches Insight

mulmer — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:39:00 GMT

Career Coaches Offer Common Concerns and Top 10 Tips from the Road

Hoboken, New Jersey (July 8, 2009)―Now in its fourth week, the Career Stimulus Package Empowerment Tour, presented by eLearners.com, has provided hundreds of people with one-on-one career coaching from Denver to Atlanta. The 40-city RV trek across the country is helping adult Americans face up to the crisis of undereducation and underemployment. The Career Stimulus Package Empowerment Tour RV (www.careerstimuluspackage.com) launched in Denver on June 12^th and will travel the country heading east then west, ending in Los Angeles on September 9^th.

Aboard the RV to help Americans jump-start their careers are two seasoned career coaches, Michael Cushman, the immediate-past president of the Denver Coach Federation, and Ayn Fox, a certified Master Coach by the International Coach Federation. In their travels, Cushman and Fox have chronicled their discussions with Americans, ranging from teenagers to adults in their 60s, as they help them discover what is holding them back and the strategies needed to move toward success. Some of the common concerns heard by the coaches include:

“Everyone just pushes you to fill out an online application. You can’t speak to a person anymore.”
“I’ve replied to hundreds of jobs and heard nothing back. Is it me or is no one hiring?”
“I have been doing the same thing for 20-25 years and it is the only thing I know.”

To help people overcome these hurdles, the career coaches have developed 10 tips for job search success based on real experiences from real Americans, including:

1. Don’t Depend on the Internet.
In a down economy, unless you are in a high-demand profession, don’t waste your time on job sites. Only five to 10 percent of jobs are filled through the Internet and employers are inundated with hundreds if not thousands of resumes per posting.

2. Volunteer.
One of the best things you can do for yourself while unemployed is to volunteer for a non-profit. By volunteering you gain valuable leadership experience that expands your skills, and it also affords you the opportunity to work side-by-side and develop close relationships with contacts who may recommend you based on your volunteer work.

3. Follow Your Passion.
People with passion and enthusiasm separate themselves from the pack. Looking for a job is one of the hardest tasks you will ever tackle. You need strong, positive emotions to carry you through and to stay motivated. In addition, enthusiastic people are engaging and confident. Do what you love and you will outcompete all others.

4. Stop Talking About the Past.
In this ever-advancing world, you need to talk about the future. Research trends, especially federal and state stimulus spending, new technologies and regulatory changes. What’s hot? How are you going to help the company transform and thrive in the future? Throw out old vocabulary, and replace it with the latest lingo and concepts.

5. Target Select Companies.
Focus on five to 10 companies that give you the best chance of landing a job, either because they are thriving or because you are a great fit. Resources like vault.com or wetfeet.com can help individuals gain insight into firms and their cultures. Become an expert on what they do and how you can help make them better. Then target people who work there and find a way to get to know them so that they can get to know you.

6. Use Social Media.
Most of today’s jobs are acquired through in-house referrals, so being known by respected professionals and peers is a great path to an interview. Use social media such as LinkedIn. Write online articles, and contribute to and comment on influential blogs. Social media sites are a great way to demonstrate your talents to peers, headhunters and potential employers.

7. Don’t be Cheap, Invest in Yourself.
Cutting back on unnecessary expenses when unemployed is wise, however failing to continue to invest in yourself is foolish. Get that GED, finish that degree or earn that professional certificate. When the economy rebounds the first to be hired are the ones with the most current knowledge and skills.

8. Improve Your Phone Skills and Etiquette.
You want potential employers to feel confident that they made the right decision by calling you for an interview. Project a clear, professional voice, and keep your messages simple, short and respectful. Don’t talk for more than a minute or two without making sure the interviewer is actively listening. Keep it conversational and encourage the interviewer to share his or her experiences with the company. Also, make sure your voicemail message provides your full name and return calls promptly.

9. Build a Power Circle.
This is a long-term career strategy from long-time career coach Gordon Miller: Pinpoint 10 must-know people. They should be savvy, connected and powerful people who need to know who you are. Do your research—know what they are passionate about and look for simple ways to offer them your help.

10. Have One Memorable Message.
Your website, profiles, cover letter, resume and conversations should have a consistent, engaging message about who you are, what you love to do and the results you create. Your message needs to be engaging and memorable so that others can repeat and share it. At a networking event, most likely the person you are talking to can’t hire you, but he or she may know someone who can.

