Strategic Enrollment Management Plan: 2025-2026 - Focus 2
Focus Area Two: Program Alignment with Mission and Market Demand
Conduct regular analyses of academic and professional programs to ensure alignment with emerging workforce needs, student interests, and UH Hilo’s mission. Strengthen pathways for workforce-ready degrees, certificates, and stackable credentials in fields such as health sciences, Hawaiian studies, and data sciences, responding to local and global market demands.
Insights
- Enrollment Trends: Hawaiʻi residents with higher GPAs are less likely to enroll, possibly due to perceived misalignment in program value.
- Declining Yield from Certain Ethnic Groups: There has been a decline in enrollment from White students and those identifying as Two or More Races, while Native Hawaiian and Asian populations show higher yield rates.
Action Plan
- Ensure Program Relevance: Collaborate with faculty to ensure academic programs align with local and global market needs. Emphasize high-demand fields such as Environmental Science, Hawaiian language revitalization, and sustainable agriculture. (SP Goal 3 Action 2-4)
- Expand Honors Programs and Career Pathways: Create or enhance honors programs focused on research, mentorship, and community engagement. Strengthen career-focused pathways through internships, job placements, and employer partnerships in sectors crucial to Hawaii’s economy. (SP Goal 3 Action 1-2, 5; Goal 4 Action 1-4)
- Support Vulnerable Populations: Create academic pathways tailored to first-generation college students and underrepresented groups, ensuring culturally relevant student support services. (SP Goal 2 Action 3-8)
- Review and Adjust Programs: Regularly evaluate academic offerings, integrating emerging fields such as data science and digital media, while staying aligned with UH Hilo’s commitment to sustainability and community development. (SP Goal 3 Action 1-6; Goal 4 Action 1-4)
Measures
- Increased enrollment in high-demand programs that align with community and workforce needs.
- Growth in career placements, internships, and student engagement in relevant fields.
- Higher retention rates for students in newly developed programs, particularly honors programs and pathways for vulnerable populations.