New Student Recruitment Initiatives

When the Board of Trustees met on Oct. 12, it authorized the expenditure from a pool of funds from the quasi-endowment for initiatives to increase enrollment. Recently the executive committee of the board approved the administration’s request for $145,000 for the following initiatives:

• To increase utilization of the capacity of the CRM. Funding includes hiring a consultant or highly proficient user of Viterbo’s CRM software for training focused on marketing and recruitment, and hiring a short term/temporary part-time position to further develop marketing oriented messaging within the CRM workflow.
• To purchase additional name buys of ACT test takers in December and subsequent months.
• To launch a marketing campaign developed by Vendi Advertising, a local marketing firm. The campaign includes a variety of digital and media placements. The “Numbers” theme of the campaign can be viewed at this link.
• The campaign also includes a short commercial to be shown in cinemas in the Twin Cities, La Crosse, Eau Claire, Madison, Mequon, and Milwaukee during the high movie-going period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The 15-second video can be seen here.
• To prepare high impact videos for placement on the Web and within the CRM flow. A commercial firm will be engaged to create these videos on high priority programs and high impact experiences.
• To enhance the campus visit day experience through a variety of changes, including the introduction of two “admitted student days” in the spring.

Enrollment data is reported regularly in the minutes of the Cabinet and Deans’ meetings, which are distributed to all employees.

Compensation Notification

At the October meeting of the Board of Trustees, the board also authorized compensation increases of one percent across the board and a pool equivalent to one percent of salaries/wages to begin to address market deficiencies. I communicated this information in an email message to all employees on Oct. 15.

The compensation and benefits committee of the board met on Nov. 23 and approved the process and criteria used to determine the allocation of the one percent pool for market deficiencies. In consultation with faculty leadership, the deans, and the cabinet, Todd, Glena and I have determined how this limited pool of funds is to be allocated. Letters of notification will be emailed to each eligible full-time employee on Friday, Dec. 11. Eligible employees include full-time and permanent part-time employees employed prior to May 1. Employees hired on or after that date, as well as existing employees with new appointments which became effective on or after that date, are not eligible for either of these increases.

The increases are effective Wednesday, Dec. 16 and will be issued on the Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016 pay date.

Rick Artman

President