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Educational institutions are dedicated to ensuring students not only graduate but also transition into sustainable, meaningful employment. However, the reality is that some students may temporarily halt their academic pursuits, posing a challenge for institutions in reengaging and supporting their success.

Bringing a compelling real-world success story, we are delighted to introduce Anika Olsen, the Vice President of Enrollment Management at Northern Arizona University, who will unravel the remarkable journey that brought back an impressive 2,500 students within a mere three and a half years, all through their partnership with myFootpath. In this exclusive session, Anika will impart her valuable insights, shedding light on the effective strategies that drove this achievement, all without the need for extensive internal staff capacity. Through this partnership with myFootpath, Northern Arizona University witnessed a significant 3% annual increase in enrollments, backed by a proven framework for reengaging with stop-outs. When the time came to transition these strategies in-house, NAU was well-prepared for the task, setting a remarkable example for other institutions.

With over 25 years of experience in higher education, Anika Olsen brings a profound understanding of the inner workings of educational institutions and the crucial role that student services play in fostering success and a sense of belonging on campus. Her extensive background as a consultant for EAB Enrollment Services has allowed her to advise some of the nation's most esteemed colleges and universities on improving and modernizing their operational and recruitment strategies.

Leading this enlightening conversation is Gerry Henley, a seasoned professional who formerly served as the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic Technology Services at California State University.

Gerry: When it comes to re-enrolling students, it's important to recognize that their needs and circumstances differ from those of entirely new students. The challenge arises in seamlessly integrating these new requirements and responsibilities into an organization that may not have been initially prepared or established specific processes for re-enrollment. How do you effectively navigate this transition?

Anika: Great question, and it didn't happen overnight. I would say it's something we're still working towards. So we began this partnership in the later part of the fall of 2019, and we didn't have any staff team that was like, oh, pick me, I want to do all of this work. It really required us to look internally into enrollment management in our one-stop as well as our admissions processing team. We then had to explain the need to that group and then reach out to advising, the registrar's office, and academic affairs to make sure courses were offered when students wanted to re-enroll. And so it truly, truly was a cross-divisional effort and thankfully colleagues at NAU understood that this was a population that we had a moral obligation to go back to and give them a pathway and an on-ramp back to the institution. 

Gerry: You said that it didn't happen overnight, but from what I've learned about you, it happened pretty fast. In terms of higher education's timeline, do you want to talk about the benefits of the ReEngage NAU results? They really are amazing. 

Anika: Yeah, I'm very proud of these results. You can see the number of students impacted by our fourth year is over 2,500, which is phenomenal. We're a campus of just over 28,000 grad and undergrad online students. And when we began this effort, we kind of assumed that a lot of students would be going back via online learning, and that's true. But we also found that initially, a lot of students wanted to be back on the main campus or in one of the Arizona statewide campuses. Certainly, re-enrolled students bring revenue to the institution and that certainly has been amazing, especially in the last couple of years.

I'll also say it did happen a little faster than we thought, but we also had very willing leaders ready to champion this work. The way this partnership is designed, it's not for myFootpath to do it forever and ever for NAU. It's to teach us along the way through the partnership to build that capacity. And so when we've had employees leave or move on to other opportunities, we've been able to think, okay, now planning ahead, do we want to reallocate this position to this effort knowing that in another year, year and a half, two years, we are going to be taking this work back? And so those have been awesome discussions amongst leadership across campus where we're examining and trying to find efficiencies in our own system, which the myFootpath team has been very helpful with.

Gerry: That's just wonderful. When you look at it, you have to think of it like an investment. Look at the return on the investment that you’ve made, you've gained almost 2,500 students—that's almost a 10% increase in enrollment. And any campus would go wild about that type of increase and the funding. Now that's the outcome that we all would like to achieve. Now, do you want to give us a little background on how you made this happen? 

Eager to learn more about the solutions that helped NAU bring back over 2,500 students? Watch the full recording for webinar 3 to dive deeper into the strategies universities can adopt to dismantle barriers and guide students toward graduation.

Universities can create a clear path towards graduation, but there are always students who drop out of the funnel—students who had high hopes and big dreams, who year after year, wait for the right moment to jump back in and finish that degree. For universities, tracking and re-connecting with these students can be monumental for retention rates, but re-enrolling these students starts with understanding why they left. 

