In mid-March, the public-health crisis triggered a jarring transition to remote learning for college students around the world. Students set up satellite classrooms on kitchen counters and living room coffee tables. The pandemic upended more than just the classroom experience, but also suspended student life activities and disrupted access to campus mental health services. The continued rise of novel coronavirus cases is forcing colleges and universities to make unexpected adjustments to their fall semester—and revise all the ways their institution operates. One area most impacted by the pandemic is how colleges handle the enrollment process. A study by Davidson College revealed that of the 3,000 U.S. colleges, community colleges, and universities analyzed, only 72 revealed plans for a fully in-person fall 2020 semester. The remainder plan to offer a mixed bag of academic instruction; ranging from the 119 institutions slated to offer a fully online curriculum, down to the 627 organizing a hybrid of online and in-person courses. While 44% of current students fear financial disruptions incurred by COVID-19 will limit their ability to remain enrolled come fall, the prospect of a closed campus is repelling students of the class of 2024 from enrolling all together. The pandemic has delivered such a devastating blow, that 86% of college presidents list fall enrollment as one of their most pressing issues. In fact, community college enrollment declined, but has since bounced back with COVID-19. Faced with a plummet in student population and dwindling revenue, how colleges and universities handle the processes involved in the enrollment phase can make or break the future of their institution. Here’s five ways you can transform your systems to reduce hesitations, eliminate workflow obstacles, and improve your enrollment processes to kick-off a healthy, thriving fall semester.
