Rocket Nation Recovery Part #20 – big win for The Rockets on Saturday. Congrats to Brian Blair and his team for a great game day experience. Kudos to Coach Candle and the team for a job well done!
Will UToledo leadership score a big win with this week’s enrollment census report? The scoreboard shows The Rockets down by 500+ students from Fall 2022. Would you spin the data to take a victory lap or declare an “all hands on deck” enrollment emergency for Fall 2024?
As a forward looking trustee, what questions would you ask at the September 27th board meeting? Would you want to know:
1. What percentage of first year students typically return for the Spring semester? If 10% drop (270+ students) at the end of the semester, what does that mean for Spring and Fall 2024 enrollment?
2. What percentage of new international students return for a second semester? If 60% drop (172+ students) after they receive their J1 visa, what does that mean for Spring and Fall 2024 enrollment? How much does UToledo pay for third party recruiters to assist with international students?
3. What is the best practice for counting high school concurrent (CCP) students? Would it make sense to count high school students in first year college enrollment numbers? Should UT report 3,890+ or 2,780+ new students to The Rocket Nation? How many of these students end up at UToledo after high school?
4. What impact has the enrollment decline had on revenue? What impact did the tuition increase have on Fall 2023 revenue? What impact will the decline have on Toledo area businesses?
But, there are some positive signs. First year undergraduate enrollment appears to be up by 65 and graduate by 110+ students over Fall 2022. Would you want to know:
1. What is causing both undergraduate and graduate “continuing” students to be down by nearly 8%?
2. What is the average GPA for new first time undergraduate students? Is up like BGSU? How many were admitted with less than a 2.0 GPA? How many are paying full tuition?
With only 3-months remaining before high school seniors begin to make decisions for Fall 2024 would you want to know:
1. How many “inquiries” and “applications” have been received so far?
2. How many in-person high school visits have been completed over the past three months in Ohio and Michigan; and how many are planned over the next 3-months?
3. What the forecast is for Fall 2024? If Fall 2023 starts with 15,010 and 2,500 students graduate by May 2024, will Fall 2024 return 12,510 total students?
4. What is the detailed enrollment plan to deliver 2,500 first year students in Fall 2024? What steps are being taken to bring in a class of 4,000 students to increase total enrollment, the average GPA, and revenue?
It’s ok to feel uncomfortable in a crisis. Please pray for thoughtful, compassionate accountability and urgent actions to revitalize The Rocket Nation.
