Research Component Overview
All SEM-EP candidates are expected to conduct a brief research capstone project during the course of the curriculum. The assignment focuses on tracking and analyzing a local population of students from the candidate’s institution and concludes by reporting conversion outcomes. The population of students is to be divided into two equal groups and identified as the control group vs the experimental group.
Candidates should review this component and begin research as soon as possible in order to coincide with completing all modules (webinars, field visits, SEM Essentials 101) in a timely fashion. Click here for complete details.
Each capstone project is required to have a peer review by a SEM-EP peer prior to submission. The peer’s name and email should be included on the cover page of the submission. There is no requirement that their comments be provided to the SEM-EP faculty. You can access the class roster via the SEM-EP portal in Moodle. You may also email sem-ep@aacrao.org to request assistance with locating a peer reviewer.
Complete Detailed Project Instructions
Well-prepared Enrollment Managers should have some documented experience with tracking and evaluating enrollment systems. This exercise is dedicated to improvising and tracking a symbolic outreach project that contributes to the foundation of Strategic Enrollment Planning and data analysis.
The capstone experience is the final requirement of the SEM-EP. It should begin early in the program experience in order to collect data to coincide with completing the research component by the time all other components are finished.
This study is intended to be an abbreviated exercise and does not include all the academic protocols of a clinical research project. It is designed to guide you through a mini-campaign to develop, track and analyze data from a prototype that can be used as a base for how populations respond to various treatments.
The foundation of strategic enrollment management is rooted in well-prepared professionals. Enrollment managers should have some documented experience with enrollment planning, tracking, research, and evaluating enrollment systems.
The objective of this on-site exercise is dedicated to providing candidates an opportunity to conduct a study directly related to enrollment planning or research. It should collect data to benefit your institution or reflect how data will be collected if not an actual study.
The research will be confined to either (A) new student populations (B) returning student conversion results or (C) an enrollment planning project. (Note: FERPA compliance. No personal student data is to be reported in the final paper. Only generic information relating to quantitative results, trial conditions, and anecdotal observations are required to fulfill this component.)
- A prospective student study (first-time freshmen or transfers) can be shaped as they move through the pipeline toward enrollment. For instance, a non-enrolled prospect progresses from inquiry to applied or to disposition (accepted, tabled or denied) or to campus visit, or to deposited or, registered, etc. Your research study can be from any conversion step (sequence) in the funnel to the next. It does not have to be from the initial point of prospect contact to fully matriculated.
- A “retention research project” can be conducted to re-enroll stop out students who have dropped out for 12 months or more. Other retention targets can be efforts to address niche populations such as at-risk students, financial hardships, declining majors, gender, ethnic, or geographical recovery.
- As an alternative, an enrollment planning project could be substituted for an active research project. This might include a skeletal “outline” for the development of a strategic enrollment management plan, an enrollment planning budget, a research model designed to study and rank effective outreach tools to improve or measure enrollment.
Determine if you would like to track a population of returning students for retention data, or a population of prospective students who have not applied, or been accepted or an enrollment planning project.
Capstone papers should be between eight and ten pages including at least one table, graph, or chart to illustrate data and outcomes.
Research Component Overview
All SEM-EP candidates are expected to conduct a brief research capstone project during the course of the curriculum. The assignment focuses on tracking and analyzing a local population of students from the candidate’s institution and concludes by reporting conversion outcomes. The population of students is to be divided into two equal groups and identified as the control group vs the experimental group.
Candidates should review this component and begin research as soon as possible in order to coincide with completing all modules (webinars, field visits, SEM Essentials 101) in a timely fashion. Click here for complete details.
Each capstone project is required to have a peer review by a SEM-EP peer prior to submission. The peer’s name and email should be included on the cover page of the submission. There is no requirement that their comments be provided to the SEM-EP faculty. You can access the class roster via the SEM-EP portal in Moodle. You may also email sem-ep@aacrao.org to request assistance with locating a peer reviewer.
Campaign Examples
Example campaign #1:
A retention study of 100 male stop outs who have not been enrolled for 12 or more months (previously enrolled on your campus) majoring in education from a selected geographical region. All received an email inviting them to return for a targeted term with an early registration benefit.
However the experimental group of 50 also received a personal telephone call to advise of the offer and answer questions. (The control group was only contacted once) Which method yielded more by the target term, what findings?
Example campaign #2:
A new student study of 100 accepted Business majors, but non-deposited freshmen from a selected geographical territory. Each student received a deadline invoice from the Bursar, however 50 of the 100 also received a mailed invitation to join a scheduled webinar prior to the deadline to answer questions co hosted by the College of Business and Office of Admissions.
The control group was only contacted once. Which method yielded more by the target term, what findings?
