Strategic Enrollment Plan
The Ohio State University Strategic Enrollment Plan involves the following principles:
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Alignment with the university’s mission/vision, initiatives led by ODHE, and regional accreditation standards
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Addresses all campuses — a “One University” plan
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Continues to develop and implement with input from the colleges/campuses
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Considers the varied needs, goals, values and expectations of contemporary learners
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Market demand is a component — but not the only component
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Recognizes the roles of online and hybrid education going forward
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Considers fiscal responsibility and acknowledges the interrelationship between size and the mix of student sources and instructional modality
Workgroups and charge
The Strategic Enrollment Plan working groups were established to develop a comprehensive strategic approach that focused on a student’s entire journey at Ohio State, including post-graduation experiences of all students. The engagement of university partners, including academic colleges and regional campuses, was key to the plan’s development and remains key to its success.
The workgroups concluded their work as the Strategic Enrollment Plan was finalized.
Data Gathering and Enrollment Optimization: Supported the development of tools designed to provide data informed decision-making on targets for the total enrollment of the institution.
Domestic Undergraduate Recruitment: Identified the goals and objectives for domestic student recruitment by degree program and learning modality. Special attention was focused on strategies for enhancing quality, mix and specific populations (e.g., transfer, international, transition).
Enrollment Policies and Student Transitions: Examined institutional policies, practices and messaging impacting a student’s initial and continuing enrollment. The group also examined the handoff between a student who is admitted and then enrolled.
Graduate Student Enrollment: Examined approaches to ensure access and success of students throughout graduate education.
International Recruitment: Identified the goals and objectives for international student recruitment at all levels (undergraduate, graduate and professional). Reviewed policies related to English proficiency for admissions and developed broader global awareness strategies.
Marketing Strategy: Recommended marketing and communication tactics and overall strategy. Attention was given to the “many campuses, one Ohio State” approach, branding, coordinated messaging, marketing tools, enterprise-wide communication improvements, audience segmentation/personalization and utilization of descriptive/predictive analytics.
Online Education Recruitment and Enrollment: Developed strategies and recommended investments needed to achieve the goals identified by leadership to find opportunities for growth in online education.
Professional Student Enrollment: Examined approaches to ensure access and success of students throughout professional education.
Regional Campuses and ATI/Wooster: Continued dialogue related to the recruitment, yield and enrollment at Ohio State regional campuses and ATI/Wooster.
Strategic Working Group on Completion: Enrollment management is the sum of recruitment plus retention. This group aligned with university completion initiatives to support a student life cycle approach.
Student Financial Success and Support Strategy: Considered strategies including aid optimization, policies, student financial success resources, student debt reduction and endowed scholarship management. The group considered the balance of quality and net tuition revenue expected in the cohorts of new students and recommended changes to policies or practices that lead to wasteful debt or poor utilization of aid.