May, 2007

Recruitment & Retention - May, 2007 - Full Issue PDF
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A Holistic Admissions Success Story at OSU
By Catherine Stover
Six years ago, Oregon State University’s (OSU’s) admissions department asked two important questions: How do we manage our rapid growth? and How can we increase the diversity of our student population? In 2007, it appears that they have moved closer to finding the answers to those questions by adding a noncognitive assessment piece to their admissions process. There has been a 9 percent increase in enrollment of their students of color and an increase in the overall GPA of new students.

How “Mental Health Services” Is Becoming a Recruitment & Retention Concern
By Catherine Stover
You won’t find “mental health services” on Recruitment & Retention’s 2007 Top Ten list of issues to cover. While we have always recognized the importance of these services, a Wall Street Journal story, along with major new studies by Columbia’s National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) and the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA), new recommendations from the surgeon general to prevent underage drinking, and a book recently published by NASPA on the mental health of college students convinced us to take a fresh look.

Creating a Culture of Success: A University-wide Effort to Improve Retention at Seton Hall University
By Laura A. Wankel and Agnes Hooper Gottlieb
Five years ago, Seton Hall University’s president made the topic of retention one of three presidential initiatives. As a result, a university-wide committee, appointed by the president, worked with consultants to articulate Seton Hall’s retention plan, “Creating a Culture of Success.” The implementation of this plan resulted in a measurable change in retention. Retention of entering freshmen climbed from 78 percent in 2001 to 83 percent in 2005.

How Three Colleges Benefited from Branding
By Mary Lou Santovec
Branding – or strategic image development – is becoming a part of many campuses’ marketing plans. Often, identifying and managing brands is a part of a larger research-based process, which is sometimes conducted with the assistance of marketing consulting firms. Branding is more than just a logo or a slogan. “Branding is making an emotional connection with the prospective student or external audience using general media and public relations to get the message across,” says Ruth Sims, senior vice president at educational consulting firm Noel-Levitz.