Success stories
Joel's achievments
SUNY System Administration
During his tenure at SUNY’s System Administration in Albany, NY, Joel innovated many initiatives to drive his historic enrollment increase, some examples are as follows:
- Free Application Weeks drew over 120,000 applications in a two week period, which in the end generated an additional 84,000 applications for SUNY. This was undoubtedly the most important initiative of his tenure and resulted in a 5% increase in new student growth in Spring 2023 and a 6% for Fall 2023. There was a very strong system wide/college wide marketing effort to assist in making this a success.
- Cascading Admissions was an initiative to offer students who were declined at their original University choice, automatic admission to alternative colleges within the SUNY system. Originally a goal of 1,000 plus students, the initiative has currently impacted between 100 and 200 students. Joel believes that with proper deadlines to the denying colleges, this concept could give great opportunity for receiving colleges to target these student leads and gain a successful yield.
- High School Auto Admit and Transfer Auto Admit programs were also concepts that Joel originally conceived and are now being executed by SUNY leadership.
An example of Joel’s collaboration with BSP on a commercial for The State University of New York can be viewed below.
SUNY Oswego
As a consultant at SUNY Oswego, Joel implemented data driven marketing strategies that resulted in a directional change from 20% down in applications in October 2021 to 30% growth in First-Year deposits and 3% increase in Transfer deposits for Fall 2022. Joel attributes a collaborative team effort and support of the President, Senior Staff, Deans, Faculty, Staff and Alumni.
University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa
Joel started working with University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama when UA was down 12% in undergraduate applications. By working closely with the Provost and enrollment team, Joel’s team created initiatives (including the Alabama Advantage scholarship program) that resulted in the institution’s largest applicant pool, followed by the largest freshmen class in UA history, including a record number of Black and Hispanic students.
“The University of Alabama set a new enrollment record of 38,645 students enrolled in fall 2022.”
University of Maine
With Joel serving as Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management at Maine’s flagship institution in Orono, Maine, the team:
- Created the Flagship Match Scholarship Program which resulted in a 37% increase in out-of-state students and generated $51 million in two years
- Rebranded the University with “Define Tomorrow” Campaign
- Increased new student enrollment by 11%; diversity by 26%; graduate and professional degree program enrollment by 19%
“At the University of Maine, Joel served as Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management. He employed The BSP Team to capture the culture and personality of the University of Maine and target academically qualified, first-year students in New England. In order to counteract the declining student population, Joel’s strategy was to offer out-of-state students a competitive scholarship that guaranteed to match the tuition and fee rates of their home state’s flagship institution, resulting in a 40% jump in out-of-state enrollment and a net revenue increase of over $50 Million.”
Christopher Richards, Director of Admissions at the University of Maine
An example of Joel’s collaboration with BSP on a commercial for UMaine can be viewed below.
University of Maine at Presque Isle
Consulting with the UMaine at Presque Isle Joel and his team:
- Rebranded with the “Free for Four” and “The Way it Should Be” scholarship programs
- Created the “Promise Initiative,” which provided free tuition and fees to incoming Pell-eligible Maine students at four UMaine campuses: Presque Isle, Machias, Fort Kent, and Augusta
- Developed, along with the director of Financial Aid and the UMPI President, the financial models that made the initiative affordable
“Towers credits the 2017 launch of The Way It Should Be program … as a major factor in attracting students who are from Maine. This fall UMPI noted a 13.7% increase in out-of-state students, with a 42% increase in students hailing from New England.”
Salem College
- Increased net revenue for first-time undergraduate enrollment over 30%
- Reduced discount rate 13% while maintaining quality
- Trained all admissions staff
- Developed “Salem College Today” brand and recruitment campaign
“Joel was a two-year consultant at Salem College, strategizing and managing a team in Enrollment Management. During his first year, new student enrollment went up significantly while the discount rate dropped by 12%. In the second year, applications rose 83%, and accepts and deposits went up over 100% over the previous year. He was an amazing leader and advocate for Salem.”
Sandra Doran, President of Salem College
University of Saint Francis
With Joel serving as Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, IN, his team:
- Rebranded the University with the “Franciscan Promise: Pay it Forward” campaign
- Realized a 23% increase in net revenue from the entering undergraduate class, from $7.57 million to $9.31 million
University of Saint Joseph
With Joel as Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT, his team:
- Rebranded the University to celebrate its women’s-only status: “I Will” campaign
- Implemented a team-oriented approach to recruitment while utilizing a variety of inbound and outbound marketing strategies
- Developed an effective Financial Aid packaging system designed to reduce the discount rate while increasing enrollment and maintaining academic quality
- Raised first year enrollment 41%
“In contrast to the national decline in college enrollment, the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) in West Hartford, Conn., achieved a record-setting enrollment increase of 41%”
St. Mary's College
With Joel serving as Interim Vice President for Enrollment Management at St.Mary’s College of Maryland in St.Mary’s City, MD from just June to November of 2013, Joel:
- Created an institutional collaborative effort that increased enrollment by 80+ students over the summer, while improving quality and spending $18,000 in total financial aid
- Developed a recruitment plan for the future, helped in the development of a restructuring plan for the enrollment management division
- Developed grids for financial aid modeling, communication flow systems, targeted travel, and a new branding process
“Mr. Wincowski, who arrived in June, is a former enrollment officer who works for an interim-leadership firm that sends him on fix-it missions … Over the summer, he and his staff shored up this fall’s class, ultimately enrolling a total of 481 new students: 384 freshmen and 97 transfers.”
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