For the second webinar in our series, Katie Dawson from the University of Louisiana System is here to dive into the four main barriers that are holding back your students. From institutional hurdles to situational obstacles, Katie will map out the main stop-out points that are backed by research—giving your university an inside look at the lives of these students and how you can create support systems to get them back in the classroom. Having helped over 27,000 students resume their college journey, myFootpath is teaming up with Katie to discuss how you can do the same through partnerships that drive enrollment and bring back stop-outs.

To access the complete recording of our second webinar, "Mapping the Journey: Identifying Stop-Out Points in the Enrollment Funnel," simply click here. Additionally, for an in-depth exploration of insights from Katie Dawson, be sure to read our "Perspectives in Higher Education" blog by clicking here.

Interested in our stop-out webinar series? Click here to watch the recording of our first webinar, "Decoding Stop-Outs: Unveiling the Hidden Demographics," and delve deeper into Ruru Rusmin's work by clicking here.

It is with great pleasure that we introduce Dr. Katie Dawson, the Assistant Vice President for Academic Innovation and Learning at the University of Louisiana. Dr. Dawson's extensive experience spans both on-campus and state-level systems within Louisiana, making her a valuable source of insights. Her expertise in re-enrollment and support strategies for students who have temporarily halted their education is invaluable, offering a roadmap for their successful return and contribution to the state. Her passion for innovation and deep understanding of student support systems align seamlessly with the data-driven approach emphasized by myFootpath. 

Dr. Dawson is deeply passionate about the subject matter at hand. In Louisiana, she has been instrumental in implementing the Compete Louisiana program, designed to re-engage adults who possess some college experience but lack a completed bachelor's degree. Within this initiative, Dr. Dawson's success coaches play a pivotal role in collaboratively charting personalized pathways for these students' return to higher education.

A fundamental aspect of success lies in comprehending the unique characteristics of your student population. In the context of Compete Louisiana, these individuals typically boast 60 to 70 credit hours when considering their return, often juggling full-time employment, familial obligations, and community responsibilities. Dr. Dawson's profound understanding of the demographic is central to guiding them forward.

When considering the broader context of adult students, it becomes evident that four distinct barriers to reentry persist among this demographic. What has notably intrigued Dr. Dawson during her research and engagement with this program is the observation that the measures taken to address the challenges faced by returning adults can also have positive implications for traditional students.

Katie: The first barrier I'd like to discuss today is what we call "dispositional barriers." These are internal obstacles that reside within the student themselves, primarily tied to their perceived competence level and self-efficacy. Stop-out students often carry a history of attempting to return to education, only to fall short of earning a bachelor's degree. Within them, a lingering seed of doubt persists, questioning whether this time will be any different. As practitioners, recognizing and comprehending these dispositional barriers is crucial. By actively working to bolster the confidence of these students throughout their academic journey, we can significantly improve our chances of retaining them.

The second type of barrier that we typically encounter is what we call "situational barriers." These barriers encompass a wide spectrum of life events, ranging from joyous occasions like marriages, the arrival of new babies, and landing new jobs, to more challenging experiences such as job losses, bereavement, and illnesses. In these instances, as an institution, there may not be much we can do to prevent these life circumstances from occurring in our students' lives. However, what we can control are the processes and policies we have in place to support students when life events become barriers to their education.

Gerry: Thank you so much, Katie. One of the things I'm hearing is that your first two barriers are focused on finding compassion for your students, understanding their circumstances, and then finding ways to address those concerns as an institution. It's a pretty complex system that you're trying to juggle. I know from a state institution and community college perspective, we often struggle to know how to address all of these different barriers. When we don't have a lot of time or staff, where would you recommend we prioritize our efforts?

Katie: For me, it always starts with relationship building. You have to reestablish that relationship with the student and regain their trust, being upfront when you don’t have all the answers or when the school is still working to address structural problems. What I tell my team all the time is that we're in the business of setting expectations. It doesn't mean that there won't be difficulty, but it means that you have somebody who's going to stick with you and help you navigate that difficulty as you move forward.

Gerry: It seems that your leadership is instrumental in guiding the various staff members who interact with re-enrolled students across different services. Effective communication of this message is crucial.

