July 2005

Middle States Reaccreditation Subcommittees

Frank Looks to Evaluate and Strengthen UMUC Admissions and Student Services

By Marlene Ledbetter
Special to FYI Online

Michael Frank

Since its last Middle States accreditation review a decade ago, UMUC’s enrollment has changed significantly. The University has assumed a leadership role in online education and enjoys an expanding global presence; combined with the overall increase in the number of nontraditional students pursuing higher education, UMUC has had to adjust the way that it admits and serves its students.

Michael Frank, chair, graduate studies, heads the Middle States subcommittee evaluating Admissions and Student Services. The primary focus of the subcommittee, said Frank, is on the University’s support services and admissions processes for undergraduate and graduate students.

The subcommittee examined the University’s mission in the context of enrollment, advising, policies, procedures, and key student services, as well as the administrative processes required to manage them. It examined admissions and characteristics of the student body, including profiles and retention of admitted students. It continues with a discussion of admissions policies and practices, including services and functions supporting admissions—advising, financial aid, evaluation of transfer credit, and initial placement testing.

The rapid growth in enrollments during the past five years and projections for future growth suggest that UMUC has been effective in reaching the student population it serves. Frank emphasized, however, that “growth is not the ultimate measure of success. UMUC must also maximize the quality of the programs and services it provides to increase the likelihood students will attain their educational goals.”

The ultimate strength of UMUC’s support services “emanates from the deep and rich understanding the University has of its students,” said Frank, “enabling us to keep pace with student demand through a strong support services infrastructure.”

These services are under constant review to assess their quality and effectiveness and to identify further opportunities for growth and improvement. Some recent enhancements include:

• implementation of the PeopleSoft system to address the evolving needs of prospective and current students;
• establishment of the Provost’s Retention Steering Committee, which has already implemented a number of measures to address factors that negatively impact student retention and graduation rates;
• and creation of the Office of Enrollment Management, a comprehensive enrollment management unit, to consolidate student services.

These improvements are designed to aid student success and help ensure that all students who are admitted will have a positive experience with the University and, most important, meet their personal, professional, and educational goals.

For more about the Middle States reaccreditation subcommittees, see the earlier stories about Alan Berg, Pamela Monaco, Art Huseonica, Javier Miyares, and Chris Hannah.