Community college selective enrollment and the challenge to open access
- WCU Author/Contributor (non-WCU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- David Brian Morris (Creator)
- Institution
- Western Carolina University (WCU )
- Web Site: http://library.wcu.edu/
- Advisor
- Mary Herzog
Abstract: The open access mission is central to the community college role and mission in higher
education. Although initially implemented by four-year colleges and universities,
adoption of formal enrollment management initiatives in community colleges is on the
increase. Admission, matriculation, retention, and persistence are affected by enrollment
management policies. Initiatives designed to control enrollment may alter the open access
commitment of the community college by limiting access to some students. Enrollment
management practices at the community college can include selective marketing and
recruiting practices. This study examined the prevalence of selective marketing and
recruiting practices at North Carolina community colleges and the impact of such
practices on enrollment. Results of the study indicated that about half of the community
colleges in North Carolina practice selective marketing and recruiting practices, although
to date those practices have had no apparent impact on the demographic composition of
the student body. Student demographic representation in enrollment at North Carolina
community colleges was statistically significantly different than the corresponding
demographic composition of college service areas. Organizational depth of marketing
implementation at selective colleges was compared to the demographic composition of
student body enrollment. There was no relationship between organizational depth of marketing implementation at selective colleges and student body demographic
composition. Study results inform decisions affecting the use of selective marketing and
recruiting practices within the context of the open access mission at the community
college. Implications for policy and practice include the recommendation to create an
enrollment management division at each community college, to streamline use of the
marketing dollar, and to increase the use of marketing to influence the decision-making
process of internal stakeholders.
Community college selective enrollment and the challenge to open access
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Created on 12/1/2012
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Additional Information
- Publication
- Dissertation
- Language: English
- Date: 2012
- Keywords
- enrollment, management, marketing, persistence, recruiting, retention
- Subjects
- Community colleges -- North Carolina -- Admission
- Community colleges -- Open admission -- North Carolina
- Community college students -- Recruiting -- North Carolina