Katie: Absolutely. I'm very lucky to be one of many great leaders within our system who have their eye on the prize of student success and student engagement. And so I think that if we work together, which we'll talk about in a little bit, there's a lot more that we can accomplish than just working as a team of one.

The third type of barrier I want to discuss is what we call "institutional barriers." It might sound a bit strange to say that I have a favorite type of barrier, but the reason I appreciate institutional barriers is that they fall within our control to change. These barriers are essentially obstacles that we, in higher education, often unwittingly create, making it more challenging for students to return.

The fourth barrier we often encounter is technology. The pandemic emphasized disparities in tech access, from internet infrastructure to hardware for online learning. Many adult students opt for online formats due to flexibility and affordability. We must prioritize digital literacy support, as some students may be entirely new to online courses. This means comprehensive orientations, early skill assessments, and resource assistance are crucial, even for seemingly basic digital skills.

Gerry: With all these barriers, you have a pathway that you can guide people through what we need to keep in mind.

Katie: I have some guiding principles that can frame our work and ensure that student success and access remain at the forefront of our efforts. Earlier this summer, my leadership team asked if there's a universal process that all institutions should follow to efficiently move students through and prioritize their needs. I pondered this question and explored various models. However, the reality is that there's no quick and easy fix for these challenges. If such a solution existed, it would already be widely known. I believe in the strength of diversity in our approaches to working with students because each student group is unique, and you are best equipped to engage them effectively.

Eager to learn more about the barriers holding back stop-outs? Watch the full recording for webinar 2 to dive deeper into the strategies universities can adopt to dismantle these barriers and guide students toward graduation.

Every student starts their college journey with their eyes on the prize—graduation. But for those who have faced one too many obstacles along the way, that journey may have been cut short. For universities, connecting back with these hopeful graduates can boost retention rates and enhance student success—but how do we reengage these students, and how do we break down the barriers keeping them from putting on that cap and gown?

In this webinar series, we’ll be diving into the leading practices, effective interventions, and successful support systems that bring back adult students and get them across that finish line. 

Featuring our special guest Ruru Rusmin, the Assistant Dean of Faculty Development and Technology at CUNY School of Professional Studies, our first webinar will dive into the many ways she’s impacted retention rates at her own university and helped struggling students overcome roadblocks.

Gain a deeper understanding of where students are leaving the enrollment funnel and what obstacles are keeping them from finishing their degree. Addressing common roadblocks such as pace of learning, credit for prior learning, speed of admission, and student support systems, you’ll learn exactly where and how to spend your time and resources to make the biggest impact on stop-out re-engagement. Having re-enrolled over 27,000 students, myFootpath is helping your university reconnect with the nearly 40.4 million stop-outs through data, resources, and interventions that will bring them back.

To access the complete recording of our first webinar, "Decoding Stop-Outs: Unveiling the Hidden Demographics," simply click here. Additionally, for an in-depth exploration of insights from Ruru Rusmin, be sure to read our "Perspectives in Higher Education" blog by clicking here.

With over two decades of expertise in online education, Ruru Rusmin excels in seamlessly integrating technology into teaching and learning. Her passion lies in supporting students who may have paused their education but aspire to complete their degrees, facilitating access to sustainable job opportunities. Ruru's impressive knowledge and experience has left its mark at esteemed institutions like Hong Kong Baptist City University, the University of Hong Kong, Bergen County Community College, and Borough of Manhattan Community College. Currently, she serves as the Assistant Dean of Faculty Development and Instructional Technology at CUNY School of Professional Studies, playing a key role in developing and implementing successful strategies.

CUNY School of Professional Studies, one of 25 CUNY schools, was founded 20 years ago to serve working adults and employers. In 2006, it launched its first online bachelor's degree program and has since become a leading online education provider in the CUNY system, recognized by US News and World Report for top-ranked programs in psychology and business.

As we embark on the first installment of our stop-out webinar series, we're delighted to have Ruru Rusmin and myFootpath CEO J.T. Allen joining us to explore the data behind this often-overlooked demographic. Hosted by Gerry Henley, Former Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic Technology Services at California State University, this discussion aims to uncover the hurdles these students face and explore the solutions offered by myFootpath.

