Kansas City Kansas Community College’s competitive position in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area has never been stronger. To that point, the Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Council has outlined a plan to achieve a full-time student equivalent of 3,530 (FTE) by the fall 2028 semester matching the Fall 2019 enrollment. The SEM plan is designed to adopt an inclusive framework to galvanize the rallying cry that enrollment management and student success is everyone’s responsibility at KCKCC.
Planning Assumptions
The SEM plan is integrated with the college's strategic planning process. This integration aligns the SEM's plan data-driven outcomes and strategies to KCKCC’s enrollment, equity, fiscal and mission-driven priorities.
To move towards a continuous planning and implementation SEM planning framework at KCKCC, the SEM plan also outlines the following themes and specific strategies featuring five goals based on the SWOT analysis that was completed during the 2022-2023 academic year.
- Enhance and grow the enrollment funnel
- Improve student persistence and completion
- Improve the student experience
- Leverage financial assistance to improve student outcomes and fiscal health
- Develop and enhance KCKCC SEM processes and policies
The college's SEM plan is based on the following assumptions:
- Student success and engagement are paramount. The SEM plan must align with KCKCC’s purpose to fully enhance student intellectual and social development so that students develop the skills required for effective learning and citizenship in a multicultural democracy.
- Equity is everyone’s work. Our students’ well-being, sense of belonging, inclusion and affinity to the College are critical to their academic and personal success. We must be committed to intentionally creating positive student experiences and safe learning environments for our students.
- Enrollment management is part science and part art. Although various data points can be analyzed in the development of the SEM plan, there is still an element of unpredictability as to whether the return on investment will be at the levels predicted. The College must recognize when strategies and programs must be given more time to develop or abandoned altogether.
- Being strategic requires making tough decisions. As the college looks to create improved systems responsive to the needs of our students and employers, partners, continuous analysis and the willingness to make tough decisions are necessary for the institution’s viability. Both quantitative and qualitative data should be used in the College's decision-making.
- The SEM plan is never done. Continuous improvement does not lend itself to a one-and-done mentality. Although a rendition of the SEM plan may be deemed complete, it must constantly be monitored and updated as institutional priorities shift.