For more career tips, the Career Coaches’ Corner Blog is updated several times a week with advice and stories from the duo’s travels. The blog can be found at http://www.elearners.com/careerstimuluspackage/blogs/the-career-coaches-corner/. To register for a meeting with a career coach, log onto www.careerstimulus.com.

Along with free career coaching, the Empowerment Tour (http://www.empowermenttour.com) also offers the opportunity for people to apply for $4 million in full-tuition online scholarship to one of eight accredited online schools (http://www.careerstimulus.com): American Public University, Ashworth College, Bryant & Stratton College, Capella University, Ellis University, Everest University, Virginia College and Western Governors University.

For more information, visit http://www.careerstimulus.com or http://www.empowermenttour.com, or call the campaign’s toll-free number at 1-877-794-TOUR (8687). You can also follow the Career Stimulus Package and the Empowerment Tour on Twitter at @careerstimulus and @empowermenttour.

About eLearners.com^®
eLearners.com is one of several high visibility websites operated by EducationDynamics. Since 1999, eLearners.com has been successfully connecting learners to online education, including online degree and certificate programs, specialized career training, and a variety of online courses. For prospective students, eLearners.com provides a powerful search engine for users to find thousands of online program offerings, as well as educational evaluation tools and financial aid resources. For online colleges and universities, the eLearners.com website offers a low-cost, performance-based method to provide national exposure and increase enrollments in their online learning programs. For more information on eLearners.com, visit http://www.eLearners.com.

About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics, a portfolio company of Halyard Capital, is higher education's leading marketing and information services company dedicated to helping institutions find, enroll and retain more students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com and its more than 50 special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition. For more information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com.

Preventing_Summer_Melt

mulmer — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:02:00 GMT

Preventing Summer Melt: Why Some Students Enroll While Others Don’t

It comes as no surprise that the struggling economy has caused more students than ever to delay their enrollment decisions. Many schools have extended or waived their deposit deadlines to capture a larger cohort, parents are assessing their financial resources and students are toying with the notion of abandoning their “dream” school in lieu of a more affordable one. While admits and their parents weigh their options, many colleges and universities can only begin to speculate how fall enrollment numbers may shake out.

Rather than leave the future to chance, schools can take proactive steps to turn admits into enrollees. Preventing summer melt begins with developing a deep understanding of student behaviors. An assessment tool designed by EducationDynamics and conducted with a few well-known schools has identified the most compelling factors that drive enrollments at those institutions, and our experts reveal how institutions can parlay these insights to optimize enrollment yield for their own programs.

Institutional Features Rated “Most Attractive”

A series of institutional analyses at select colleges and universities, in which thousands of first-year students were polled to evaluate the features considered most attractive or important in determining whether to enroll at an institution, revealed that students consistently rated five aspects as the most attractive (in no particular order):

Campus
Social life
School spirit
Research/learning facilities
Technology resources

Campus, Social Life and School Spirit

Recommendations for action: Findings indicated that campus visits and talking with current students were particularly “useful” activities in helping prospective students make an enrollment decision. Institutions should place an emphasis on campus visits, tours and interactive, online communities to connect prospective students with ongoing campus life to increase enrollment yield. Additionally, student ambassador programs focused on connecting prospective students with current students have also proven effective.

Research/Learning Facilities and Technology Resources

Recommendations for action: Institutions should ensure that these resources are noted during campus visits and/or through electronic communications to emphasize the relative attractiveness of these resources in comparison to other institutions.

Institutional Features Rated “Least Attractive”

First-year students also rated the institutional features that were least attractive in determining whether to enroll at an institution (in no particular order):

Cost
Greek life
Financial aid offer
Religious values
Diversity of students

Recommendations for action: First and foremost, institutions should investigate internally why these features are unattractive to students. Often times, these facets seem unappealing due to a general lack of information, and institutions can implement alternative student communities that can engage prospects in the areas for which they feel an institution is lacking to improve prospects’ knowledge of the Greek system, available financial aid, spiritual support, etc.