Ruru: CUNY serves approximately 3,600 students across 26 undergraduate and master's degree programs. Our student body primarily consists of working adults, typically in their twenties, thirties, and forties, with the majority holding part-time jobs. Many are part-time students due to full-time work commitments, caregiving responsibilities, or other obligations. Notably, our demographics are predominantly female, a common trend in similar programs. Although we offer fully online degrees, the majority of our students are in the New York metro area and are familiar with the CUNY brand. While we have a diverse global student base, the local presence is strong.

When connecting to students through marketing recruitment, we want to make sure we’re meeting that particular population’s needs. We emphasize flexibility, affordability, and educational value. We also specialize in the busy adult learner, highlighting that we’re a good match for them. We have particular programs and approaches that are going to be a match for their needs. We should not perceive their journey as the standard path taken by recent high school graduates; instead, we should provide them with a distinct pathway to reconnection.

Gerry: With the significant number of students, how important is the data in helping you shape strategic priorities and develop strategies to support student re-enrollment and degree completion?

Ruru: We use data to look at where we want to strategically apply our efforts. We regularly access reports on the New York metro area, which are generated by the university. These reports provide us with valuable insights into the current job market, including in-demand skills, occupations with job openings, and degree preferences. So that's produced by the university and it gives us an insight into which occupations have openings, especially for current and upcoming graduates, as well as what skills people are looking for in the labor market.

This data enables us to focus our efforts effectively and tailor our approach to each student, building a case that ties degree or certificate completion to monetary outcomes. We also examine the data and establish partnerships with community colleges that have recently graduated students, alumni with degrees, and those who earned their associate’s degrees some time ago. We target these individuals and highlight the abundant opportunities in these areas if they choose to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Lastly, we utilize data regarding in-demand skills to ensure that our programs align with market needs.

Gerry: One of the key points you mentioned is the significance of offering high-touch services tailored to specific populations. I can relate to the challenges I faced in my previous role, where it was always a struggle to determine how to allocate staffing resources to ensure a high-quality experience that aligned with prospective students' schedules and needs.

Could you please share your insights on how you manage to maintain an efficient and cost-effective service within a state institution? Are there any best practices you can impart to us?

Ruru: I believe a key to success is being highly responsive to our students and staying attuned to their needs. For instance, one of the most valued aspects for our students is flexibility. This is not only something they express, but we also recognize its significance. Our programs are entirely online and fully asynchronous, although there are optional synchronous components available. Many students find this asynchronous flexibility crucial, as even mandatory synchronous meetings can create scheduling conflicts for them. Flexibility extends not only to course formats but also to the high-touch, personalized attention we provide, which our working adult students truly appreciate.

Many of these busy adult learners don’t have time to deal with a lot of heavy bureaucracy, so how do we identify the points in the student journey where bureaucracy is going to be a struggle? For example with the admissions process, you can look at that and identify where the bottlenecks are so we can address those pain points.

It ultimately boils down to targeting the students and being willing to explore innovative approaches. At our school, our attitude is always geared toward identifying areas of concern, listening to our students when they encounter difficulties, and initiating small-scale pilots to assess potential process improvements or solutions. These small experiments allow us to gauge outcomes. Returning to the overarching theme of data, we analyze the results, and if a strategy proves effective, we proceed with its implementation.

Eager to learn more from Ruru about the stop-out demographic? Watch the full recording of webinar 1 to dive deeper into the research and explore innovative strategies that successfully reengage stop-outs. 

Conversations with higher education leaders about online learning, the future, and the pandemic’s lasting impact on higher education.

An interview with: Robert Springall, Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Education and Executive Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Penn State University

Robert Springall describes himself modestly as “Director of Admissions”. He oversees undergraduate admission at 21 campuses, including the flagship University Park Campus of the Pennsylvania State University System, 19 regional campuses throughout Pennsylvania, and he collaborates closely with a special admissions team for Penn State’s World Campus (online). All told, Penn State has over 70,000 undergraduate students, and Rob and his different teams have probably admitted just about all of them – from traditional freshman, to incoming transfer students, to returning adults. Prior, he had various admission leadership roles at large state universities like the University of Central Florida and smaller regional institutions like Bucknell University and Muhlenberg College. He has also served on the Board of the Common Application, and he is an avid contributor to the field of enrollment management and admissions.

Dr. George Rohde interviewed Robert as we approached Fall of 2022. Here are edited excerpts of his expertise, with a focus on the Penn State University System.

