• Spring Undergraduate Day: Enrollment is landing as expected, projected to be around 2075 students (approximately 170 less than last spring).
• Undergraduate Evening Program (SGOCE): Enrollment continues to be strong, attributed to the strong numbers in the RN-BSN program. This enrollment will continue with two mini sessions comprising the spring semester.
• Graduate Enrollment: A slight drop is continuing, primarily due to decreases in international graduate students because of F1 student visa restrictions. SGOCE is working to identify new markets to offset this reduction.

Fall 2026 Undergraduate Day

• Applications: Applications are solid and up over last year, and nearly level with the Fall 2024 benchmark. The majority (65-70%) of freshman applications have been received.
• Recruitment Activities (Fall): The admissions team increased recruitment events by 95, totaling 490 total events (high school visits, college fairs, on/off-campus events).
• Guidance Counselor Breakfast: A new event hosted 67 school counselors on campus, supported by Student Affairs. This engagement has already led to students returning to campus for athletic events.
• Yield Activities (Spring Focus): Focus is shifting to converting acceptances to deposits.
  • New activities include increased on-campus visit opportunities on Fridays and Saturdays.
  • A direct admissions event is being planned to focus on that student population.
  • Admissions counselors are reaching out to high schools with high numbers of accepted students for accepted student information sessions.
  • Regional events are being planned in New Hampshire and Connecticut.
  • A Falcon Experience Week will offer personalized visits during April vacation week.
• Yield IQ: The admissions team will leverage Yield IQ (part of an existing platform) to prioritize high-touch communication efforts with accepted students.
• Direct Admissions: Applications from the four Fitchburg high schools are up across the board, totaling 275 to date, compared to 129 the previous year. Eli Rivera (Assistant Director of Admissions) was acknowledged for his dedication and leadership with the program.

Financial Aid and Affordability

• Strategy: Continual, incremental changes are being made to strengthen the position, including adjustments to discounting and emphasizing affordability.
• Communication: New print, online, and direct communications highlight affordability, including the Fitchburg Promise and the New England Regional tuition discount program. The financial aid team is working to clarify that Fitchburg State remains the most affordable and least out-of-pocket expense, even when offering less financial aid than other institutions.
• Fitchburg Promise: Highlighted as a communication strategy focused on relationships, partnerships, and removing the "confusing bureaucracy" and fear associated with college financing for first-generation, minoritized, and PELL-eligible students.

Organizational Changes & Grants

• TRIO Programs: The offices of TRIO SSS, Upward Bound, and Upward Bound Math and Science have been moved into the division of Enrollment Management Student Success (EMSS) and now report to the Executive Director of Grant Sponsored Student Success Programs Dr. Beth Swartz: Dr. Swartz has been appointed to this new executive director position and is also responsible for the $1.3 million SU Success grant.
• SU Success Grant: The grant, modeled on a TRIO approach, will fund contracted employees or success coaches (80% of funds) to support first-generation, low-income students not currently served by existing TRIO SSS programs.
• Upward Bound Conversion: Simple, strategic, high-engagement activities during the summer (e.g., live music, movie on the quad) are being used to highlight the vibrant campus community and convert Upward Bound students into Fitchburg State students.

Navigate 360 Relaunch

• Platform: Navigate 360 (EAB SSC product) is an advising and communications student success platform used by faculty and staff to issue alerts, open cases, schedule appointments, and collect attendance/midterm grade information.
• Rework: A major relaunch was completed over the winter to improve automation, reporting, and use more asset-based language in student communications.
• New Features: "High Fives" were added, allowing anyone to acknowledge student accomplishments (in addition to the original warning "alerts"). 
• Analytics: The embedded analytics allow the measurement of different interventions' efficacy, tracking academic outcomes, retention rates, and the effectiveness of success coaches funded through the SU Success grant.
• Acknowledgement: Rebecca Buonocore (Associate Director of Institutional Research) was thanked for leading the complete overhaul of the system and providing training for faculty and staff.

• The division is continuing to strengthen its position towards a holistic and strategic approach to enrollment management and student success.
• The campus is focused on integrating all enrollment modes (day, evening, online) into one picture, recognizing the increased faculty involvement in non-traditional classes.
• Positive momentum was noted, including more students returning than anticipated, which is a positive impact on the budget.
• The long-term strategy for student success involves collaboration across Academic Affairs and Student Affairs to address barriers (financial and personal) and improve retention, with interventions happening earlier.
• Discussion was held on the transfer student population, which makes up about a third of the student body. Scott Fournier (Transfer Officer) is working to establish stronger relationships and a bigger presence at community colleges. The possibility of an on-site admissions center at Mount Wachusett Community College was suggested as a critical step to recruit these diverse students and follow up on the Free Community College initiative.
• The institution is a pilot site for RE-UP to engage stop out students with the goal of bringing them back to complete their degrees.