1. Confidential © InsideTrack, 20111 Adult Learners: Researched-based Strategies for Recruitment and Retention

2. 2Confidential © InsideTrack, 2011 Our mission is to increase the number of people who attend and finish college More than 350,000 students coached: 10-15% impact on enrollment 15% impact on retention and graduation rates

3. 3 Confidential © InsideTrack, 2011 Secret Shopper Research

4. 4Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 Our inquiry analysis (secret shopper) program assesses the “prospective student” experience Responsiveness Assess inquiries by web, email, and phone based on: Time to respond Method of response Adequacy of response Comprehensiveness Assess whether information was sufficient to: Evaluate the program Determine if qualified Understand application process Understand personal / financial commitment

5. 5Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 Inquiry analysis methodology and scoring standards produce valuable information Methodology Outreach process: 3 contact attempts at 4-day intervals Personas: “Typical” adult students Inter-rater reliability: Benchmarking sessions, reviews of past analyses Our Research Team has conducted 221 Inquiry Analyses Quality Score Benchmarks Quality measures: adequacy of information and customer service Low range (1-4): poor quality or unsatisfactory customer service Mid-range (5-7): problem areas (information, response time, or customer service) High-range (8-10): typically “above and beyond,” only minor issues (e.g., slow response time)

6. 6Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 All sectors struggle to provide adequate information regarding the level of commitment Adequate information on personal / financial commitments Inquiry analysis of 221 private sector and non-profit programs All Non-Profit Private ProgramsAll Private Sector Programs All Non-Profit Public Programs

7. 7Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 Online programs rated highest by “prospective students” Comparative ratings of comprehensiveness and responsiveness Inquiry analysis of 221 for-profit and non-profit programs N=480N=2044N=790N=560N=485 N = 92 N = 129

8. 8Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 Private sector rated highest overall by “prospective students” Overall ratings of comprehensiveness and responsiveness Inquiry analysis of 221 for-profit and non-profit programs N = 53N = 105N = 63

9. 9Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 Response time by institution type for Secret Shopper Study

10. 10Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 Challenges with non-response

11. 11Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 Discussion Questions: Reflect on the Prospective Student Experience How long does it take your institution to respond to prospective students? What goals do you have in place regarding response time for phone calls, e-mails and replies via web forms? What do you do to help students understand the personal and financial commitment required when making a decision to go back to school?

12. 12 Confidential © InsideTrack, 2011 Adult Student Research

13. 13 Confidential © InsideTrack, 2011 Full-time professional seeking promotion Parent returning to workforce Adult returning for B.A. after 10 years Recent college graduate striving for M.A. Their situation Career achievement Financial security Better quality of life Their goals Full-time work Family / parenting obligations Financial constraints Their obstacles Their needs Clarity on long-term goals Connection between goals and short-term actions Assistance organizing commitments Motivation & support Connection to the university community Our research generates unique insights

14. 14 Confidential © InsideTrack, 2011 About the sample for the Adult Student Research Study 57K prospective students; 45K enrolled students Similar to national distributions in gender and ethnicity for age 25+ Institutions (or divisions) that focus on adults Comparisons are to 2007-2008 IPEDS data (2008 Spring and Fall Enrollment Components) Age Drop Reasons Inquiry Reasons Full-TimePart-Time 40 and over16.8%29.2%4.5%22.2% 25-3954.9%51.4%19.8%47.2% Under 2528.3%19.4%75.6%29.4% Age unknown0.0% 0.3%0.9% Data Set

15. 15Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 Non-starts committed to their education often choose a competitor Differences between bands are significant at 99% level n=18,088 Non-start ReasonRankPct Competitor118.2% Suitability217.9% External317.8% Finances413.9% Delayed Start Term513.4% Program not offered611.6% Administrative73.0% Commitment to degree81.9% Not Interested91.1% Managing Commitments100.9% Top reason = a competitor Below the median – Finances – Delay to subsequent terms What drives an inquiry to a competitor over your institution?

16. 16Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 Academics is not a leading cause of early exit The top 2 reasons – Nearly 30%, managing life outside of school – Finances a close second Drop ReasonRankPct Managing Commitments129.7% Finances225.9% Effectiveness313.2% Commitment to Graduation49.3% Health and Support58.6% School Community66.8% Academics76.5% n=30,413 99% confidence level between bands How do you help students overcome these barriers?

17. 17Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 Inquiry ReasonRankPercent Referral118.8% Convenience218.0% Availability of Program316.9% Location411.9% Class Format59.1% Reputation68.7% Flexible Scheduling75.5% Admissions Requirements 84.1% Ease of Process91.8% Finances101.6% Referrals are the top reason driving inquiries Differences between bands are significant at 99% level The value of referrals Low cost High conversion Realistic expectations n=12,478 How do increase referrals?

18. 18Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 Net Promoter ® is a way to measure and grow customer loyalty by asking one simple question Net Promoter ® rating—how likely are you to recommend to a friend or colleague? *Developed by Fred Reichheld, director emeritus at Bain & Company, and Satmetrix. Net Promoter ® Score

19. 19Confidential © InsideTrack, 2012 Creating an action plan Objective: develop a plan for implementing one actionable insight Review change planning worksheet Identify one insight or idea to develop Break into groups and collaborate to design your change plan Share plans and anticipated benefits as a group