Rohde: You have seen college enrollment through so many different lenses. What is the biggest challenge you are facing right now?

Robert Springall: By far, the biggest challenge we are facing in Pennsylvania is keeping up with the changing demographics. By that, I mean that Pennsylvania college enrollment is down throughout the state by 25% in the last decade or so. At Penn State, we are competing for a shrinking base of students, and it is a big challenge, particularly for our regional campuses.

Rohde: How has the enrollment environment shifted with the pandemic?

Robert Springall: I have to say that we, as a system, have made a commitment to student success. We are seeing more and more students struggling with mental health issues. From childcare to financial pressures, to simply finding joy, we are seeing students struggle more, and the pandemic really accelerated these trends. Two decades ago, we may have said if we lose some of these students, we will just get new students to fill the gap. Now though, we are trying to build the support systems to reinforce the value of a degree, and help students see their way through some of these issues. As an institution, we are much more focused on how to foster student success, and finding the ways as a university system that we can nurture and develop these struggling students.

Rohde: How has this approach to student success changed over time?

Robert Springall: There are two limiting factors we have. The first is capacity – how many business majors, or engineers, or other majors we can accommodate given the space available. This mostly comes into play at the University Park campus. The second constraint is prior academic performance, and does it line up with prior students that were academically successful at Penn State. Becoming test optional and the pandemic years really affected the measurement scale [for academic performance], but I would also say that, as I alluded to earlier, two decades ago, Penn State would have said to the students who met those constraints, “well, maybe Penn State isn’t for you”. Now, if a student meets our selective criteria upon admission, we want that student at Penn State, and we want to do everything possible to reinforce this. That means a student that maybe two decades ago would have dropped out and started working a manufacturing job (which were plentiful at the time), would now be actively serviced by the university team to help overcome any doubts, reinforce the value of a degree, and actively sort through the different academic, or financial, or personal issues that may be barriers to graduation.

Rohde: That is a refreshing approach, and great to hear the commitment Penn State has to student success. But, what about reengaging the students for whom the university support wasn’t enough, and they stopped out?

Robert Springall: At Penn State, we have a few different initiatives going on with reengagement. One, we are actively looking at course registration for the next semester, and we are reaching out to students that are not registered for classes by a certain timeframe. The other is examining students that have relatively small financial balances of say $500, and we are working actively to help students handle these balances. For some, it is just a reminder, and they forgot to pay it. A phone call or an email usually solves it. For others though, $500 can be the difference between re-enrolling for the next semester or stopping their coursework. For this latter group, we have added additional funding to help students overcome this, as they register for the next set of courses. So far, these initiatives have been quite successful.         

Rohde: As you look forward, what trends do you think will emerge in enrollment?

Robert Springall:  Well, here is where we are at Penn State. We are seeing a slight increase in enrollment at the flagship campus, and a slight decrease in enrollment at the regional campuses. Underlying some of the declines in enrollment, I believe, is the perception of the value of a college degree versus just entering the workforce once a student graduates high school. We can reinforce that value of a college degree when we can gather people together – on campus, at events, in the community. That togetherness really allows Penn State to shine. So, you can imagine, we are trying to do that any way we can. Especially when the ability to gather during the pandemic was so severely constrained. I think universities will do well in the next cycle or two when they emphasize the value of a degree, and the enhanced value of the degree with in-person events and activities.

Rohde: Finally, what is your take on hybrid courses? How do they enhance the underlying value of a degree?

Robert Springall: I can tell you from my own experience, I sure wish hybrid options existed when I was earning my degree. But, at Penn State, most of our students are really opting for in-person courses. And there is a big resistance to taking online courses. I think these students may be a little shell-shocked from the last couple years. This aligns overall with what I said earlier, that at Penn State we are focused on bringing students together in person. But because students lead busy lives, once we are a few years out from the pandemic, I think hybrid courses will be an important part of the way degree programs are delivered, so long as the student has the optionality to elect in-person or online as needed.

Rohde: Thank you for sharing your expertise. I appreciate your time, and I look forward to sharing your comments with our readers.

Conversations with higher education leaders about online learning, the future, and the pandemic’s lasting impact on higher education.

