Enrollment Strong Despite Pandemic

Strong recruitment efforts have led to robust enrollment numbers this semester. (Photo by Patrick Dodson)

ALBANY (Nov. 5, 2020) — Despite the challenges of recruiting during a pandemic, enrollment numbers at the University are strong this semester, surpassing expectations.

While matriculated undergrads are down just under 1 percent, graduate students were up nearly 6 percent, for an increase of 247 to 4,495.

Kevin Williams, dean of UAlbany’s Graduate School, said the increase was especially big among new master’s students – a 22 percent jump to 1,234, up from 1,009 last year.

And it’s no fluke. The Graduate School made a targeted effort to market master’s programs to graduating seniors, and increased its master’s scholarships.

“We started that strategy last year, before COVID hit, and had a large application pool,” Williams said. “This is a case where COVID might actually have helped us, because seniors who might have put off graduate school for a few years decided that the unemployment situation made it make sense to start a master’s program right away.”

To keep undergraduate enrollment robust, the University targeted undergraduate recruitment efforts close to home, in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley, with the understanding that in a pandemic many people prefer to stay closer to home, said Ed Engelbride, the associate vice president for Student Affairs.

It worked. There was significant growth in the Hudson Valley, particularly in Ulster, Duchess and Orange counties, as well as growth in many of the Capital Region counties, especially Saratoga County.

“We did a search for high school seniors in Advanced Placement, which yielded more applications,” said Director of Admissions Michael McKeon. Targeting AP students with weekly emails highlighting UAlbany’s distinctions increased the number of high achieving students considering the University. Honors College enrollment doubled this year to about 250, up from 124 last year. The Honors College also is far more diverse this year, with a marked increase Latino, Black and Asian American students.

The University’s Office of Communications and Marketing also ran focused campaigns for both prospective undergraduate and graduate students. The highly targeted, paid advertising undergraduate campaign used a multi-channel digital media approach to reach prospective students via Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Spotify, as well as paid search and digital display advertising.

The graduate campaign targeted students interested in specific fields, jobs or degrees. In addition to the social platforms used in the undergraduate campaign, the graduate campaign also included LinkedIn.

“Our enrollment success, even during this pandemic, is proof positive that our planned, coordinated efforts – consistent with the University’s strategic enrollment management (SEM) plan and the work of the SEM council – has had a positive impact, and is a testament to the many faculty and staff who have had a hand in our recruitment and retention efforts," said Vice President for Student Affairs Michael Christakis.

Showcasing UAlbany virtually

When the pandemic hit, much of the recruiting events went online. The University’s Accepted Student’s Open House was held virtually in the spring, allowing students to connect with members of the UAlbany Community about academic and student life, as well as take a virtual tour of the University, said Beth Novak, director of Enrollment Marketing.

On Oct. 18, the University held its Fall Preview Day virtually, and 611 students attended. With family, there were more than 1,000 people at the event, which included presentations on current topics such as COVID-19, justice and inclusion, and climate change, as well as admissions information and student panels. A second Preview Day will be held this Saturday.

Enhanced retention rates

The University also has been successful increasing retention, with freshman to sophomore retention at 83 percent. That is in part due to targeting student in danger of failing a course, and having faculty work directly with them. “Being able to connect with them prior to the end of the term to give them academic support was really critical,” said JoAnne Malatesta, dean of undergraduate education.

The University also targeted students in danger of dropping out because they had exhausted their financial aid. Through micro-grants and pairing a financial aid employee directly with a student, students were able to solve financial aid problems and continue in school.

“Last year academic advisors worked hand in hand with financial aid to work directly with students, with targeted grants, often less than $3,000, and repayment plans,” Malatesta said.

Engelbride pointed out that this year’s success was a full team effort, including support from Vice President for Student Affairs Michael Christakis and VP for Finance and Administration Todd Foreman, as well as Honors College Dean Hui-Ching Chang and the entire advisement and financial aid teams.

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