Academic Services and Enrollment Management will debut Enrollment Management 101, a new workshop series to facilitate conversations with faculty and staff to recruit and retain students.
The series will feature a new topic each semester, launching with “Nebraska Affordability,” 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 22 in the Nebraska Union, Regency Suite. The first event will include a lunch keynote by higher education veteran Pam Horne, and a panel of campus experts sharing first-hand knowledge about how the university helps students overcome economic roadblocks.
“ASEM’s top priority is to eliminate barriers that impede student enrollment,” said Amber Williams, assistant vice chancellor for enrollment management. “By engaging the campus community, we have the opportunity to positively impact the recruitment and retention of our students by collectively working together to support each student’s unique strengths and goals.”
Affordability is one of the top concerns for many prospective students. Nearly 40 percent of incoming Nebraska first-year students expressed “moderate to extreme financial concern” according to a New Student Enrollment advising inventory.
Academic services and enrollment management leaders contribute this to changing demographics of the university’s student body including more low income and first-generation scholars. Justin Chase Brown, director of scholarships and financial aid, said faculty and staff should be mindful of the shift in demographics and mindsets of students as well as what they experience outside of the classroom to better mitigate their financial challenges as they pursue their degree.
In the presentation, Horne will challenge faculty and staff to rethink financial hurdles for students including costs beyond tuition and give insight on how to better support those students.
“Students experience many cost decisions that affect their affordability beyond tuition, which can add up and create new barriers for them,” Brown said.
The deadline to register for the Enrollment Management 101: Nebraska Affordability session is Nov. 8.