An interview with: Joshua Bedwell, University of Central Florida, Assistant Vice President, Marketing Strategy

Joshua Bedwell is a passionate, long-time digital marketer. He has had ever-increasing marketing responsibilities and roles in higher education for the better part of a decade. He is currently leading marketing strategy at the University of Central Florida, a metropolitan research university with over 26 years of experience in digital learning and teaching.

Dr. George Rohde interviewed Joshua as we approached fall 2022. Here are edited excerpts from that interview, with a focus on marketing online education to nontraditional students and reengagement strategies.

Rohde: What strategies does UCF Online use to market online education to students? How has the pandemic affected those strategies?

Joshua Bedwell: Throughout the 26 years that UCF has been offering online learning, we have established a reputation for successfully delivering the high-quality, flexible credentials that students desire today. One of the benefits we pride ourselves on is that all of our fully online students are provided with a full suite of support services and resources throughout their educational journey with us, including direct access to a success coach who guides and supports them from application through graduation.

When it comes to marketing strategies, I often feel we have a strong advantage, as we have a well-established reputation for academic excellence, a strong and growing national brand, and we were early adopters of online and digital education. As such, we lean into our existing brand equity and combine our brand strengths with our online learning experience and service offerings when we go to market, as we aim to bring to life the opportunities students have to access affordable, high-quality degrees no matter where they are located.

When the pandemic hit in early 2020, we continued to see growth and interest in our fully online programs. (Editor’s note: In fall 2019, UCF Online had 5,613 fully online students. In fall 2020, it had 6,646 fully online students.) Because we have such an outstanding reputation in the online learning space, married with our incredibly strong reputation for academic excellence, we were able to continue supporting fully online students and expand our program offerings as market demand for fully online options increased. Our marketing strategy didn’t shift too dramatically as our approach has always been to understand who our audience is and why they seek a fully online degree. Our message, channels, and outreach efforts remained focused on talking to prospective students about the benefits of choosing UCF Online and what we can offer them in terms of support and opportunity.

Rohde: Let’s talk about the nontraditional student. What are their expectations when it comes to online learning, and has the pandemic changed those expectations?

Joshua Bedwell: The nontraditional adult student absolutely has certain expectations about online education — but those expectations have also shifted. Throughout the last couple of years, there’s been a lot more activity online in almost everything we all do, from ordering food to consuming entertainment to connecting with friends and family. More people than ever are both working and learning completely online. The tools we use to connect with individuals and groups online are rapidly becoming more accessible and user-friendly to more populations as well. Fortunately for universities, that increase in digital accessibility is certainly true for online education as well. The adult learner’s expectations surrounding online education have shifted to demand better support throughout their educational journey, from the day they first reach out to connect with a school to the day they graduate and beyond. They expect that they should not only be able to attend university fully online but that it should be flexible and offer the same level of quality and support that in-person students receive throughout their program.

Rohde: What about reengagement? What strategies has UCF deployed to reengage students?

Joshua Bedwell: During the many years of offering fully online learning, we have come to a cognizance of the adult learner, especially when it comes to their needs in this space. When we listen to the needs of adult learners, we really start understanding what it means to be working, have a family, and have other commitments and lifestyle needs that often require attention and focus. Using those learnings, we often approach reengagement as a new starting point through conversations and discussions with students.

Our team of success coaches, for example, work with prospective students to discuss their goals and aspirations, talk about their current life commitments, and help decide if enrolling in university is suitable for them. We’ve found that having genuine conversations with these students about their life circumstances plays an integral role in helping support students throughout their educational journey, and it starts with early communication.

Rohde: What role does online education play in the student population, and how does it affect enrollment?

Joshua Bedwell: Actually, one of my favorite things about working in higher education is witnessing the impact of diversity that comes through online education. Because students can access their education anywhere and at any time, it creates the opportunity to get a degree for a wide range of students. Students who may have limited access to get to a campus can now enroll when they aren’t restricted by their location or having to attend class at a certain time. This can certainly have a positive impact on enrollment, but more importantly, it can really have a positive impact in helping people who otherwise may not have advanced their education. It can help them unleash their own potential by providing them options that open doors to new opportunities, and it can do so while meeting their own current life needs and circumstances.

Rohde: Thank you for speaking with me today, Joshua. On behalf of myFootpath, we’re excited to share your insights with our readers.