Outside Enrollment Influencers

In general, prospective students have communicated a series of outside enrollment influencers that are particularly meaningful in their decision to enroll. Students were asked to evaluate the importance of 13 sources of outside information in their decision to enroll, and the top three outside influencers rated as most important by students were:

Immediate family
High school guidance counselors
Close friends

Recommendations for action: Institutions should devote resources to communicating with parents, which can include joint invitations to campus events, family interviews and information sessions, as well as online communities specifically designed to inform and engage parents.

Enrollment Predictions for the 2010-2011 Academic Year

This year, admissions officers devoted more financial resources and out-of-the-box thinking to fill classes than in previous years. This resulted in increased aid opportunities and discounted tuition rates – incentives that schools will largely be unable to dangle in front of prospective students next year due to widespread budgetary constrictions.

Some expect that administrators will increasingly seek predictive tools to glean unique insight on student enrollment propensities in the form of online programs to assess admits’ enrollment inclinations (i.e. how many admits are “multiple depositing,” have admits completed the required enrollment forms, etc.). What you do think the enrollment forecast holds for 2010-2011 and how will your institution prepare? Weigh in along with your industry peers on our Higher Ed Dialog blog at http://sharing.educationdynamics.com/blogs/highereddialog/default.aspx.

Career Stimulus Package Launch

mulmer — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:38:00 GMT

40-city Empowerment Tour features career coaches; $4 million in full-tuition scholarships; job shadowing; and fundraising to educate, empower and employ

Denver, Colorado (June 10, 2009)―eLearners.com^®, a Web resource of EducationDynamics, which has successfully connected learners to online education since 1999, announced today the launch of a new national program aimed at helping adults kick start their careers through education, entitled Career Stimulus Package (http://www.careerstimulus.com). The comprehensive career education program offers undereducated, underemployed adults access to online education opportunities, including up to $4 million in full-tuition scholarships and job shadowing programs at some of America’s most innovative companies. At the center of the campaign is a 40-city RV Empowerment Tour offering free career coaching services which starts in Denver, Colorado on June 12^th and concludes in Los Angeles on September 9^th.

“The undereducated, underemployed adult population is a silent crisis in America today and it needs a voice—a very loud voice,” explains Terrence Thomas, EVP Marketing Operations for eLearners.com, which just completed the third series of its Project Working Mom campaign which partnered with colleges and universities to provide more than $5 million in full-tuition online college scholarships; an 18-month campaign that received more than 400,000 applicants.

The Career Stimulus Package and Empowerment Tour is the voice designed to help adult Americans overcome the barriers of time, money and confidence in pursuing a college degree. The scholarships provided by the participating schools, and the scholarship funds raised during the tour, are a small but significant step in helping to alleviate financial burdens. By studying online, students can complete class work from home, during their lunch hour at work, and at any time of day mitigating the obstacle of time. And through the comprehensive Career Stimulus Package efforts, adults can get the knowledge and information they need to feel confident about returning to school.

“Everyone talks about the crisis in education, but nobody is focusing on the root cause—the lack of college educated adults in the United States,” explained Thomas. “Not only is the fact that more than 70 percent of Americans aged 25 and older not having a bachelor’s degree debilitating to the competitive status of our nation, but it’s adversely affecting future generations as these adults ultimately become parents and we need them to be education role models for America’s children.”

The tour’s primary ambassador is Flavia Colgan, a passionate advocate for education over the past decade. She served as the first woman and the youngest Chief of Staff in the country for Pennsylvania’s Lt. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll. Most recently, she has appeared as a correspondent and commentator on several national TV networks including CBS, MSNBC and FOX.

"While the Career Stimulus Package and Empowerment Tour are catalysts for discussion and change, they are certainly not enough," said Colgan. "Funding for non-traditional adult education must become an ongoing national priority. Half of the projected job growth in the United States over the next decade will require a college degree. To truly strengthen America's workforce, we need to equip adults to take on these jobs. If we can educate, we can empower and employ. It's the solution to America's current and future economic woes."

The components of the Career Stimulus Package include:

Full-Tuition Scholarships

The Career Stimulus Package campaign will award full-tuition scholarships to adults who have applied through http://www.careerstimulus.com. The scholarships allow deserving adults to attend an accredited online college or university tuition free. The total value of these scholarships, which range from the associate’s level to the doctorate level, is about $4 million. Participating schools providing the scholarships include: American Public University, Ashworth College, Bryant & Stratton College, Capella University, Ellis University, Everest University, Virginia College and Western Governors University. To apply for a scholarship, applicants must submit a short application and essay describing their goals, why they want to go back to school and past instances of triumph over adversity. The participating schools will select the recipients. The deadline to apply for a scholarship is October 31^st.

