December 20, 2024: Utilities Outage: Austin West Building Closed Friday (12-20-24)

Riverland Community College

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Outreach

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OBJECTIVE: Develop marketable and customized programming (including either academic programming or student services) and training that builds markets, enrollment, and Riverland’s brand within the service area.

  1. Expand outreach to every possible student (K12, adult learners, continuing education) so they are aware Riverland exists, is welcoming, and provides quality relevant educational opportunities.
  2. Create a process for testing the demand for, and receptiveness to, new offerings that meet the needs of potential students and industry.
  3. Improve internal and external brand awareness and engagement in the region.
GOAL 1: Expand outreach to every possible student (K12, adult learners, continuing education) so they are aware Riverland exists, is welcoming, and provides quality relevant educational opportunities.
Strategies Success Indicators Action Steps
  1. Develop process and important measures to track virtual visits and live event participation.
  2. Increase adult learner enrollment (ie: Credit for Prior Learning MN Reconnect).
  3. Develop a method to build our prospect pool using data from local high schools tracking graduates, Riverland as a choice ranking, Career Technical education vs liberal arts/transfer, etc.
  4. Develop better relationships with job placement services, unemployment offices and other social services to increase referrals.
  • Unique Riverland website visits and program web page inquiries.
  • Admissions Inquiries, applications, Campus visit participation and informational open houses.
    FYE and headcount.
  • Percentage of area high school graduates enrolled at Riverland.
  • Referrals from workforce and community organizations.
  • Track Web analytics recruitment progress to develop dashboards for tracking key data and report regularly to departments focused on recruitment.
  • Work with the Minnesota Reconnect advisor to reach adult learners dislocated workers with past credits for Riverland.
  • Work with area high schools to develop better prospect lists for recruitment categorized by Career Technical, Liberal Arts and transfer pathways.
  • Establish working group for external referrals, including local employment and social services organizations.
GOAL 2: Create a process for testing the demand for, and receptiveness to, new offerings that meet the needs of potential students and industry.
Strategies Success Indicators Action Steps
  1. Develop and implement a process for determining a market demand for new programs or services.
  2. Develop response measurements for new programs and services from both industry and students.
  • Newly implemented program or courses that attract enrollment and fulfill industry needs.
  • Student satisfaction and successful job placement.
  • Review process to determine how new programs are currently developed and what metrics are used.
  • Gather data from economic forecasters and other sources to determine future industry demands in our region.
  • Survey industry partners on current and future needs to train their workforce.
GOAL 3: Improve internal and external brand awareness and engagement in the region.
Strategies Success Indicators Action Steps
  1. Develop a communication and outreach plan to engage external audiences in the mission of the college.
  2. Develop a system of tracking constituent engagement using existing tools and Raiser's Edge.
  3. Develop and implement alumni engagement program.
  4. Create a system for measuring alumni giving and engagement.
  • Number of individuals, corporations, and organizations engaging in college activities, sponsorships, advisory committees, college events, volunteer opportunities, click through on publications, etc.
  • Percentage of growth of alumni with accurate contact information in database.
  • Number of alumni engaged in college activities (e.g., giving, volunteering, responding to surveys, serving on advisory councils, interviewed for feature stories, speaking in classrooms, serving as mentors, etc.).
  • Send current media preferences survey and develop a community perception survey to determine opportunities for advertising to prospective students and engaging community members.
  • Develop a community outreach campaign to engage external audiences in college activities and opportunities.
  • Explore current campus processes for tracking advisory committees, attendance at events, volunteerism for and begin to develop a process for importing information into Raiser's Edge database.
  • Develop a comprehensive alumni engagement plan based on best practices for community colleges and assess current resource allocations available for leadership and support of planned initiatives.