Managing Multiple Programs Building relationships and taking on challenges;

one, two or ninety at a time.

Suzanne Anandappa, Graduate Assistant

July 27-30

Pat Bond, Senior Assistant Dean

Objective

Focus on the Application, Process and Structure What are some of the challenges we have faced? What initiatives we have taken? What our next steps are?

16 Colleges and The Graduate School Agriculture, Food and Environment Arts and Sciences Business and Economics Communication and Information Studies Design Dentistry Education Engineering Fine Arts

16 Colleges and The Graduate School

Health Sciences Law Medicine Nursing Pharmacy Public Health Social Work The Graduate School

Martin School of Public Policy and Administration Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce

An Equal Opportunity University

30,131 Total Enrollment 6,649 Graduate Enrollment 68 Doctoral Programs 111 Masters Programs 50 Graduate Certificates 34 Teacher Certifications 5 Specialist Programs 37 University Scholar Programs 17 External Certifications And growing* (Fall 2014 numbers)

All Students

Graduate Students

University of Kentucky- Graduate School

The Team Dr. Brian Jackson Senior Associate Dean Patricia Bond Senior Assistant Dean Suzanne Anandappa Graduate Assistant

University of Kentucky- Graduate School

Decentralized Graduate School Manage applications and admissions for all colleges Standard bearers in the admissions process Responsibility of recruitment Professional development Degree certification

UKGRAD

• Connect client since 2008 • ApplyYourself client since Fall 2012 (live date) • In-process of rolling out AppReview

Current System

Opportunities for Improvement

Application Structure and Decision

Reporting Communication

Application Structure Challenges

Process and Structure

Application reviewed by program

Program decision entered in AY

Graduate School decision entered in AY and sent to the applicant

Student enrollment decision collected

Application Structure Challenges

• Many users and user needs • Potential for redundancy/applicant confusion

• Programs with secondary applications

• Varying requirements • Program requirements • Recommendations – number and format • Start Dates

• Financial documents from international applicants

• Coordination and matching with SIS information

Application Structure Initiative

Users and RA accounts Over 95 RA accounts 410 Users in Applyyourself Sort users by needs depending on those needs using roles and permissions Admissions Officer Program Pre-AppReview – use  of  “committee”  accounts As Directors of Graduate Studies (DGS) cycle in and out they are made active or inactive

Initiative

Inventory in year 1 of all programs, documented program sheets Redundancy and Program Specific Pages Programs with secondary/supplemental applications were invited to a meet Most resolved by demonstration of the application  and  it’s  capabilities Result A few have program specific pages which show dynamically to the applicant

Initiative Varying Requirements Collected program requirements (supplemental uploads etc) Using business rules to require specific questions Custom Scripts (ex: recommendations script, fee script) Using customized choice groups (research interest, start date)

Application Structure - Next Steps

Developing task based instructions for programs and graduate admissions - printable and video quick reference guides Refining the process of documenting requirements – moving from a pdf form to a survey

Application Decision and Reporting

Application Decision and Reporting - Challenges

• Varying degree of decision making and processes within and across academic departments • Program recommendation into AY • Graduate School decision

• Collection of transcripts and test scores • On-board faculty to AY in order to process applications, depends on

faculty schedules • Timing of decisions, program timing v. Graduate School timing. Timing of

applications and decisions can be different across programs (rolling versus once a year)

• Identifying necessary data points necessary for each review – program

dependent. • Demand for reports and variety of reporting needs

Application Decision and Reporting - Initiative

• Establish process for application decision making • Reviewing process with the programs • Reviewing applicant communications from the Graduate School and the

program

• Exports/Queries • Program based exports • Reports for grants, accreditation needs • Reporting for Graduate School needs

• Decision and Enrollment Module for additional reporting

• Gives both programs and GS a preview of enrollment • Allows additional/enhanced communication and strategic messaging

Initiative

• AppReview rollout • Reviewing and documenting decision processes • Making necessary changes

College EXAMPLE Degree MS

Major zoology

Concentration

Graduate Officer

DGS Susan Suranda

Email ssuranda@uk.edu

Phone x2345

Which Applicants should be in your Review Pool? Program = zoology and Degree Level does not = doctorate

Have you listed your Head Reviewer and regular reviewers on the Reviewers tab? (Y/N) Y

Are Submitted Reviews Viewable to all Reviewers? Y

Must the Head Reviewer wait until all reviewers have submitted? (Y/N) N

Must Regular Reviewers wait their turn (sequential) or can they submit at the same time (parallel)? Sequential

