May 11, 2022 Minutes

Enrollment Management Process Improvement – Advising Task Force Subcommittee

The meeting was held from 10:00 am – 11:00 on Zoom. 

Committee Members Present:

• Joe Hinojosa
• Paul Hoffman, Co-chair
• Allyson Huntley
• Natalie James
• Tina Lyles, Co-chair
• Diane Russo
• Kirk Schlemmer
• Dinithi Wright 

Committee Members Absent:

• Laci Gerik 

Discussion:

• Students are getting lost in the enrollment process – there is an 83% drop from application to advising (p. 15, 22).
  • Improve the order of operations on “Become a Student” website and on the Admissions and Registration Checklist handout, and make them consistent (p. 38). Here is the advising suggestion on the “Become a Student” website:
    • Change Step 3 to say – “Submit Documents (Enrollment Services)”. Bullets: Submit Required Documents and Move FAFSA up to this area.
    • Change Step 4 to say – “Get Enrolled (Advising and Career Services). Bullets: Meet with an Advisor and Attend New Student Orientation. Keep the same content.
    • Add Step 5 to say – “Get ready for classes.” Bullets remain the same.
  • Admissions and Registration Checklist handout should match step in the process listed on the “Become a Student” website. We have attached a revised copy of the checklist, please note there are two - #2s. The second one should be #3. Here are the suggested changes:
    • We moved “#4 Submit required documents to Highlander Central” up and changed it to #2.
    • Moved “Apply for financial aid and scholarships” down to #3
    • Moved “Meet with an Advisor and attend New Student Orientation” down to #4.
  • Offer more outreach to these students who are getting lost so they can get the help they need through the difficult processes. Beef up the call center with seasonal staff, starting in May, not August.
    • Have the seasonal staff start calling campaign in May, call all students that have:
      • Applied but are missing documents
      • Have been selected for FA verification
      • Have approved classes in student planning, but have not registered
    • Perhaps students can register without having the shot record on file, then be dropped later if they never receive it, like for non-payment. Then offer vaccination clinics to assist students with getting the bacterial meningitis vaccine.
    • During the summer when there are limited people on campus, put out yard signs point to advising and Highlander Central, defining what each office can assist with.

• • We have a lot of manual processes – this is a pain for students and staff (p. 10). How can we implement more automated processed? Is Slate a realistic goal and when will it be implemented?  

• How can we cut down on wait time for advising? (p.9)

Transfer Students (12E Funnel Overview, p.22):

• When the admissions office receives transcripts for our Transfer students, could the admissions technician put in all core equivalent courses? Benefits may include:
  • Improved accuracy of advising and a reduced chance for error, like accidentally repeating a course.
  • Students spend less time waiting for answers and ensures they are advised correctly.
  • Student can see their prior course work in Student Planning and will feel confident while meeting with the advisors.
  • Less repeat advising visits.
  • Less wait time for the advising office.
  • Fewer phone calls from advising to admissions, reducing admissions work flow interruptions.
  • Improve efficiency of the Transfer student process.
  • Improves the overall student experience.
• When the admissions office completes a full evaluation of a transcript from another Texas public institution, can they initiate course subs for core courses that may not specifically fit into MCC’s core curriculum instead of assigning the course as an Elective? Example: BIOL 1000

Current Students:

• Plan multiple semesters for current students who have a defined goal.

All Students:

• Improve communication with students about Get Inclusive and Title IX training. Can it be incorporated into a learning framework assignment? Could we use Comevo to track the process?
• Create a clear way for advisors to see if students will have summer financial aid available and with what restrictions. This would reduce the boomerang with students to Highlander Central.