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strategic enrollment management

The Role of Data Governance in Enrolment Forecasting

While some might argue that a forecast is just data about students who aren’t even real, the forecast is a great place to tie in data governance. In our research, every data governance leader recommended starting small, with a pilot. An enrolment forecast is a great pilot initiative.

Forecasting Enrolment in New Programs

New programs introduce complexity to your enrolment forecast. By definition, they do not have past history to rely on for a prediction – what is an enrolment professional to do? Here’s how to handle them in stride:

Effective Partnerships Between Academic Units and Central are Key

Answering, “How many students are we going to have?” involves not only predicting the future but defining the parameters in which it is possible. Neither central administration nor academic units can successfully forecast future enrolments without the other.

When is a New Scenario a New Scenario?

Scenario versions are based on user-controlled parameters, automatically updated parameters, and changes in your data model. Tracking the outputs of your scenarios allows you to go back and reflect on the results, seeing where there are opportunities for improvement.

Getting Your Intakes Approved

If you work in Institutional Analysis, Institutional Research or similar, you know getting your five-year plan approved can often be more of a marathon than a sprint. There are consultations (and consultations, and consultations…), new directions, and almost always a surprise or two.

When historical averages let you down

When we’re forecasting student headcount and course enrolments, using historical averages for student retention is a common practice. There’s several different situations where using historical averages might let us down.

Learning Together: Leveraging Paired Analysis to Make Your Enrolment Forecast Successful

Paired analysis is an excellent method to encourage stakeholders to work more collaboratively on an enrolment forecast. As an analyst, you can learn immensely from your colleagues working on the “business” side of the institution.

Having Multiple Professionals Build Your Enrolment Forecast

What happens when your primary enrolment forecaster gets sick? Or gets another job? Would your institution be left scrambling?

It's the most wonderful time of the year... for enrolment forecasters

It’s that time of year again. It’s when enrolment forecasters shift gears from “let’s figure out what the possibilities are” to “wow, the rubber is really hitting the road. We’ve got to have an enrolment plan in less than a month”.