Job Shadowing
The individuals selected to receive scholarships will also receive a one-week, paid job shadowing opportunity with one of the Career Stimulus Package participating companies, include: CareerBuilder.com, Dictionary.com, ZipRealty, Entrepreneur Magazine, eLance, EducationDynamics, Habitat for Humanity, spud! and Orbitek, LLC. This job shadowing opportunity will provide scholarship recipients the chance to learn more about the industries they have interest in and will also provide the opportunity to network with professionals.

The Tour

The Empowerment Tour: Educate. Empower. Employ. will travel to approximately 40 cities across the country by RV. The tour will launch in Denver on June 12^th and conclude in Los Angeles on September 9^th. The tour will offer free career coaching sessions to help Americans discover what is holding them back from success and how they can unleash their full potential. The two participating career coaches will be available from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations will be accepted online starting June 10^th at http://www.empowermenttour.com; however, reservations can be made on location as well.

In addition to free career coaching sessions, each Empowerment Tour stop will feature an Education Station where people can apply for a full-tuition scholarship. The Empowerment Tour will also include Donation Stations at each stop where people can donate old suits and other interview appropriate attire. Each tour stop will also include complimentary snacks and drinks.

For more information on the Career Stimulus Package, the Empowerment Tour and the full-tuition scholarships and job shadowing opportunities, visit http://www.careerstimulus.com. For additional information on the Empowerment Tour, go to http://www.empowermenttour.com.

Empowerment Tour Schedule
(Subject to Change)

June 12: Denver, CO

June 15-16: Dallas, TX

June 18: New Orleans, LA

June 19: Mobile, AL

June 22: Pensacola, FL

June 24: Tampa, FL

June 25-26: Miami, FL

June 28-29: Jacksonville, FL

July 1-2: Atlanta, GA

July 3-9: 4^th of July Break

July 10 : Nashville, TN

July 12-13: Baltimore, MD

July 14-15: Washington, D.C.

July 16-17: Philadelphia, PA

July 19-22: New York City

July 23-24: Boston, MA

July 27 : Scranton, PA

July 29-30: Pittsburgh, PA

July 31: Cleveland, OH

August 2-4: Detroit, MI

August 6-7: Chicago, IL

August 10: Indianapolis, IN

August 11: St. Louis, MO

August 12: Kansas City, MO

August 13: Omaha, NE

August 14: Des Moines, IA

August 17: Minneapolis, MN

August 19: Rapid City, SD

August 21: Cheyenne, WY

August 24: Salt Lake City, UT

August 26: Boise, ID

August 28: Spokane, WA

August 31: Seattle, WA

September 1: Portland, OR

September 3: Sacramento, CA

September 4: San Francisco, CA

September 6–9: Los Angeles, CA

About eLearners.com^®
eLearners.com is one of several high visibility websites operated by EducationDynamics. Since 1999, eLearners.com has been successfully connecting learners to online education, including online degree and certificate programs, specialized career training, and a variety of online courses. For prospective students, eLearners.com provides a powerful search engine for users to find thousands of online program offerings, as well as educational evaluation tools and financial aid resources. For colleges and universities, the eLearners.com website offers a low-cost, performance-based method to provide national exposure and increase enrollments in their online learning programs. For more information on eLearners.com, visit http://www.eLearners.com.

About EducationDynamics

EducationDynamics, a portfolio company of Halyard Capital, is higher education's leading marketing and information services company dedicated to helping institutions find, enroll and retain more students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com and its more than 50 special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition. For more information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com.

Administration Webinar Outcomes Rls

mulmer — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:00:00 GMT

William Hansen and Scott Fleming say all sectors of higher education may face increased scrutiny to improve student retention and completion rates, and data reporting efforts

Hoboken, New Jersey (June 9, 2009)―Higher education institutions will likely face increased reporting burdens and mounting pressure to simultaneously increase enrollment levels while improving graduation or completion rates as a result of the new Presidential Administration and its proposed policies. These implications and others were put forth by William Hansen, former deputy secretary of education, and Scott Fleming, former senior education policy advisor with the U.S. Senate, during an EducationDynamics Webinar held on Monday, titled Now What? Political Implications of the New Administration on Higher Education.

