Transcript Recruitment at Portland State University

Recruitment at
Portland State University
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Target audiences
Key messages
Strategies
Results
Challenges
Target Populations
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Oregon resident freshmen
Out-of-state freshmen
International students
Students of color
High achieving students
Transfer students
Target geographic areas
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Oregon University System (OUS) Fall tour: visit with students from 228 high
schools in Oregon;
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Extended follow up outreach to all primary and secondary feeder schools;
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Out-of-state territories: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho,
Montana, Nevada, Texas and Washington;
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Five week Winter Oregon Transfer Days: OUS tour to Oregon community
colleges & monthly repeat visits to Clackamas, Clark, Mt. Hood, all PCC
Campuses;
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Asia, Middle East and south Asia college fairs and targeted high school and
college visits.
Recruitment Messages
• Urban location;
• Breadth and quality of
academic programs;
• Global and diverse
student body;
• Student engagement;
• Curricular emphasis on
sustainability &
globalization.
Recruitment Philosophy
• Consistent use of main recruitment messages;
• Consistent look and feel in print & electronic
media;
• Optimize tight budget with continuity in existing
markets and develop promising markets as
resources allow;
• Prioritize messages to prospects and primary
influencers (guidance counselors and parents);
• Provide responsive customer service;
• Put student needs and interests first.
Recruitment Strategies
• Represent PSU at national & regional
college fairs in all target geographic
markets;
• Visits to cc’s & primary and secondary
HS in territories in Oregon & nonresident targets;
• Comprehensive follow up
communication at planned intervals,
incorporating publications, campus visit
programs, receptions, chats, email
flights, electronic newsletters, social
networks & phone follow up campaigns
to target populations;
• On-site admission programs (“Instant
Vikings”) at regional high schools.
•Guidance counselor relations (eg. Host annual HS and CC
college counselor workshops & provide comprehensive
counselor resource packets) & communication plan
implementation for follow up;
•Parent Relations (visit programs, presidential mailing);
•Underrepresented student outreach (Collaborative Gear Up and
other grant programs, “Team Viking” student/mentors, “Instant
Viking” programs, & communication plan implementation.
• Scholarship writing workshops
and award ceremonies, Viking
Scholars’ award program;
• Financial aid nights for
students and parents;
• High achieving student follow
up for Honors Program
including purchase of PSAT
lists, PSU scholars, high
achievers’ Orientations,
receptions.
Campus Visits
• Twice daily student &
family campus tours &
faculty appts;
• Campus visit programs:
Preview Day, Viking Visit
Fridays, Bridges, Student
For A Day, Viking 101 for
Middle School events, &
overnight camps;
ARR hosts more than
7,000 campus visitors
per year!
Results
• More than 20,000 FTF students in prospective
student data base each year;
• More than 4,000 transfer students in prospective
student data base each year.
Strategies that work.
• Outreach programming;
• Integrated publications with
consistent messaging &
development of PSU ‘sense of
place;’
• Rapid and personalized follow up;
• Monthly follow up intervals using
multiple media (postcards, visit
programs, personalized letters, htmlrich e-newsletters, online chats,
social networks, student-to-student
phone campaigns.);
• Receptions for parents & prospects.
Resources We Need.
• Comprehensive web
re-design;
• Virtual campus tour;
• Recruitment
management
software;
• Additional staff for
non-resident outreach
and follow up.
Infrastructure
• Recruitment staffing is unable to accommodate demand
in target markets, especially non-resident markets;
• Response time & application processing is manual and
slow;
• Paper processes should be digitized and automated.
Out-of-State (OOS) Students
Comparing Fall 2000 to Fall 2005
• Applications grow by 121% (compared
to 39% in-state)
• Admits grow by 107% (compared to
30% in-state)
• Matriculants grow by 183% (compared
to 32% in-state)
• In Fall 2005 we had double digit
matriculants in all key OOS territories*
(compared to double digits in just 3
target OOS territories in Fall 2000)
*Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho,
Montana, New Mexico, and Washington
Challenges
• Staffing daily office operations & campus
events with outreach, especially in nonresident markets;
• Competing with universities having more
advanced recruitment technology;
• Motivating staff and maintaining morale
given work load & expectations;
• Receiving timely approval for foundation
and tuition remission scholarships.
Questions?