New Student Engagement

Fall ’24 shows robust enrollment performance for ��-Dearborn

stuxbury — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 19:55:33 +0000

Fall ’24 shows robust enrollment performance for ��-Dearborn stuxbury Tue, 09/24/2024 - 15:55

While many regional public universities have experienced significant financial hardships and enrollment challenges, ��-Dearborn is seeing encouraging enrollment performance.

This year’s incoming class of full-time, first-year students is up 4.7%. Among all incoming students, there is a 7% increase in students of color, Pell-eligible students are up 7% and graduate students are up 27%.

Total enrollment this fall is 8,104, with 6,187 undergraduates and 1,917 graduate students.

The academic profile of ��-Dearborn’s first-year students is third-highest among the state’s public universities, with a 3.7 average grade-point average. The university’s four-year graduation rate has increased 9% over the past three years, and the six-year graduation rate increased 2% over last year.

“These increases are the result of hard work by the enrollment management team and many others across campus,” said ��-Dearborn Chancellor Domenico Grasso. “Many strategies have been put into place — such as the One-Stop Service model, block tuition, the conversion of three-credit classes to four credits and our revised financial aid model — that have a direct impact on recruitment and retention. I am most proud of our substantial increases in graduation rates, a true testament to student success.”

��-Dearborn is attracting more traditional full-time students, who are graduating more quickly than prior cohorts.

All of this good news is the result of a lot of behind-the-scenes effort, said Melissa Stone, vice provost for enrollment management. “Our enrollment strategy is working. In addition to new initiatives we put in place over the past few years, we have worked as a campus to create an environment where we are all working together as a community to make sure our students are connected to the information and resources they need to be successful.

“Our faculty and staff are dedicated to our students. When our students succeed, so do we.”

To address a slight enrollment drop in previous years, the university developed a Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, identifying student-focused enrollment obstacles and state-level challenges and outlined solutions.

A streamlined transfer admissions process is designed to address the university’s previous transfer-student enrollment decline. It ranges from forming a dedicated team to work with transfer students to holding more on-site visits with community college partners. Efforts have resulted in a 2% transfer-student increase this year.

To counteract the state’s shrinking high school population, ��-Dearborn expanded its dual-enrollment opportunities to help potential new students become more familiar with campus. And to attract domestic graduate students, the university resumed in-person open houses after a COVID-19 disruption, waived admission fees and appointed a new dean of graduate studies, Armen Zakarian.

The university also has invested more in need-based financial aid. For the fall 2024 first-year class, 44% of students pay no tuition, thanks to financial aid packaging that includes ��-Dearborn’s Go Blue Guarantee and the state’s Michigan Achievement Scholarship.

Stone said the SEM Plan initiatives are yielding results. For example, the first-time undergraduate student numbers remain healthy. “The last two academic years have seen the largest first-year classes,” she said.

Stone said students are attracted to ��-Dearborn because of its location, affordability and supportive, welcoming atmosphere. But what gets them to enroll and stay is making sure they have what they need to be successful.

“The SEM Plan helps us align time and resources by developing a shared vision of the most impactful initiatives to support the success of current and future students to meet our enrollment goals,” she said. “We know there is always work to be done, but I’m proud of our campus efforts and where we are with enrollment this year.”

See additional student profile and trends.

Story by Sarah Tuxbury

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New full-time student enrollment is up. The four-year graduation rate increased 9% over three years.

First-year students visited campus during Wolverine Welcome Day on Aug. 29. Photo by Annie Barker

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Wolverine Welcome Day hosts record number of attendees

kbourlie — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 20:54:31 +0000

Wolverine Welcome Day hosts record number of attendees kbourlie Fri, 08/30/2024 - 16:54

Faculty, staff and university leaders took part in scavenger hunts, selfie stations and more to introduce themselves. Dearborn Wolverines walked throughout campus to check out 125 student organizations booths. And 1,100 new first-year, transfer and graduate students had the opportunity to make new friends. Wolverine Welcome Day and Go Blue Bash, which took place Thursday, is a fall tradition to get new students familiar with campus and excited about this chapter in their lives.

Students pose for a photo with Bruce the Goose at Wolverine Welcome Day.

“I like the vibes, the music,” said first-year engineering student Faisal Abushaban as he waited for festivities to begin. He was looking forward to meeting up with friends from Edsel Ford High School who would be staffing student group tables at the Go Blue Bash later in the afternoon. “Hopefully they can help me get started and know where my classes are,” he said.

