February 28, 2025
Next-Gen K-State Strategic Enrollment Plan, 2025-2030
Submitted by Jesse Perez Mendez
Dear colleagues,
Growing total enrollment to 30,000 learners and making meaningful improvements in student success across all student populations are two key strategic imperative goals that underpin our vision to become a model next-generation land-grant university by 2030. During the fall semester, we began the work of developing a new comprehensive five-year strategic enrollment plan detailing what we need to do to achieve those goals. A draft plan was shared for your review and feedback, and I thank everyone who contributed their ideas and suggestions. I am pleased today to share the Next-Gen K-State Strategic Enrollment Plan, or SEP, which charts our enrollment path forward during the next five years.
This new plan builds on the momentum achieved by the university's first strategic enrollment plan, providing a set of research-informed priorities and initiatives encompassing all student/learner populations on all campuses across all modalities and aligned with the Next-Gen K-State plan and the K-State Student Success Playbook. In the plan, you will find key strategic themes with 12 priority areas of focus and associated action items. Three critical enablers have been identified as cross-cutting priorities that are foundational to success. An implementation roadmap and timeline are included, laying out 26 action items to be initiated over the next four to 18 months.
An important element of the plan is clarification of year-over-year enrollment goals by undergraduate, graduate, veterinary medicine and non-credit learners. An enrollment model was developed to assist with projecting where growth may be achievable through 2030. This enrollment model will be regularly monitored and adjusted by our enrollment management team working with our campuses or colleges to review market analysis, annual performance metrics, and unit initiatives and feedback. Meetings between the colleges and the enrollment management team are already underway.
Successful implementation of our SEP plan will require focus, resources, commitment and collective partnership across the university. Connecting recruitment, retention and student success efforts across the university in a coordinated, visible manner will be critical. An important next step is to establish a clear structure for implementation oversight and accountability. This structure will include a small leadership team with accountability for outcomes, supported by implementation teams focused on recruitment and access, retention and student success, and the academic portfolio. Project teams will be formed to address specific action items in the plan, working in partnership within an overall SEP structure. We will begin the process of establishing this new SEP implementation structure shortly with the goal to have it in place in April.
Another important step will be to confirm the roadmap and build consensus around plan execution and timelines. Sharing best practices and tracking and communicating progress and accomplishments will be essential. I invite you to visit the SEP website to stay up to date on what's happening.
You all make a difference every day in the lives of potential and current K-State students. A plan is just a plan without people committed to making it happen. In the 10 months I have been here, I have learned what a special place this is because of our faculty, staff and students. I look forward to working with all of you as we challenge ourselves to grow enrollment, innovate our academic programs, and meet the needs of students and lifelong learners as a model land-grant university.
Go 'Cats!
Jesse Perez Mendez
Provost and executive vice president