Transcript The applicant experience – research summary UWE – 7

The role of the applicant experience in
improving retention
SPA Seminar Northern Ireland - 12 April 2011
Annie Doyle, Senior Project Officer, SPA
The applicant experience strategy – SPA’s work
“I cannot recommend highly enough the excellent work that SPA
have produced around Applicant Experience Strategy.
It is thoughtful, insightful and gives institutions a clear steer on
where efforts need to be focussed to enshrine student success
within strategic planning and delivery.”
Liam Owens –UK HELOA Chair
The applicant experience strategy – what is it?
Summary Definition
The applicant experience encompasses all the opportunities or
points of interaction between higher education and a potential
student. Such experience affects whether individual chooses to
apply to higher education, whether they then become a higher
education student and, crucially, whether they are retained as a
higher education student.
Discussion – reasons for 1st year drop-out

Each group to consider reasons for 1st year drop-out
(why students are not retained)
 Feedback two or three key points.
Feedback – reasons for 1st year drop-out
Each group to consider reasons for 1st year drop-out
(why students are not retained) and feedback two or
three key points.
The applicant experience: quality IAG
“The only thing to do with good advice is
pass it on. It is never any use to oneself.”
Oscar Wilde
The applicant experience funnel
Pre-application
WP/Outreach
enquirers
potential applicants
Marketing
Schools’ and
Colleges’ Liaison
Admissions
Application
study choices
?
Post-application
selection; offers
accepted applicants
unsuccessful applicants
Transition
confirmation
induction
enrolment
Teaching & Learning
Student Services
Retention and graduation
The applicant experience: definitions

Built under four broad stages
preapplication

application
postapplication
transition
Adopted a behavioural view of ‘experience’

Interactive participation and engagement, not a passive journey

Accepted that marketing and market forces play a determining role

Effective IAG must link and underpin interactive engagement
through all pre-entry stages and beyond
The applicant experience: definitions
A good applicant experience
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is mutually beneficial to both the
applicant and the higher
education provider
prepares, informs and provides
equality of opportunity to enter
higher education
should accurately match the
student’s aims, abilities and
aspirations with the character of
the institution.
therefore improves student
retention and enhances the
strategic mission of the institution
A poor applicant experience





is inherently detrimental to both the
applicant and the higher education
provider – both lose out
perpetuates barriers to entry
disengages potential applicants and
their advisors
risks incongruence between student
expectations and institutional
character
therefore embeds an enrolment
strategy leading to unfulfilled
potential and increased drop-out
Discussion – aspects of policy and process
Each group to consider which aspects of admissions
policy and process impact upon a good applicant
experience and feedback two or three key points.
Discussion – aspects of policy and process
Each group to consider which aspects of admissions
policy and process impact upon a good applicant
experience and feedback two or three key points.
The Applicant Experience: collaborative strategy
institution mission
and values
monitor
pre-application
stage processes
key
interactions
linking
interactions
policies
application
stage processes
key
interactions
post-application
stage processes
linking
interactions
key
interactions
transition stage
processes
linking
interactions
key
interactions
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
enablers (staff; systems; funds)
measure
strategic aims
Professionalism and the Applicant Experience
 Strategic leadership in admissions is an integral part of an
institution’s learning and teaching strategy, management and
planning.
 SPA’s view is that an applicant experience strategy supports the
management and processes of both academic and professional staff.
 The benefits for the institution could be
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more integrated ways of working, with possible efficiency gains
enhanced staff professionalism and understanding of strategy
improved quality practices and procedures which may give
competitive advantage and enhance reputation
ability to take advantage of external changes quickly
 The benefits for the applicant: transparency and a better experience
The applicant experience: definitions

The 1994 Group’s report in 2007, entitled Enhancing the Student
Experience, noted that:
“A student’s experience of university does not begin at the moment they step
onto campus at the beginning of October, and it does not end when they are
shaking the hand of the Vice-Chancellor at graduation. The early
relationship between student and university is important during
the applications and admissions process, in preparing students for
university life, and to initiate their engagement with and
attitudes towards their university in the best way possible. A
student’s experience of university can stretch back even further through
effective HE engagement with schools and colleges.”
Thank you
Your feedback is welcomed
More information from: [email protected] or 01242 544891
www.spa.ac.uk
The Applicant Experience: collaborative strategy
ensure
achievability
define objectives / outcomes
The Applicant Experience: collaborative strategy
pre-application
stage processes
WHAT
application
stage processes
post-application
stage processes
transition stage
processes
The Applicant Experience: collaborative strategy
institution mission
and values
WHY
strategic aims
pre-application
stage processes
application
stage processes
policies
post-application
stage processes
transition stage
processes
The Applicant Experience: collaborative strategy
institution mission
and values
strategic aims
pre-application
stage processes
key
interactions
linking
interactions
policies
application
stage processes
post-application
stage processes
HOW
key
interactions
linking
interactions
key
interactions
transition stage
processes
linking
interactions
key
interactions
The Applicant Experience: collaborative strategy
institution mission
and values
strategic aims
pre-application
stage processes
key
interactions
linking
interactions
policies
application
stage processes
key
interactions
IPG
IPG
IPG
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
post-application
stage processes
linking
interactions
key
interactions
transition stage
processes
linking
interactions
key
interactions
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
WHO
The Applicant Experience: collaborative strategy
institution mission
and values
strategic aims
pre-application
stage processes
key
interactions
linking
interactions
policies
application
stage processes
key
interactions
post-application
stage processes
linking
interactions
key
interactions
transition stage
processes
linking
interactions
key
interactions
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
enablers (staff; systems; funds)
The Applicant Experience: collaborative strategy
institution mission
and values
monitor
pre-application
stage processes
key
interactions
linking
interactions
policies
application
stage processes
key
interactions
post-application
stage processes
linking
interactions
key
interactions
transition stage
processes
linking
interactions
key
interactions
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
IPG
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
integrated
practitioner
groups /
communities
enablers (staff; systems; funds)
measure
strategic aims
SPA recommendations
Pre-application recommendations
1.
Engage with learners well in advance of any potential
application to initiate and support the applicant
experience
2.
Utilise experience gained through such engagement to
continually inform and improve the applicant
experience.
SPA recommendations
Application recommendations
1.
Strive to ensure that learner engagement with the
application process maximises the institution’s ability
to identify the most suitable
2.
Review the quality of applications to measure
successful engagement
SPA recommendations
Post-application recommendations
in development, but considering …

different aspects of direct vs indirect engagement

non-engagement

conversion
What recommendations do you have for
application decision-makers?