Campus Wide & Family Programs Coordinator Jennifer Kowalcyk said ��-Dearborn hosted a record-number of Wolverine Welcome Day attendees this year. “It’s much larger this year — I’ve heard this may be our biggest first-year student class yet,” she said. “This is a great event to get students out to explore campus, learn about resources and see what being a Dearborn Wolverine is all about.”

With many upper-level ��-Dearborn students focused on service and volunteering, there was a new focus added to the day. Civic Engagement Coordinator JaNai' James said each student registered for the Welcome Day of Service was given a t-shirt with a checklist of volunteer opportunities on the back. A group of first-year and returning students checked off one box by helping place native plants around the Environmental Interpretive Center during the event.

“I know that planting those plants, they’re going to stay there for a while and actually make a difference for a little while,” said sophomore Traven Yarbro, who is studying economics and computation. It was Yarbro’s first visit to the EIC, but he enjoys walking around campus and said he will likely add the EIC trails to his outings. “Now that I know there’s trails back there that’s probably where I’ll start going,” he said.

Among other items on the list: Get civically engaged and sign up for a campus volunteer opportunity. “We hope that the shirts invoke some excitement and commitment to continuing to attend and support different volunteer initiatives and activities on campus.” James said. “It’s a fun way to prompt students to ask themselves, ‘How engaged am I?’” She said it's also an opportunity to promote Civic Action Week, which takes place Sept. 16, and National Lands Day, which is Sept. 28. “Our goal is to help students locate a community initiative they are personally passionate about and guide them to becoming community leaders.”

Dean of Students Amy Finley, along with other ��-Dearborn leaders, spoke to students at the event. She said time goes fast — and Wolverine Welcome Day is a first step in a fulfilling journey.

“You’ll look back at this time and be proud of the work you’ve done, the life-long friendships you’ve built and the ways that you’ve grown and changed,” Finley said. “But today, my friends, whether you’re a first-year student, a transfer student or a graduate student — today is the day where you start to feel transformed. Today is the day where you start reaching for the stars, for your dreams. Today is the day where you start figuring out who you are and what you are going to do to help transform our world. Today you truly become a part of our ��-Dearborn community.”

Students ended the day with new connections. “I met a young man early on from Pakistan and he’s awesome,” said first-year CASL student Andi Basnaw, who is from Port Huron and came to the event not knowing any fellow students. Basnaw was looking forward to learning more about the Association of Student Anthropologists and PRIDE at the Go Blue Bash.

Mercy Tum, a software engineering graduate student from Kenya, enjoyed taking in the campus for the first time. “The day has been great,” she said. “I got lost a couple times but thankfully there are a lot of nice people to show you around.”

College of Business first-year student Connor Swank came from Traverse City to join the men’s lacrosse team. “I fell in love when I visited,” he said, noting that he committed to the team the following day. Wolverine Welcome Day and the Go Blue Bash only made him feel more enthusiastic. “Everyone is so welcoming, it’s really cool,” he said. “I have no anxiety. It just feels like home already.”

Story by Sarah Tuxbury and Kristin Palm

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The ��-Dearborn orientation event saw 1,100 participants, added an engagement initiative and connected Dearborn Wolverines to new friendships and activities.

Students arrive at Wolverine Welcome Day. Photos/Annie Barker

News

First-year enrollment is highest in university history

stuxbury — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:05:59 +0000

First-year enrollment is highest in university history stuxbury Wed, 09/27/2023 - 15:05

Fall 2023 enrollment highlights:

Largest first-year class enrollment in history
Transfer student numbers are up 7%, a second year of growth
Credit hours are up, meaning more full-time students
The incoming class GPA remained 3.7 and the class is more diverse
Graduate enrollment numbers are down
Overall enrollment down 2% from last year
Strategic Enrollment Management Plan and state investment driving undergraduate increases
Four-year graduation rates increased 5% over last year’s 3% increase, which is contributing to fewer students on campus

More first-year undergraduate students enrolled at ��-Dearborn this fall than any other year in the university’s 64-year history.

Up 15% over last fall, the newest Dearborn Wolverine class came in at 1,157 students. The previous First Time In Any College (FTIAC) enrollment record was 1,107 in Fall 2017.

Course loads up, state support making a difference

The percentage of undergraduate students taking full course loads — which often leads to a more focused graduation path — is 79% in 2023, compared to 76% in 2022. In addition, the four-year graduation rate for FTIAC students saw an increase of nearly 5% over the prior year’s increase of 3%, and the transfer three-year completion went up nearly 4%.

“Our historic first-year enrollment is the result of hard work on behalf of the entire enrollment management team, and faculty and staff across campus. Enrollment and student success are priorities for all of us and we all play a part in the student experience,” said Chancellor Domenico Grasso. “Our shift to block tuition rates and other student success initiatives are having a positive impact not only on enrollment, but graduation rates as well.”

Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Melissa Stone said she can point to a few reasons for the record FTIAC enrollment. One is the university’s more targeted marketing approach. “It’s been three years since we implemented customized communication to prospective students so we share information that is most relevant to their needs. The students we began building relationships with in their sophomore year of high school are now entering college,” Stone said. “This is an example of a longer-term strategic enrollment plan initiative that is now yielding results.” The customized communication is one facet of the university’s comprehensive Strategic Enrollment Management Plan, which provides a process and framework for enrollment success.

Stone said the State of Michigan’s Michigan Achievement Scholarship also played a role in the increased number of students. The scholarship offers up to $5,500 per year, for up to five years, to Michigan high school graduates attending a Michigan public university. Stone said more than 60% of first-year ��-Dearborn students received this award.

State organizations also continue to support access to higher education. For example, a new statewide Michigan Assured Admission Pact, which was announced last week by the Michigan Association of State Universities, will help streamline the college admissions process. Beginning in Fall 2024, 10 participating MAAP universities, including ��-Dearborn, will admit in-state high school graduates who have earned a cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.

More students attending full time, graduating sooner

In overall Fall 2023 numbers, ��-Dearborn’s enrollment is down 2% when counting the number of students, but up 1% in credit hours. Stone said the slight enrollment decline is in part due to a piece of good news: students are graduating sooner. “It’s great to report that more students are attending college full time and graduating at faster rates. That is what we are here to help them do,” Stone said. “As positive as this news is, it is a reason why overall enrollment decreased a couple percentage points.”

Fall 2023 student enrollment is 8,037 students (6,071 undergraduates, 1,966 graduate-level), compared to 8,224 in Fall 2022. The incoming class saw a 1% increase in students of color. The total student population increased from 29% to 31% students of color.

Contributing to the overall enrollment decline is a decrease in graduate-level student enrollment, Stone said. Comparing domestic in-state graduate-level enrollment to pre-pandemic levels (Fall 2019), new graduate student enrollment is down 32% and down 45% among domestic out-of-state students, Stone said. Data from research centers like the National Student Clearinghouse has shown shrinking graduate enrollment is a national trend. Stone said factors may include steady employment rates, a labor shortage and experts forecasting a recession by early 2024.

On the international graduate enrollment side, Stone expected to see some decline after Fall 2022’s record numbers, which were attributed to a pent-up pandemic-related demand. When compared to pre-pandemic numbers (Fall 2019), however, Stone said international graduate enrollment increased 19%. In addition, the two-year graduation rate for masters-level graduate students saw an increase of 22% over the prior year, a direct result of more full-time international graduate students who graduate on time, but this also impacts overall enrollment.

Stone said the university is addressing the graduate enrollment challenge by seeking feedback from industry partners to further learn about educational needs, assessing current programs and restructuring a top-level leadership position. Showing the university’s commitment to graduate-level education, Vice Provost for Research Armen Zakarian was appointed the dean of Graduate Studies earlier this month. Zakarian will provide support for the development and implementation of new graduate academic programs and the revision of existing programs.

Investments in student support continue

Stone emphasized that the university continues to invest in undergraduate programs and resources. The university offers resource-connecting initiatives like the Wolverine Mentor Collective and Learn4ward, and scholarships like the Dearborn Comeback and the Go Blue Guarantee. Dearborn Support offers assistance with non-academic needs to keep students on the path to graduation.

The university’s record first-year enrollment is something to celebrate, but Stone — and nearly everyone paying attention to higher education trends — wonders: will the boost in first-year student enrollment across the state continue?

According to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, the number of high school graduates in Michigan is expected to decline by 11.4% from 2022 to 2037. However, with only about half of students in Michigan pursuing college (52.8% in 2022), there is room for growth. And Fall 2023 FTIAC numbers show that with state investment, students are interested in enhancing their knowledge and skillset.

“I’m proud of the work done at ��-Dearborn and throughout the state to better connect students with ways to make college accessible. The people on this campus know how access to education can change the trajectory of a student’s life,” Stone said. “We have strong students who are here to succeed, and wonderful faculty and staff who are giving their all to help these students reach their dreams.”

Get more information on ��-Dearborn’s Fall 2023 enrollment and trends.

Article by Sarah Tuxbury.

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��-Dearborn welcomes a record-breaking incoming class. Also, Fall 2023 numbers show an increase in transfers, a decrease in graduate students and the impact of state support.

