Del Mar College talks persistence rates, attracting students

Del Mar College is looking for ways to attract and retain students.

The Del Mar College Board of Regents heard updates on the college’s current strategic plan and marketing plans during a meeting Tuesday.

Strategic operational initiatives executive director Natalie Villarreal shared data related to recruitment and persistence, including student enrollment, the number of Pell Grant recipients, persistence rates from fall semester to fall semester and if freshmen complete enough hours to return as sophomores the next year.

Last month, the board heard that though short-term continuing education is on the rise at the college, headcounts on the credit side, where students pursue two-year degrees or transfer opportunities, didn’t grow this year. The college’s 5.9% student headcount growth rate between fall 2022 and fall 2023 is entirely accounted for by rising numbers of continuing education students.

The college has 9,720 credit students this fall. More than half have a high school degree.

What are the goals and persistence rates of Del Mar College students?

This week, the board heard that of those fall 2023 credit students, about 58% intend to earn an associate degree. About a quarter intend to earn credits before transferring to another institution. About 9% aim to earn a certificate that will take less than two years. Small percentages said their intent was to improve skills or to take courses for personal enrichment.

Federal Pell Grants are need-based grants awarded to low-income undergraduate students. In 2022, about 4,200 Del Mar College students received a Pell Grant. Del Mar College also offers a tuition grant program for students with a total household income of less than $125,000 per year.

The percentage of students receiving financial aid increased from just 51% in 2020-21 to 62% in 2021-22.

“That is actually a really positive thing that we’re excited to see,” Villarreal said.

In 2022, the one-year persistence rate, which measures whether students stick with the college, for first-time, credential-seeking undergraduates at Del Mar College was just over 64%. The two-year persistence rate was just over 48%.

In both fall 2022 and 2023, about 61% of credit students, not including dual credit students, were freshman. About 26% had earned enough credit to be considered sophomores. Other students had credits above the sophomore classification or a prior associate degree.

“You can tell that we’re still having major challenges in this area,” Villarreal said. “...we have a lot more work to do in this area for sure.”

What are some of the college’s plans?

The college’s current strategies include improving the college’s image, increasing outreach efforts, increasing the number of students receiving Pell Grants and improving persistence efforts.

In the spring, the board will begin work on a new strategic plan for 2024-2029.

The college also plans to roll out a new marketing plan in the spring. This week, the regents heard a preview of the plan from vice president of communication and marketing Jeff Olsen.

“In a time when people are asking ‘Is college worth it?’, we happen to be at a place where it really is because we offer an opportunity to achieve your objectives quickly with less debt through a program that is now very intentionally aligned with the workforce,” Olsen said. “That is a really strong value proposition.”

The college has focused on creating a stackable credential model, where students who start by pursuing a short-term program or industry certificate can build on that, with their experience counting if they choose to continue and pursue further credentials.

“Up front, we need to show students pathways that show students pathways that involve multiple credentials to get where they’re going,” Olsen said.

Olsen said the college is working on plans to better map out the potential pathways for students, showing how credentials stack and sharing information like salary expectations at different stages.

"When a student comes to us as a prospective student, we need to present that whole journey with multiple credentials so they can at least be thinking about their future in a more holistic way," Olsen said.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Del Mar College talks marketing, persistence rates