Providing unprecedented insight into the inner workings of Capitol Hill, Hansen and Fleming addressed the primary opportunities and challenges that colleges and universities are facing as a result of the Congressional shift and new policy proposals.

A prevalent topic of discussion in the Webinar and among higher education administrators surrounds the proposed Access and Completion Incentive Fund. Aside from knowing that the five-year, $2.5 billion dollar Fund is intended to support state efforts to help low-income students persist to graduation or program completion, “Few details are known other than it is an entitlement program that will require Congressional action to authorize,” says Bill Hansen, president and CEO of Chartwell Education Group. “Details outlining who will control the funds, how the plan will be implemented and its allowable uses have yet to be determined.”

Hansen does predict, however, that policymakers interested in the Access and Completion Incentive Fund will apply pressure to all higher education sectors to improve retention and completion rates in an effort to meet President Barack Obama’s goal for America to once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. As a result, schools may experience increased reporting burdens with regard to completion persistence and graduation rates, and potentially employment rates, as well.

Postsecondary institutions will also feel added pressure due to a more critical disposition among members of the House of Representatives and the Senate Committee. According to Scott Fleming, president of Madison Education Group, Congress is looking at higher education through a stronger lens, which could lead Congress to:

Impose completion and retention requirements;
Require negotiated performance rates (similar to the Workforce Investment Act and the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act); and/or
Take further action to address costs and possibly even cap tuition increases.

Furthermore, Hansen and Fleming expect state data systems to continue as a prevalent theme in the coming year. Many groups, including the Data Quality Campaign, are pushing for aggressive expansion of state data systems and stronger linkages between K-12 and postsecondary systems. While Congress and the Administration are encouraging state agencies to work together to aggregate longitudinal data that tracks student progress, the challenge is that few states have robust postsecondary systems from which to report.

“It may be several years before data systems are complete and sufficiently populated to affect policy,” says Fleming. “Once that happens, data will almost certainly influence policy decisions and could be used to inform performance requirements, such as completion rates.”

In the days to come, a recording of the Webinar will be available on EducationDynamics’ website at http://www.educationdynamics.com. Additionally, education professionals will have rare access to Hansen and Fleming on EducationDynamics’ Higher Ed Dialog blog, wherein readers are invited to pose questions to the speakers and engage in discussion among peers about the opportunities and challenges associated with the new Administration.

Now What? Political Implications of the New Administration on Higher Education is the second in a series of the National Dialog on Student Retention Webinars, the first of which featured Dr. George Kuh, director of the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University. Future events will feature esteemed experts who will address retention dynamics specific to the varying facets of higher education, including for-profit and not-for-profit institutions interested in recruiting undergraduate or graduate students to on-campus or online programs.

About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics, a portfolio company of Halyard Capital, is the leading marketing and information services company dedicated to helping higher education institutions find, enroll and retain students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, and its more than 50 special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition. For more information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com.

Administration Webinar Outcomes

mulmer — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:09:00 GMT

Hansen & Fleming: Strings Likely Attached to New Federal Funding

While few details are known about the proposed Access and Completion Incentive Fund intended to support state efforts to help students persist to graduation or program completion, many institutions of higher education are interested in pursuing a share of those dollars. Most, however, may be unaware of the stings that may be attached.

During a Webinar this week titled, Now What? Political Implications of the New Administration on Higher Education, William Hansen, former deputy secretary of education, and Scott Fleming, former senior education policy advisor with the U.S. Senate, predicted that institutions will face increased scrutiny and pressure in three core areas as a result of the new Presidential Administration.

These areas include mounting pressure to simultaneously increase enrollment levels while improving both retention and completion rates, as well as heightened reporting burdens associated with completion, persistence and graduation rates, and potentially employment rates, as well.

More Attention Placed on Improving Retention and Completion Rates

Hansen, president and CEO of Chartwell Education Group, predicts that policymakers interested in the Access and Completion Incentive Fund will apply pressure to all higher education sectors to improve retention and completion rates in an effort to meet President Barack Obama’s goal for America to once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. As a result, schools may experience increased reporting burdens with regard to completion, graduation and employment rates.

