An investigation of the relationship of the utilization of enrollment management strategies to student recruitment and retention at member institutions of the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities
Date of Completion
January 1998
Keywords
Education, Administration|Education, Religious|Education, Higher
Degree
Ph.D.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to gather and analyze data to reflect current enrollment management practices utilized at selected church-related, private, four-year institutions. Enrollment management practices were summarized at the program, component and individual strategy level. Analyses were conducted to investigate the relationship between enrollment management utilization and student recruitment as measured by Admissions Yield, Freshmen Retention and Retention to Graduation. Data regarding institutional selectivity and student recruitment and retention were also summarized.^ The population for this study was the 87 member institutions of the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) located in the United States. The data were collected by administering a survey instrument, adapted from Taber (1989), to the Directors of Admission at CCCU member institutions. The response rate was 77%.^ The results of the hierarchical regression analysis showed that as the utilization of an enrollment program increased, Freshmen Retention also increased, but Admissions Yield decreased. The effect size of the combination of these two measures (R$\sp2$ =.09) was considered to be of "medium" statistical size.^ The implementation of enrollment management components followed a chronological order starting with the Institutional Marketing, Admissions/Recruitment, and Model of Coordination components and concluding with the Retention Programs and Planning components. The results of the discriminant function analyses showed statistically significant results only for the Institutional Marketing component. This component acted as an indicator of how well all of the components were utilized together.^ The results of this study indicated that CCCU member institutions were more likely to concentrate their efforts on attracting and enrolling new students than on keeping currently enrolled students. However, survey responses for individual strategies also indicated that attention is shifting toward retention efforts.^ An observation of the institutional selectivity data was that selective institutions did not matriculate accepted students as well as less selective institutions. But selective institutions did retain students at a higher rate than less selective institutions.^ The results of this study have economic implications for enrollment management administrators, and practical implications for researchers in enrollment management theory. Recommendations for further research are included. ^
Recommended Citation
Vander Schee, Brian Anthony, "An investigation of the relationship of the utilization of enrollment management strategies to student recruitment and retention at member institutions of the Coalition for Christian Colleges and Universities" (1998). Doctoral Dissertations. AAI9832031.
https://digitalcommons.lib.uconn.edu/dissertations/AAI9832031