University of Kentucky Mining Engineering Undergraduate Recruitment

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University of KentuckyMining Engineering
Undergraduate Recruitment

• Richard Sweigard, Associate Dean
• Ron Robinson, Director of Student Affairs
• Rick Honaker, Chair

Educators Forum 2008 SME Annual Meeting Salt
Lake City, Utah February 24, 2008
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Background

• UK Mining Engineering is perhaps one of the
  oldest and youngest.
• School of Civil Mining in 1866 new separate
  department in 1980.
• Relatively constant enrollment in the 1990s.
• Sudden drop in enrollment after 1999.
• 24 Students in Fall 2001.
• 1 Freshman in Fall 2001.

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Initial Recruiting Efforts

• Faculty Recruiting
• High School Visits
• Presentation typically given to calculus and
  physics classes
• Recruiting CD
• Professionally developed
• Interactive CD
• Game oriented to be attractive for students.
• Included career, program and scholarship
  information
• Largely ineffective!

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Effective Recruiting Decisions

• Hiring Part-Time Recruiting Coordinator
• Ron Robinson
• 30 years as a HS guidance counselor and math
  teacher
• Upgrading position to Director of Student Affairs
• Comfort level for recruits after reporting to
  campus
• Math tutoring
• Improved retention
• Worked with Mining Foundation, UK administration
  and state to develop an attractive scholarship
  program.

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Scholarship Program Funds
Average Fall 2007 Semester Scholarship 2,000
per student
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Freshman Scholarship Program
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Lower Division Scholarship(lt69 credit hours)
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Upper Division Scholarship(gt69 credit hours)
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Recruiting Process
Step 1 Doing the Homework
Typical Results

• EOS Report ACT Scores
• Math Score 23
• Interest in Engineering or related field
• UK is one of five schools

• 500 Prospectives
• 120 Applicants
• 30-35 Accept

Step 3 Visit

• Identified Candidates
• Typically at High School
• Individually or Small Group
• 45 minute Presentation
• Good, Positive Message
• Scholarship Application

Step 2 Mass Mailing
Step 4 On-Campus Visit

• Parents Included
• 2-weeks from initial visit
• Meet Chair Faculty
• Discussions with Mining Engr Students
• Classroom Visit
• Campus Tour

• Mining Engineering
• Career Opportunities
• Demand
• Scholarships

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Scholarship Application

• One key to ensuring a positive response is to
  keep the application simple!
• Complex applications require time and effort.
  Interest wanes as time passes.
• Essay Requirements Essays do not necessarily
  reflect the applicants abilities but the
  abilities of those who assisted i.e., teachers.

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Undergraduate StudentsRecruitment Retention

• Another key recruiting tool is the interview with
  current undergraduate students.
• Success requires that the current students remain
  enthusiastic about their career decision.
• Student satisfaction is a result of
• Teaching Quality
• Academic Support
• Academic Success
• Summer Internships
• Scholarships
• Extracurricular Activities
• Relationships

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Student Enrollment

• Fall 2007
• 115 undergraduate students on campus (25
  increase over Fall 2006)
• 5 female students
• 3 minorities
• 4 at community colleges
• 17 graduate students
• Spring 2006
• 76 undergraduate students on campus
• 4 at community colleges
• Fall 2006
• 92 undergraduates on campus
• 4 at community colleges.

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Undergraduate Enrollment Trend
Undergraduate Enrollment
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UK Engineering Enrollment Trends

• Increasing Mining enrollment while other programs
  are constant or declining.

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Incoming Freshman Quality
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Mining Engineering Enrollment by Class
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Student Quality versus Scholarship Amount
Insufficient Scholarship Funds
120
3000
100
2500
Data indicates that good recruiting can increase
enrollment. However, increased scholarship
funds enhance quality.
80
2000
Amount per Student ()
Undergraduate Enrollment
60
1500
40
1000
Enrollment
Scholarship
20
500
0
0
30
28
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Average ACT Score
24
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Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
Fall
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
Recruiting Coordinator
Enhanced Scholarships
Entering Freshman Class
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Academic Achievement Distribution(mean GPA
2.94)
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Industry View of Student Quality
The purpose of my email is to express our
sincere delight in the quality of students
interviewed during our recent visit. It is going
to be extremely difficult to narrow down our
selections as every student we interviewed was
very impressive. It is apparent that you are
recruiting the "best and brightest" for your
mining program and that they understand the need
for talent in the mining operations. Human
Resource Manager Major U.S. Coal Producer
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Department Graduates

• 2006 2007
• 8 B.S. Graduates
• 2 M. S. Graduate
• Expected 2007 2008
• 11 B. S. Graduates
• 5 M. S. Graduates
• 1 Ph. D. Graduate
• gt 15 B.S. Graduates projected for 2008-2009.
• 2 December 2008 B.S. Graduates.

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B.S. Graduate Production Trend
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Summary

• Keys to recruiting success at UK were
• Appointment of a Director for Student Affairs
• Coordinates Recruiting
• Tutorship and Advisement for Retention
• Recruiting Process involving four key steps
• Step 1 Homework Identification of a Qualified
  Pool
• Step 2 Mass Mailing
• Step 3 Visit Individual or Group Meeting at
  High School
• Step 4 On-Campus Visit Preferably with Parents
• Strong Scholarship Support
• Support from Industry Summer Internships
  Permanent Positions
• Enthusiastic and Active Undergraduate Students
• As a result, undergraduate enrollment has
  increased by 4 times since 2001 and 2 times since
  Fall 2004.
• B.S. graduates are increasing with 11 expected in
  May 2008 and over 15 expected in May 2009.

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Comments/Questions?