Can a regular reviewer submit a review even after a final review is submitted? (Y/N) N

Does the Head Reviewer have to answer all required review sheet questions like the regular reviewers or just submit a final decision? (All Questions / Just Final)

Just Final Decision

Can Reviewers recommend an applicant for another program triggering a separate review by that program? (Y/N) N

Will you use multiple rounds? For example, do you conduct a screening process to then identify a small set to interview? (Y/N - Please Provide Detail)

Y

If Yes, how many and what is the logic driving each round? Second and potentially third rounds used to pair down candidates to select few that are admitted

Review Question #1 Overall Impression of Applicant

Answer Type (Star Rating, Text, Number, Date, Single Select, Multiselect) Star Rating

Review Question #2 Strongest Qualities of Applicant

Answer Type (Star Rating, Text, Number, Date, Single Select, Multiselect) Text

Review Question #3 Weakest Qualities of Applicant

Answer Type (Star Rating, Text, Number, Date, Single Select, Multiselect) Text

Review Question #4 Additional Comments

Answer Type (Star Rating, Text, Number, Date, Single Select, Multiselect) Text

Review Question #5 Your Recommendation

Answer Type (Star Rating, Text, Number, Date, Single Select, Multiselect) Single Select

Decision Recommendation & Final Decision Options

Admit, admit with Conditions, Defer, Deny, Move to Next Round, Waitlist

Initiative

• AppReview rollout • Reviewing and documenting decision processes • Making necessary changes

• Team training and on-boarding

• On-site training for Graduate Admissions Officers • Regular training for DGSs and program staff

Initiative

• Cleaning up attributes in Connect • Identifying what data is available to report from

Application Decision and Reporting - Next Steps

• Consistent training for program (departmental) users • AppReview rollout process recommendations – using template to build review pools and bundles for programs • Communications plan following the report from the Hobsons Consultancy • Better reporting by refining fields bridged from the application to Connect and building reporting dashboards

• program access to dashboards • automated reporting

Application Communications

Application Communications - Challenges

• Current communication plan is outdated

• Separating types of communication, who, when and why?

Consistency of messaging • Within the Graduate School • Communication with program • Graduate School communication with the student • Program communication with the student • Timing of Communications

Application Communications - Initiative

• Hobsons Consulting

• Hobsons research on prospect and applicant pools

Application Communications - Initiative

• Hobsons surveyed current students to find out how they decided to

enroll at the University of Kentucky and what information they needed most in that process

Admission requirements (GPA, test scores, etc.) 58.33% Application deadline 52.78% Funding support opportunities 47.22% How long to complete program 38.89% Cost of the program 22.22% Faculty bios and current research 19.44%

Application Communications - Initiative

• Emails drafted during consultation -10 emails

• Focus on prospect through admission to enrollment • Hobsons interviewed students and faculty and incorporated excerpts

into the messaging

Application Communications - Initiative

• Documented communication plan

• Communication tool ApplyYourself versus Connect • Communication channel • Population targets • Timing

New Inquiry

Email: Send Welcome—intro

and overview, CTA: Visit Action Plan for Details on Programs

Does Student submit

application?

Email: take the next step!

Yes: Continue to Applicant Flow

Email: Admission Team/Program

Contact Intro

Email: Application, Admission

Process, Deadlines

Email: Research Spotlight

Email: Lexington Community

Email: Application Reminder with

Admission Process

Email: Experience of Faculty

Email: Financing a Degree

Application Communications – Initiative

• Improving the VIP page

• Visibility – location on the webpage • Promotion through emails • Use of QR codes on brochures guiding student to VIP page • Dynamic information display • Program specific content • Decision information

VIP Page

Application Communications - Next Steps

Growing and strengthening partnerships with programs to ensure consistent messaging to prospects, applicants and students. • Enhancing automated communication out of Connect • Improving communication through the VIP page • Training users on one-time communication methods using AY • On-boarding program communication through Connect • Elevating the visibility of the Admissions Staff • Building on the integral nature of the Graduate School in the current organizational structure

Systems and People

Consistent Training – programs, officers Future Steps – developing existing systems, using existing data to leverage recruitment efforts Rising to meet the constant challenges of change. Systems give us easy access to data and central administration comes to us for reporting on graduate admissions Our mission is to serve students while meeting the institutional imperative.

Solutions can be developed using systems but most come through developing relationships and better communication. Systems are tools, they still take people working together toward a common goal.

Questions?