Impose completion and retention requirements;
Require negotiated performance rates (similar to the Workforce Investment Act and the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act); and/or
Take further action to address costs and possibly even cap tuition increases.

A New Focus on Data Reporting Efforts

Hansen and Fleming expect state data systems to continue as a prevalent theme in the coming year. Many groups, including the Data Quality Campaign, are pushing for aggressive expansion of state data systems and stronger linkages between K-12 and postsecondary systems. While Congress and the Administration are encouraging state agencies to work together to aggregate longitudinal data that tracks student progress, the challenge is that few states have robust postsecondary systems from which to report.

Hansen and Fleming Available On Demand

A recording of the Webinar is available on EducationDynamics’ website at www.educationdynamics.com. Additionally, education professionals have rare access to Hansen and Fleming on EducationDyamics’ Higher Ed Dialog blog, wherein readers are invited to pose questions to the speakers and engage in discussion among peers about the opportunities and challenges associated with the new Administration.

To receive details about future Webinars, click here and provide us with your email address.

Career Stimulus

mulmer — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:14:17 GMT

Obama Administration, Private Firms Seek to Expand Adults’ Access to Education

Access to higher education has recently emerged as an issue of premier importance in the political spotlight, with the current Administration attempting to expand access through legislation, most notably through the Access and Completion Incentive Fund. This action to address limited access to higher education stems primarily from recent statistics documenting the undereducated status of many adult Americans, as well as the dismal career prospects that tend to accompany the lack of a college degree or certificate.

As the Obama presidency works to expand access to higher education among adults and adjust how funds are allocated to support this initiative, private firms in the higher education space are orchestrating unique programs of their own in an attempt to expand access to higher education. One such initiative launching today is aimed at helping adult Americans kick-start their careers through education.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 70 percent of Americans aged 25 and older did not have a bachelor’s degree in 2008, despite the fact that more than half of the fastest growing occupations in the United States require at least a bachelor’s level education. However, scholarships and grants for adult students currently represent less than two percent of the available monetary resources while the majority of funding for higher education goes to students aged 15 to 19.

In response, eLearners.com, an EducationDynamics Web resource that successfully connects learners to online education, recently announced the launch of the “Career Stimulus Package.” The comprehensive career education program seeks to provide undereducated and underemployed adults access to online education opportunities through more than $4 million in full-ride scholarships and job shadowing opportunities at some of America’s most innovative companies. At the center of the campaign is a 40-city RV “Empowerment Tour” offering free career counseling services to “Career Stimulus Package” scholarship applicants.

“The Career Stimulus Package and Empowerment Tour is designed to help adults overcome the barriers of time, money and confidence in pursuing a college degree, representing one small but significant step in helping to alleviate higher education’s crisis of access,” explains Terrence Thomas, EVP of marketing operations for eLearners.com.

The tour’s primary ambassador is Flavia Colgan, a passionate advocate for education over the past decade. She served as the first woman and the youngest Chief of Staff in the country for Pennsylvania’s Lt. Governor Catherine Baker Knoll. "While the Career Stimulus Package and Empowerment Tour are a catalyst for discussion and change, they are certainly not enough," says Colgan.

"Funding for non-traditional adult education must become an ongoing national priority. Half of the projected job growth in the United States over the next decade will require a college degree. To truly strengthen America's workforce, we need to equip adults to take on these jobs. If we can educate, we can empower and employ. And it is these components that will offer the solution to America's current and future economic woes."

The three-month Empowerment Tour launched today in Denver and will be coming to a city near you soon. For a complete list of tour dates and information, visit http://www.careerstimulus.com.

Blog Launch

mulmer — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:19:00 GMT

Complementing the upcoming Webinar Now What? Political Implications of the New Administration on Higher Education, blog launches to report the latest news and trends in higher education

Hoboken, New Jersey (June 1, 2009)―”How will the new Administration and its new policies, coupled with new appointments to the U.S. Department of Education, impact higher education?” In the ever-changing political climate, that question is weighing heavily on higher education administrators’ minds, and EducationDynamics’ (http://www.educationdynamics.com) new blog aims to provide answers and unique perspectives.

