Enrollment Management Plan includes targeted academic programs, athletic grant in aid scholarships

Published: March 18, 2004

La Grande -- Eastern Oregon University President Dr. Dixie Lund recently released a comprehensive enrollment management plan that includes institutional aid awarded for academic achievement, targeted academic programs, and talent such as music and athletics.

The comprehensive plan comes as a result of ongoing campus discussions concerning recruitment and retention issues that face most Universities. In February 2004, enrollment management consultants reported to EOU officials their finding s and recommendations on how to best utilize institutional funding to attract and retain students.

"In order to compete in a global environment, it is important for Eastern to adjust to new ways of doing business," said President Lund. "Enrollment Management must be intentional and thoughtful."

The new plan includes academic awards for potential students based on high school or transfer institution academic performance and ACT/SAT scores. The targeted program awards are intended to increase enrollment in academic programs such as Honors, Media Arts, Biology, Chemistry and Bio-chemistry. The science degrees are targeted due to the university's desire to showcase and optimize the new $32 million science facility.

Talent awards will be based on a potential student's ability to add to the environment at EOU through extracurricular activities such as music and athletics. Mountaineer athletic participants currently make up approximately 25 percent of the undergraduate enrollment at Eastern. Athletic aid is possible due to the single affiliation with the NAIA, which was announced last November. The Mountaineers compete in the Cascade Conference for all sports except football, which was approved for membership in the Frontier Conference last December.

"Talent grants recognize the value we place on our programs like music and athletics," said Sheldon Nord, vice president for student affairs. "As we look at our peer institutions in athletics, all other schools in each Conference offer some kind of aid specifically for scholar athletes."

Much of the enrollment management plan is being put into effect immediately. However, the athletic aid will be delayed. According to Rob Cashell, director of athletics, several issues need to be addressed before offering aid.

"It is important for our department to complete a Title IX audit and to work with the EOU Foundation and the Mountaineer Booster Club to develop a long-range fundraising plan to assist with aid packages," said Cashell. "These are exciting times for our University."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact Information

University Advancement Eastern Oregon University One University Boulevard La Grande, OR 97850 phone 541.962.3740 fax 541.962.3680 email University Advancement