June 30, 2021 Minutes

Steering Committee Minutes

Committee Members Present:

Stephen Benson – Vice President, Finance & Administration (Co-Chair)
Meredith Brown – Program Director/Assoc. Professor, Radiologic Technology
Londa Carriveau – Director, High School Pathways
Karen Clark – Director, Admissions & Recruitment
Daelynn Copeland – Asst. Professor/Facility Director, Child Studies & Education
Lisa Elliott – Director, Marketing & Communication
Frank Graves – Dean, Workforce & Public Service
Fred Hills – Vice President, Instruction & Student Engagement
Paul Hoffman – Director, Student Development
Johnette McKown – President of McLennan Community College
Kim Patterson – Executive Director, Foundation/Institutional Advancement (Co-Chair)
Phil Rhodes – Vice President, Research, Effectiveness & Information Technology
Lise Uhl – Division Chair, Visual & Performing Arts
Laura Wichman – Director, Institutional Research

Committee Members Absent:

Meeting Start Time: 10:01 a.m.

Agenda Topics:

Welcome and Opening Discussion
- Survey will continue for a couple more weeks then will analyze. Goal is to understand and map with each branch director of the survey.

Strategic Enrollment Plan: Amazing Work – Read over it. If you have any comments, please send to Dr. Benson so he can get it posted.

Subcommittees
- Admissions & Marketing- Karen Clark & Lisa Elliott
  - On June 1^st Jessica Shelton came to speak some of the overlapping recommendations.

The committee tried the pilot program in contacting people that registered to attend an ExpressPath event but were no-shows. This was successful and they have good information to share.

Kayla Willis spoke to committee about course format for new employee engagement programs.

Other topic discussed for engagement program: Social media, website, new programs, initiatives, and featured programs, financial-aid high points, collaborating with finance team, tips for promoting within departments, and tools that are available to help perspective students with enrollment process.

New name for volunteers assisting with this program will be called the Highlander Ambassadors.

McLennan and Rising Star Scholarships will be offered based on Junior year class rank instead of Senior year.

Rising Star Scholarship pays 50% of tuition and fees. Revisions for policy have been made and are ready to go with Board Support.

Highlander Restart Program (Debt relief) - We currently have 97 students on this program. Nine students have completed everything and are pending graduation.

Research & Growth Opportunities – Joe Arrington
- Non-Degree option group – how to make connections? C.E. Programs, short courses. How can we connect together?

Forty-three thousand emails were sent to individuals. This includes perspective students and students enrolled the past 5 years, advisory committees, councils, and the Chamber newsletter.

Jessica held a debrief meeting on Brightspace. She is researching what other schools are doing, how they are using Brightspace, and how it would it be helpful.

We had 5 Success Coaches and now down to only two. The two coaches are males and there is a concern whether students feel comfortable in speaking to a male and the need for female coaches. Asking Grayson and James for a cost benefit analysis to see if we need more Success Coaches based on usage by students. It has become a focal points of sub-committee members.

Follow-up from last meeting:
- Childcare – more childcare options?
  - With current capacity for childcare, drop off is not an option at this point. More space is needed. Looking at other ways to make childcare more accessible at current location.

Waco Foundation reached out by offering spacing it will help support veteran students (call Daelynn and ask to repeat). Waco Foundation donated.

Looking at Grant through Waco Foundation to create a pool of funds for childcare for students in Arts & Sciences. The money can be used at any child care center that has availability.

Tom Proctor found data that shows students do 10% - 12% better just from having childcare support.

Benson shared the current enrollment report.
- Summer II enrollment is ahead with a total of 2,400. Contact hours is down compared to 2018/2019.
- Fall 2021, we have 3,380 students registered, which is up. In 2020, we only had 3,263 students, which was down from 2017/2018/2019. Up slightly in credit hours compared to last year. More concerned with contact hours then credit hours.

Possibly another calling campaign for upcoming Fall 2021 semester. Remind them that COVID-19 money available to them when they register for classes.

Frank Graves mentioned that three students awarded $2k each. Commissioner plans to revisit rules in how they will apply funding to each student. Change in rules could give students more time to spend it.

ExpressPath event June 26^th @ Dewey Park.
- We had 103 registered but only 56 attended in all.

Goal was to connect with students and we have been reaching out to them. So far, five have registered.

Advertising budget is dwindling down. Need to make decision on what to spend the last 10k on. Will speak with Alt. Teachers about advertising.

Bought new software that makes short videos for emailing in messages. The system doesn’t bogged down email system because it’s a clip and not an actual video. Custom and personalized communication pieces.

Closing Remarks:

Benson reminded everyone to look over Enrollment Mgmt. plan he sent and get back with him.

From Dr. McKown: “This committee is changing the college, is moving forward and giving hope to everyone. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Meeting Adjourned: 10:50 AM