Photos of students walking on campus during the Fall 2023 semester. Fall 2023 shows record enrollment for first-year students. Photos by Michigan Photography

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Have a campus question? Student mentors have answers.

stuxbury — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 11:32:11 +0000

Have a campus question? Student mentors have answers. stuxbury Fri, 09/02/2022 - 07:32

When Sara Sandiha first started college, she knew two things. One: She wanted to be a dentist. And two: She wasn’t exactly sure how to become one.

“I was super nervous to start college and was worried that I wouldn’t be knowledgeable about the opportunities that are available for me,” said Sandiha, now a sophomore. “So I signed up to get a mentor through the Wolverine Mentor Collective. It was nice to have someone I could reach out to whenever I needed help during my first year of college.”

The Wolverine Mentor Collective (Wolverine MC), managed by Experience+ and the Office of Student Life, is a campus mentoring program that helps students get familiar with campus life. Each person who signs up takes a survey and is then matched with a student mentor who has personal, academic or identity-related similarities — and most often a combination of all three. Interested students can sign up.

Associate Provost Maureen Linker said that, with college being a journey of sorts, it’s important to have a navigation system. That’s why ��-Dearborn started the Wolverine Mentor Collective last year. During its first year, nearly 600 incoming students were partnered with 140 continuing student mentors.

“Given that we were welcoming in a group of first- and second-year students who had not had any on-campus classes (due to the pandemic), the university wanted to create a robust peer mentoring program to foster a sense of connectedness and belonging for these students,” Linker said. “Our students have had such a positive experience that we looked for ways to expand the program to benefit more of our ��-Dearborn student population.”

This fall Wolverine MC adds two areas of expertise.

Professional networking: juniors are matched with a ��-Dearborn alum who can help with career readiness and exploration
Grad student: first-year graduate students are matched with either a second-year graduate student or a ��-Dearborn alum to learn more about life at ��-Dearborn and make connections in an industry they are interested in pursuing.

Experience+ Executive Director Laurie Sutch said campus is rich with resources and opportunities. But for students to know about what’s available, there needs to be outreach. And the Wolverine MC is one way the university does it.

“We have wonderful professors, academic advisers and other key people on campus here to help, but students often want to reach out to other students or recent graduates for advice,” Sutch said. “The Wolverine MC provides these connections when you first get to campus and throughout your time at ��-Dearborn.”

Sandiha, a Biological Sciences major on a pre-dental track, said she learned how to efficiently make the best class schedule, thanks to her mentor. “There’s an online schedule planner where you can put the hours you are available to take classes and it automatically generates a bunch of possible class schedules to choose from. It’s saved me so much time.”

And, as Sandiha continues toward her future dental career, she’ll reach out to her mentor when it comes to navigating the university’s pre-professional track (pre-med, pre-dental, etc.) and prepare for the standardized testing needed for graduate school.

Sandiha said her mentor made such a difference in her first year that she’s signed up to mentor incoming students starting this fall.

“I always had a peer that was only a text away. My mentor had already been in my shoes, so I knew she’d have the best advice for me,” she said. “I got so much out of this program. Now I’m looking forward to guiding incoming freshmen so they can have the best college experience possible.”

Interested in becoming a mentor? Applications are on-going and training, along with a small monetary stipend for those who meet the requirements, is provided.

Article by Sarah Tuxbury.

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Wolverine Mentor Collective matches students with peer mentors who have similar goals and interests to help navigate campus resources, professional opportunities and more.

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Go Blue! Go Dearborn!

stuxbury — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 00:14:46 +0000

Go Blue! Go Dearborn! stuxbury Mon, 08/29/2022 - 20:14

Cheers of “Go Blue! Go Dearborn!” were heard across campus on Friday as more than 600 incoming students experienced campus for the first time.

Students enjoyed outdoor fun like games and inflatables, food and music on the University Center patio, an organization fair that took place across the main campus and more during Wolverine Welcome Day and the Go Blue Bash.

Mechelle Smith, who moved to Dearborn from Saginaw to attend ��-Dearborn, said the day was a no-pressure way to feel connected to campus as a new student.

Smith said one of her academic goals is to be a Michigan graduate — and ��-Dearborn had the criminal justice program she was interested in. Her career aspiration is to serve as a juvenile corrections officer one day.

“I know what it’s like to grow up in a difficult situation and come out on the other side,” said Smith, a veteran who joined the Army after high school. “I’ve completed my time in the Army and am ready to help kids who may have turned to the streets because they’ve had trauma, homelessness and more. I’m ready to be here and am looking forward to my classes — my Introduction to Criminal Justice course starts Monday.”

