Third Blog Entry – Power of Enrollment
In my previous communication, commentary was funding focused and addressed the constraints of our traditional revenue streams. These revenue streams are held static by market restrictions, minimizing the local tax burden, and State funding that is held captive by social, political, and economic realities. Consequently, Barton, as other higher education entities, look to growing the enrollment as a means to providing additional funding and meeting growing expenses.
Aside from the above restrictions, there are many dynamics at play in growing enrollment or at least maintaining optimal student headcount. These include:
- Declining traditional rural population
- Growth of non-traditional rural population
- Abundancy of available employment
- Harnessing/integrating up-to-date technology
- Employing and retaining a qualified and skilled College workforce
- Meeting the training and educational expectations of today’s students, businesses, and public
- Governmental regulations/policies and mounting measures of accountability
- State designated service areas
- Army deployments
- State higher education providers - 19 community colleges, 6 technical colleges, 6 State universities, and 19 private colleges/universities vying for the same State market populations (The 51 State entities are joined by approximately 200 additional KBOR approved higher education providers that have a State presence.)
From the following link, you will see the prior 10 years of student headcount for Barton.
As a point of comparison, you are also provided the prior 10 years of student headcount for our fellow western Kansas community colleges.
In contrast, Barton has fared well in growth and in maintaining the highest headcount for western Kansas providers. Barton’s formula for overall growth can be predicated on 5 general factors:
- Culture of service/embrace of institutional Mission
- Responding to customer needs (i.e. expanding online services and developing new career training programs)
- Extending services to other regions of the State and to non-traditional student populations
- Growing use of technology in support of student learning
- Maintenance of facilities that are comfortable and aesthetically appealing
To varying degrees, the above listed 10 restrictions have impacted Barton’s enrollments the past 4 years, but has not caused the College to reduce services. The formula that has allowed Barton to maintain market share to date, is the formula that will work for Barton in the years ahead.
With the second largest headcount enrollment among the 19 community colleges in Kansas, the size of Barton’s enrollment can lead to other favorable outcomes pertaining to public perception/belief. Positive perceptions can include strength, quality, performance, satisfaction, responsiveness, accessibility, affordability, and achievement. When considering the 51 higher education institutions being financially supported by the State and the noted 10 restrictions confronting the delivery of higher education services, one may ask how long the current higher education structure will be maintained by the State. You cannot predict the future; however, greater security lies in maximizing enrollments.
As enrollment is a key factor in responding to funding limitations, institutional partnerships are also a dominant factor of importance. The value of partnerships will be assessed in the next communication.
In concluding this segment, a number of “kudos” have been provided to me and it is fitting that I share with you.