Declining MI high school enrollment is the university's biggest challenge


To address a projected decline in enrollment in 2020, Central Michigan University's Budget Priorities Committee discussed the decrease at a Thursday meeting, along with several initiatives to offset the drop. 

The Budget Priorities Committee also presented CMU's operating budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year at the meeting, focusing on fall enrollment data and projections for the next few years.

The budget was explained by a panel including Steven Johnson, vice president of enrollment and student services, Barrie Wilkes, vice president of finance and administrative services, and Michael Gealt. The provost discussed expenditure changes, recruitment and retention plans, along with future challenges.

Though there was an increase in freshmen enrollment this year, a projected decline in state’s high school enrollment is expected to be the university’s biggest challenge.

“Michigan’s high school enrollment is dropping. Even though CMU’s entering freshmen enrollment has increased this year, it is projected to decline due to other factors,” Johnson said.

Factors impacting future enrollment also included a decline in community college enrollment.

“Twenty five out of 28 community colleges said they expect enrollment declines for the 2014-15 fiscal year,” Johnson said.

Johnson also presented four projected growth markets: community college transfers, international enrollment, master competency and adult completers.

“[In regards to recruitment initiatives] a market analysis by the college board and ACT is being done. There will also be an [initiative] to increase out-of-state expansion,” Johnson said.

The increase for out-of-state expansion will be done through collected SAT data, which has never been done before, and NACAC college fairs.

To target the university’s biggest challenge, the states decline in high school enrollment, CMU will increase high school and community college visits along with bus trips and special group visits to campus.

Other attempts to improve recruitment involve increased college day events, such as “CMU and You," and the creation of the Alumni Ambassadors Program, which has 16 alumni as of now.

The previous marketing campaign showed to be successful and will be implemented again for the 2014-15 fiscal year. These strategies include CMU TV spots, three smart bus wraps and advertisement on Pandora.

“Our site had over 900,000 visits due to our commercial on Pandora, a music outlet many students use,” Johnson said.

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