A new addition to EducationDynamics’ Sharing Center resource, the Higher Ed Dialog blog complements the June 8^th Webinar Now What? Political Implications of the New Administration on Higher Education featuring preeminent educational authorities William Hansen and Scott Fleming. Designed to devise solutions to more effectively manage the student lifecycle from inquiry to program completion, the blog will feature insight from EducationDynamics knowledge leaders as well as guest bloggers, such as Mr. Hansen and Mr. Fleming, who will address:

The latest demographic and behavioral trends among prospective and enrolled students
Economic and political shifts that affect the way institutions recruit and retain students
Disposition of the U.S. Department of Education and its new appointees
Breaking research pertaining to student prospecting, enrollment and retention, and ways institutions can capitalize

“We have created a trusted resource whereby higher education marketers can turn to glean information and best practices that will help better serve students while advancing the success of their institutions,” says Steve Isaac, EducationDynamics’ CEO. “This process begins with a healthy dialog among a community willing to share their successes and lessons learned.”

Leading up to the Webinar, the Higher Ed Dialog blog will provide higher education marketers rare access to Washington insiders and Webinar speakers Mr. Hansen, former Deputy Secretary of Education, and Mr. Fleming, former Senior Policy Advisor. Blog readers have the opportunity to pose questions to the speakers and engage in discussion among peers about the opportunities and challenges associated with the new Administration. In addition to housing the Higher Ed Dialog blog, the Sharing Center provides higher education administrators unfettered access to industry research, white papers, best practice solutions and opinion pieces.

Now What? Political Implications of the New Administration on Higher Education, to be held on Monday, June 8^th from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm (EDT), will provide unprecedented insight into the inner workings of Capitol Hill and address the primary opportunities and challenges currently facing institutions of higher education. Online registration is now available and space is limited. To secure your spot and engage with leading minds in higher education, register now at http://www.educationdynamics.com/media/pulse/administration-webinar/.

Administration Webinar Rls

mulmer — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:10:00 GMT

Preeminent educational authorities will address how colleges and universities can leverage the new Administration to their benefit as part of a complimentary Webinar series

Hoboken, New Jersey (May 28, 2009)―2009 has introduced a new Presidential Administration, new legislation and most recently, new appointments to the U.S. Department of Education, all of which are re-shaping the higher education landscape. To address immediate and lasting effects of these developments, EducationDynamics (http://www.educationdynamics.com) today announced its next Webinar installment, featuring preeminent educational authorities William Hansen and Scott Fleming.

To be held on Monday, June 8^th from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm (EDT), “Now What? Political Implications of the New Administration on Higher Education,” will provide unprecedented insight into the inner workings of Capitol Hill and address the primary opportunities and challenges currently facing institutions of higher education, including:

Implications of new interest to improve student retention and completion rates
Side effects of the Budget Reconciliation Act by school vertical
Disposition of the U.S. Department of Education and its new appointees
Impact of K-12 longitudinal data systems being applied to post-secondary institutions

“The Access and Completion Incentive Fund is expected to exacerbate a significant shift in student demographics, and place increased accountability on colleges and universities to allocate budget dollars wisely to retain more students through graduation,” explains Steve Isaac, CEO of EducationDynamics. “As a result, institutions will need to view student retention in a new light. Mr. Hansen and Mr. Fleming will paint a picture as to why this is the case and outline the steps schools should take to ensure student success.”

William Hansen is currently president and CEO of Chartwell Education, an organization dedicated to advancing the systemic improvement of education domestically and globally. Formerly the deputy secretary of education at the U.S. Department of Education, Mr. Hansen helped transform the agency into an accountable, performance-based organization.

Scott Fleming serves as president of Madison Education Group, where he leads work on federal relations, strategic management and regulatory issues. Previously, Mr. Fleming was the lead higher education policy staff member for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions where he played a lead role in the negotiations of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, and the Higher Education Reconciliation Act.

“Now What? Political Implications of the New Administration on Higher Education” is designed for higher education marketers, enrollment managers and student retention administrators who have an interest in strengthening student engagement and retention initiatives. Online registration is now available and space is limited. To secure your spot and engage with leading minds in higher education, register now at http://www.educationdynamics.com/media/pulse/administration-webinar/.

This is the second in a series of the National Dialog on Student Retention Webinars, the first of which featured Dr. George Kuh, director of the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University. Future events will feature esteemed experts who will address retention dynamics specific to the varying facets of higher education, including for-profit and not-for-profit institutions interested in recruiting undergraduate or graduate students to on-campus or online programs.