Episode 45
Capitalizing on Enrollment Trends with Robert Nowak
**Note** This episode was recorded in December 2024 and was based on a preliminary report that has since been updated. The more recent findings from the National Student Clearinghouse show that undergraduate enrollment is actually up by 4.5%, not the 3% as stated in the episode. The majority of the take-aways and the broader conversation still applies.
Join Sarah Holtan as she sits down with Robert Nowak, the Associate Vice President of Enrollment and Dean of Admission at Lawrence University, to discuss innovative strategies for enrollment growth and retention in higher education. This episode tackles the pressing issue of declining college enrollment rates and explores effective ways to build and maintain a strong student base.
As colleges face an uncertain future, Robert insists that knowing your brand and extending it beyond local boundaries can be your lifeline. Robert emphasizes the impact of personalized admissions tactics, including phone calls and handwritten notes, on prospective students.
Wondering how to overcome the demographic cliff and attract non-traditional students to your institution? Tune in to discover Robert’s data-backed strategies that can transform your recruitment approach.
Episode Highlights:
02:14 - The demographic cliff definitely accelerated with the pandemic, and I think that's what we have to kind of look to is, what did our students who are now in college experience over the pandemic and how has that really affected their ability to want to start at a 4-year institution?
09:55 - Eight weeks gives you enough time to really build a relationship with the other folks that are part of that with faculty and really kind of get deeper into the weeds with the content of whatever it is you're studying.
12:53 - In a time of economic uncertainty, which we kind of experienced over these past number of years, people were inclined to look for an easier way to help supplement their work to get into the work force and and supplement that with more content that's going to help them in their current job.
22:53 - Having the right people on your team and being on the right bus in the seat, to borrow a Jim Collins reference there, is so important because they are going to be able to do a lot of the lifting that you still might need to get down to.
Sarah Holtan, PhD
Robert Nowak
