With college selection time coming for high school seniors, Ohio University is taking a proactive strategy to ensure a target number of admitted students actually enroll for Fall Quarter.
From 2001 to 2005, the number of admitted students at OU has gone up, but the university's yield has remained in the 35 percent to 38 percent range, according to data from OU's Office of Institutional Research. To increase yield, which the university is projecting at 4,100 students, faculty and department chairs are making phone calls and sending letters to potential students, said OU Provost Kathy Krendl.
When a student first comes to campus it has to do with what it looks like and how it feels
Krendl said. It then becomes 'what are the expectations of me?'
Some programs are offering one-time scholarships, such as the College of Arts and Sciences' fast-start awards said Benjamin Ogles, dean of the college.
For departments that tend to have fewer majors ... we took some one-time Vision Ohio money given to us by the provost
and we created one-time $500 scholarships
he said.
The College of Arts and Sciences offered the awards to 10 programs that have room for growth
including social work, linguistics and women's studies, Ogles said, adding that the college targeted students in the 27 to 28 ACT-score range.
It sends a message to the student that 'we want you
' Krendl said.
The Scripps College of Communication tries to recruit students from remote locations, but the programs in the college speak for themselves, said Dee Dee Riffe, assistant dean of the college.
We are real sensitive about selecting students from out of state
from small towns
from small high schools ' people who aren't coming to this school with six or seven of their best friends
Riffe said.
OU is boosting its yield efforts because many students are choosing from a larger pool of potential universities than previous generations, Krendl said.
I think all academic units are facing new challenges because students are applying to more colleges
she said. Students are looking not only where they are admitted but where is the best fit.
David Garcia, OU's director of admissions since Fall Quarter, said he wanted to extend efforts to increase yield beyond just the admissions office.
When I first arrived here as director of admissions
