Tuition discounting has been a long-standing practice among colleges and universities. Its roots can be traced to the beginnings of the 1970s, and its use has continued to increase and expand in the decades following. However, despite its widespread use, the research is inconclusive whether tuition discounting has been an effective strategy to…

The authors advance the concept that institutional culture is a purposeful framework by which to view SEM's utility, particularly as a cultural change agent. Through the connection of seemingly independent functions of performance and behavior, implications emerge that deepen the understanding of the influence of culture on performance outcomes…

In 2009, "Community College Week" named Northeast Alabama Community College (NACC) one of the fastest growing community colleges in America. In the early 2000s, the college, which is located in the rural Appalachian region of Alabama, had begun efforts to increase enrollment. These efforts included providing online registration, online…

The survey on hot topics was added in 2007 to the annual survey of state directors of community colleges conducted by the University of Alabama Education Policy Center. The survey data provided an opportunity for examining the personal attitudes toward the hot topics and the associations between these attitudes and state contexts. This study finds…

Enrollment management is an institutional function that has enjoyed burgeoning attention since the 1970s. The primary function of enrollment management is to control the size and composition of students within an institution. As the number of higher education institutions increased and as the number of high school graduates stagnated--particularly…

Enrollment management is a major component within the organizational structure of most four-year universities today. However, this is not necessarily the case with community colleges. With the continual decrease in public funding and increased competition with private colleges and universities, public community colleges are now being forced to…

Advanced Placement (AP), which enables high school students to take introductory college-level courses, is the nation's oldest example of a rigorous, common curriculum. Students who score well on AP exams are more likely to persist in college and earn a degree. The Advanced Placement Expansion project of the National Governors Association Center…

In his role as area head of curriculum and instruction in a major university, the author reacts to some disturbing data that seem to indicate that far too many teachers are not certain about their previous career choices. Less than 50% of the respondents in a national study indicated that they would select teaching again with 8 of 10 of those…

In responding to internal and external pressures for accountability in higher education, especially in the areas of improved learning outcomes and student success, IT leaders may soon become critical partners with academic and student affairs. IT can help answer this call for accountability through "academic analytics," which is emerging…

Alabama's primary competitor in recruiting is in-state rival Auburn University which lures away roughly one in eight of UA's admitted students. Two factors stand above all others in attracting students to UA--academic reputation and social activities reputation. Factors following distantly are a visit to the UA campus, financial assistance and the…