She said the events were also was a way for her to learn building locations and explore where her classes were located prior to the Fall 2022 semester beginning: “This is new, so I’m a little nervous. Seeing everything ahead of time helps me get prepared. Now I’m feeling ready.”

In addition to individually checking out campus buildings and getting a peek to where the different classrooms were located, the new students gathered as a large group, too.

The Wolverine Welcome Rally, which took place in the field outside of the College of Arts, Sciences, & Letters Building, featured cheers, the Michigan Fight Song and plenty of chatter as students got to know one another. Campus leaders introduced themselves, shared campus traditions and gave encouragement to the new Dearborn Wolverines.

Dean of Students Amy Finley said she looks forward to seeing what the new ��-Dearborn class accomplishes — and based on the perseverance they’ve already shown, she knows they will do great things.

“You’ve navigated the end of high school in a global pandemic. You’ve mastered new technologies. All of this has shaped and molded you. It also has provided evidence of how your generation will be called upon soon to provide leadership, to develop new medicines, to solve a climate crisis and more. It will be people just like you who change the world,” Finley said. “You will change the world.”

Upper-level students then presented the newest Dearborn Wolverines with maize and blue keys, as a gesture to officially welcome them to their new home.

“I’m glad to be here. I’m a U-M student. We all are,” Smith said. “This is a major step in what’s next for all of us.”

Want to see more? Check out the Facebook album to experience the day for yourself.

Article by Sarah Tuxbury.

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More than 600 incoming students experienced campus life for the first time during Wolverine Welcome Day.

Fall 2022 incoming Wolverine students get to know each other at Wolverine Welcome Day. Photo by Michigan Photography.

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Mentorship program gives new way for students to gain friendship and guidance

stuxbury — Mon, 09 Aug 2021 20:13:32 +0000

Mentorship program gives new way for students to gain friendship and guidance stuxbury Mon, 08/09/2021 - 16:13

Students meet on campus to learn more about campus life

Knowing where to go next is essential when heading toward a destination. With college being a journey of sorts, it’s important to have a navigation system. And that’s why ��-Dearborn started the Wolverine Mentor Collective.

The Wolverine Mentor Collective (Wolverine MC) is a new mentoring program for first-year, second-year and transfer undergraduate students.

“With many of our students coming to campus this fall for the first time — that’s our students from Summer 2020 until now — we wanted to welcome them in a meaningful way that immediately helped them make connections,” said Dean of Students Amy Finley. “Campus is their home away from home. We want them to know it and love it.”

To help students get familiar with campus life, each person who signs up for the Wolverine MC will get a junior or senior student mentor. Each person will take a survey so pairs have similarities, which can be personal, academic or identity related — and most often a mixture of all three.

The mentor will help guide newer students throughout the 2021-2022 academic year and will answer questions or provide advice — or steer to the right contact if they are unsure — about classes, getting involved, where to go for assistance and more. In addition to having a go-to resource, students will connect monthly for check-in meetings to see a friendly face and share experiences.

“If you haven’t been on campus, you often don’t know the ropes and haven’t had time to build relationships yet. This way these students have a person they are comfortable reaching out to — through texting, emailing, calling, Zooming — for help,” Finley said. “The mentoring program cuts out the frustration of not knowing, leads to faster solutions and hopefully, over time, builds friendships. These are people with similar interests, so we hope our newer students will gain friend networks through this program.”

Currently more than 100 upper-level students have signed up to be mentors, but Wolverine MC is still seeking additional people interested in the role. Students can sign up to become mentors. After signing up, a ��-Dearborn staff member will reach out to you to give more information. Each mentor will be eligible to be compensated with a $100 stipend.

For students interested in gaining a mentor for the year, you can read more about the Wolverine MC, email questions to wolverine-MC@umich.edu or sign up.

The Wolverine MC program is a partnership between Experience+ and the Division of Student Affairs.

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The Wolverine Mentor Collective is a mentoring program for first-year, second-year and transfer undergraduate students. Students new to in-person campus life — those who enrolled from Summer 2020 to now — are encouraged to sign-up.

News

New Student Engagement

Fall ’24 shows robust enrollment performance for ������-Dearborn

Wolverine Welcome Day hosts record number of attendees

First-year enrollment is highest in university history

Fall 2023 enrollment highlights:

Course loads up, state support making a difference

More students attending full time, graduating sooner

Investments in student support continue

Have a campus question? Student mentors have answers.

Go Blue! Go Dearborn!

Mentorship program gives new way for students to gain friendship and guidance

Fall ’24 shows robust enrollment performance for ��-Dearborn