Report Structure
Introduce your institution (size, affiliation), your office and your role. Indicate if you are using any staff to assist with the study and if so, what role they played.
- The final capstone paper should be a minimum of eight pages, but not exceed10 pages including tables or graphical illustrations.
- Indicate if your population is a retention study or new student study.
- Explain your outreach message strategy or incentive.
- Describe your outreach tool, frequency of use and method of how it was used to reach the experimental group.
- Indicate your target term and range of study in weeks or months
- Discuss how each group was selected and treated during the exercise.
- Discuss any obstacles, advantage or exceptions in the study.
- Discuss how your groups were extracted, secured, accessed and managed.
- Discuss group findings in contrast of outreach tools, frequency or enhancements of delivery.
- Discuss findings regarding the strategic messaging or incentive used.
- Include a one page chart, table or excel file to graphically illustrate results.
- Arrange to have your project peer-reviewed by a SEM-EP peer prior to submission.
In addition, close your paper with 2 goals that summarize how you may further your own SEM career using the entire SEM- EP experience as a backdrop. (Leadership roles, HR staff development compliance, presentations, state/regional or national offices, promotion qualifications, career searches or other advancements).
Literature Review
In keeping with sound theoretical values of Strategic Enrollment Management the participant is asked to research and select a favorite “text” on the SEM profession from a recognized author (e.g., Don Hossler, Vincent Tinto, David Kalesbeek, Michael Dolence, Wayne Sigler, Garlene Penn). The mission will be to identify a foundational EM concept (such as proximity-focused recruitment or maintain superior student service to increase retention) in the publication and apply it to your capstone paper relating to three selected articles and how the works apply to your campus.
The Project Model
The model consists of four elements:
- Select a primary text: The initial task will be to select a primary text/book work and determine the foundational message, then paraphrase its premise in a brief one page assessment.
- Research 3 SEM articles: The secondary task will be to research and create an annotated bibliography review consisting of three articles from leading EM field personalities. (Ex: Bontrager, Henderson, Kerlin, Black, Peterson, Goff, Rooker, etc.)
The task will be to compare selected articles with your primary text regarding common elements such as; theory, implementations, data, operations, networks, technology, outreach, policy or other relationships that would connect the text and articles. Keep in mind how these issues may impact your campus
- These articles should be drawn from the body of works published in recognized industry journals (AACRAO College and University, Contributing chapter authors in associational texts, Regional Journals, NACAC) and may represent authors from a variety of institutions (Ex: two year, private, public, technical, university, large/small enrollments, single sex or other discerning institutional types)
Each one page annotated bibliography objective is to identify tactical field applications suggested within the article elements that reflect the selected element(s) in your primary text such as student recruitment, retention, student marketing, FTE budgeting, policy or enrollment planning. The participant is charged within each annotation to conclude how the article content is supported and how it relates to the favored text core message and if it can be or has been used on your respective campus.
Project and Paper Format and Requirements
The annotated bibliography model should be constructed to first lead with the selected definitive text core message assessment of one page. It should properly cite the text, publication, author, date and author’s current or former institution. The primary message should be underscored or highlighted in italics.
Each of the three supporting annotated articles (or contributed chapters) reviews should be clearly identified and list the title of the article, publication, date published, author(s) name and institution.
The article titles should be in bold and underscored to set up the review. The annotation narrative should summarize the article or chapter’s message and the candidate must draw a brief conclusion as to how the topic applies to your campus.
Peer Review – Each capstone project is required to have a peer review by a SEM-EP peer prior to submission. The peer’s name and e-mail should be included on the cover page of the submission. There is no requirement that their comments be provided to the SEM-EP faculty. You can access the class roster via the SEM-EP portal in Moodle. You may also e-mail sem-ep@aacrao.edu to request assistance with locating a peer reviewer.
Candidate Career Goals – Using the SEM-EP experience and pending endorsement, please articulate 3 to 5 goals that may be “next steps” suggesting how the you might further his/her SEM career in the field and/or professional participation. (publications, graduate school, committees, presentations, offices, promotions, projects, collaborations, consulting, etc.)
The entire capstone report should not exceed six pages.
Enrollment Project
This option is intended to be more flexible than the research project or literature review. If you would prefer to pursue this option, please contact the SEM-EP Director at your earliest convenience with an abstract and outline of your proposed project before you pursue it.
Project Requirements:
- Contact the SEM-EP Director and obtain their approval on the scope and focus of your project before engaging it fully.
- Each capstone project is required to have a peer review by a SEM-EP peer prior to submission. The peer’s name and email should be included on the cover page of the submission. If you need help locating a peer, contact sem-ep@aacrao.org.
- Be sure to include an institutional profile.