Pillar 2 seeks to maximize enrollment opportunities for new and current students by eliminating barriers to enrollment and degree persistence at UMSL.
* Action approved for implementation in Year 1 (FY21).
Strategy 1
Strategically deploy scholarship resources to increase enrollment yield.
Objective 2.1.1
Expand the university’s transfer and post-traditional/graduate populations
Actions
Implement a dedicated scholarship program for both part-time and post-traditional undergraduate students. *
Implement a dedicated scholarship program for master’s level graduate students.
Align housing scholarship funds to attract residential, on-campus transfer students
Invest in updates to university-managed housing to attract students. *
Strategy 2
Develop a full cycle financial counseling model for student populations.
Objective 2.2.1
Ensure financial transparency and financial literacy related to cost of attendance and expected earnings
Actions
Develop a self-service software to provide a tuition estimator incorporating data based on degree of choice, financial aid, estimated earnings and loan repayment.
Implement a full cycle financial advising program.
Strategy 3
Adopt and implement processes and policies that enhance curricular transparency and remove enrollment barriers for transfer and post-traditional learners.
Objective 2.3.1
Grow transfer and post-traditional learner student populations
Actions
Modify academic program session length, offerings and modalities. *
Institutionalize, normalize and promote Prior Learning Assessment credit. *
Invest in faculty to teach portfolio course and provide oversight of PLA implementation. *
Objective 2.3.2
Increase transfer applicant pool and quality of transfer experience
Actions
Expand and enhance articulation agreements and MOU’s. *
Develop internal transfer structures to enhance community.
Develop a transfer year experience program for incoming transfer students.
Strategy 4
Coordinate and enhance undergraduate and graduate student recruitment, engagement and outreach.
Objective 2.4.1
Restructure recruitment efforts across campus to increase efficiency and effectiveness
Actions
Invest in additional staff to serve as graduate recruitment specialists at the academic college level. *
Coordinate recruitment efforts across all academic units through Enrollment Management. *
Centralize admissions processes to provide efficiencies in processing and customer services. *
Objective 2.4.2
Increase transfer applicant pool and quality of transfer experience
Actions
Create and deploy full-funnel, multi-message communication flows for graduate programs, including part-time programs. *
Invest in additional software analyst support staff to enhance CRM integration. *
Invest in additional data analysis staff to inform data-driven decision making. *