2023 Enrollment Management
Symposium Schedule

Chicago Booth Gleacher Center, Chicago IL
July 13 & 14, 2023

Hotel Recommendations

Thursday, July 13

Gleacher Center
1:00 - 6:30 p.m. CST

1:00 p.m. - Session 1
Insights on the Overlooked Role of Market Position in Enrollment Outcomes
This session will explore the relationship between market position and enrollment outcomes. It will examine how market analysis can help institutions better establish realistic goals and create successful enrollment strategies in alignment with those goals. We’ll discuss new approaches for gauging and enhancing brand perceptions involving messaging, program offerings, and pricing strategies.

Presenters:
John Haller, Ph.D., Vice President for Enrollment Management, University of Miami
Boyd Bradshaw, Vice President for Enrollment Management, Towson University

3:00 p.m. - Session 2
Improving FAFSA Submission Rates: Why Some Admitted Students Don't Apply and Possible Solutions
This session will examine why some admitted students don't complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and how institutions can increase FAFSA submission rates. It will explore the challenges students face when filing the FAFSA and how institutional policies, practices, and resources can help them complete the process. Together we’ll explore strategies that encourage students to submit the FAFSA, including financial literacy efforts, outreach initiatives, and technology solutions. Additionally, the session will highlight best practices for improving FAFSA submission rates and provide examples of successful initiatives.

Presenters:
Grant De Roo, Founder, ADV Market Research
Patricia Casey, Senior Educational Consultant

5-6:30pm - Cocktail hour/ reception

Friday, July 14

Gleacher Center
11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. CST

11:00 a.m. - Session 3
SEM in Action: Rethinking the Impact of Financial Policies on Persistence
During this session we will examine how institutional financial policies can impact student persistence. We will discuss research ideas aimed at understanding how costs related to fines, late fees, parking charges, and transcript holds, for example, can be counterproductive from both student and institutional perspectives. We will also consider what approaches that are more oriented toward student success could look like in these domains.
Presenters:
Gavin Hamms, Ph.D., Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, Grambling State University
Robert Mirabile, Ph.D., Principal & Co-Founder, Best Practice Solutions

1:30 p.m. - Session 4
The New “Simplified FAFSA”: Implications for Recruitment & Awarding
This session will explore the implications of the newly simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for recruitment and awarding in the Fall 2024 cycle and beyond. We will discuss improved institutional approaches for recruitment messaging, awarding design, packaging timing, and educational affordability. We'll also address related questions and operational challenges that symposium attendees are encountering at their institutions and help develop resolutions.
Presenters:
Bill Mortimer, Principal & Co-Founder, Best Practice Solutions
Vicki Gack, Consultant, Best Practice Solutions
Jeanne Locarnini MEd, PMP, Principal & Co-Founder, Best Practice Solutions

7:00 p.m. - Evening Event
Cubs vs. Red Sox
Wrigley Field- 7:05pm
reserved suite
Enjoy a night out at the ballpark and watch the Cubs take on the Red Sox, two of baseball's most celebrated teams. In a reserved suite (with food and drinks provided), you will have a great chance to meet/network with colleagues from a wide array of higher education institutions in a casual setting. Also, taking in the sights and sounds of historic Wrigley Field will provide a fun and memorable experience regardless of your baseball familiarity.