Strategic Enrollment Management Update

Thursday, October 23, 2025

Dear Colleagues,

I hope October has been filled with fun fall activities that our beautiful region has to offer. The Strategic Enrollment Management Steering Committee and Councils have several updates as we enter the second half of the semester.

Enrollment Projections:

The Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Steering Committee updated our enrollment projections and targets, a process that occurs every semester after the third week of classes.

New Student Targets for Spring 2026

• First year students: 35
• Transfer students: 275
• Graduate students: 250

New Student Targets for Fall 2026

• First year students: 1225
• Transfer students: 725
• Graduate students: 488

We anticipate having over 8,000 students in Fall 2026, three years earlier than our original projections in 2022. Although we do not have official comparison data, we anticipate remaining in our position as the largest of the SUNY Comprehensive Universities again this year. Thank you for your efforts to make this goal a reality. These enrollment figures have had a very positive impact on our overall budget, and on enhancing our academic community.

Many faculty and staff ask about how much larger we aspire to be as a university. Our focus is shifting from enrollment growth based on new students, to enrollment stabilization and modest growth due to retention gains. This aligns with SUNY plans for retention through the Academic Momentum Campaign. Our updated enrollment projection model builds in a more modest growth rate now that we are closer to our goal of 8,000 students.

SEM Graduation & Momentum Task Force Updates:

The SEM Graduation and Momentum Task Force is actively engaging campus stakeholders to advance student success initiatives. The Task Force is reviewing and aligning institutional strategies with the SUNY Academic Momentum (AcMo) Campaign, which emphasizes data-driven approaches to improve student outcomes. In addition, the Task Force is folding in recommendations from the National Institute for Student Success (NISS) as part of this initiative.

SUNY has proposed institutional goals across six key metrics:

1. 4-Year Graduation Rate
2. 6-Year Graduation Rate
3. Fall-to-Fall Retention Rate
4. 30+ Credit Accumulation per Year
5. Gateway Course Completion (English and Math)
6. FAFSA Completion Rate

The Task Force will continue their engagement with stakeholders across campus throughout the planning process this fall and into the spring. To achieve these goals, we will need everyone’s engagement, support, and ideas.

Direct Admission Pilot Progress:

The Direct Admission Pilot is aimed at increasing the recruitment of students with a high school average of 93 and higher. The initial phase of this pilot has yielded immediate and promising results, particularly in generating out-of-state applications. So far, we have received 183 applications via the Niche platform and 524 through the Common Application, including 304 out of state applicants compared to 31 during the same period last year. The most represented states thus far include Georgia, Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Texas, with applications originating from 45 different states nationwide.

Referral Program:

We continue to reduce barriers to applying to SUNY Brockport by launching our extended opportunity to apply to SUNY Brockport for free through November 3^rd. Alumni have also received messages about our Alumni Referral Program that encourages alumni to refer prospective students to apply.

Open House:

The first fall undergraduate Open House was a huge success on Saturday, with 214 prospective students in attendance, comparable to last year’s attendance of 200 and up from our historical October average of 176 prospective student attendees. Our next Open House will be held on November 15^th. There are several other additional Undergraduate and Graduate recruitment events coming up.

Lastly, our campus had the honor of hosting over 200 school counselors for the SUNY Opinform event on November 14^th. School counselors from across the state spent the day on our campus learning about the college admission process, SUNY system updates, and networking with admissions professionals from across the system.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if you would like to schedule a time for a SEM Steering Committee member to attend one of your departmental meetings to share feedback, provide suggestions, and discuss partnership opportunities. Working together across the university will maximize our ability to succeed in an increasingly competitive market. Thank you for the open dialogue and collaborative engagement with our university enrollment efforts.