Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Plan

Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Plan
Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Plan
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Executive Summary

This Strategic Enrollment Management Plan is the result of the SEM Work Group discussions.
This actionable plan organized around four goals—Recruitment, Onboarding, Retention, and
Completion—anchored in Lake Superior College’s Strategic Plan and Minnesota State’s Equity
2030 framework. The document proposes strategies, owners, timelines, and metrics, and
includes placeholders to align with LSC’s Strategic Plan.

SEM Task Force

Jessie Anderson, Victoria Carlson, Wade Gordon, David Kline (co-chair), Sarah Lyons, Jesse Robinson, Kate Rolfe, Lisa Schlotterhausen (co-chair), Emily Chapinski, Nicola Scott, Kayti Stolp, Christine Torma, Samantha Weiler

LSC’s Strategic Plan

Our strategic plan, recently refreshed by our faculty, staff, and students, reflects our core identity and the values that guide our mission – equity, student success, innovation, and community partnerships. This SEM plan aligns our enrollment goals with the college’s strategic priorities and
provides actionable strategies to guide our work over the coming years.

Equity Commitment

Equity 2030—Minnesota State’s systemwide goal is to eliminate educational equity gaps by 2030. The plan integrates the six Equity 2030 strategic dimensions (Enhanced Access; Academic Success; Student Engagement; Evidence-Based Decision Making; Financial Resources; Workforce & Talent Diversity).

An LSC Instructor teaching a biology class with a group of students eager to learn.

Equity 2030 Integration

Enhanced Access to higher education by strengthening partnerships and collaboration with K-12, business and industry, community-based organizations, and philanthropic partners to expand and grow current programming and identify new ways to support students.

Key Performance Indicators

Metrics will be segmented by demographics to
assist with achieving 2030 goals.

  • Recruitment/enrollment metrics: Leads, applications, admits, admitted-to-enrolled (A2E)
  • Student Success Metrics: DFW rates, fall-to-fall retention, graduation rate, transfer rate, and job placement.
  • Additional metrics will be used/developed based upon specific initiatives implemented, such as yield, melt, orientation completion, timely registration, credit momentum, SAP, D2L usage, and time to credential.

An LSC Instructor and student working on a class project together.

Panoramic photo of LSC including the lush forest that surround the beautiful campus in Duluth, MN.

Mission

Lake Superior College serves our students and community while supporting the economy of Northeast Minnesota and beyond by providing
high-value accessible higher education and advanced training in a supportive, inclusive environment to prepare the skilled workforce of the future.

Vision

Lake Superior College will strengthen our students and our region by anticipating and meeting the need for innovative education and training
and empowering students to reach their fullest potential.

Values

  • Community, Collaboration
  • Lifelong Learning
  • Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
  • Innovation and Initiative
  • Integrity
  • Trust and Respect
  • Academic Freedom and Free Inquiry
  • Stewardship

Foundational Cross-Cutting Priorities

Student-centered; equity-minded; data-informed; transparent.

These core principles guide decision-making across all SEM initiatives, ensuring that strategies are inclusive, evidence-based, and accountable. These principles anchor the entire plan in practices that prioritize student success and institutional integrity.

Align work with regional initiatives, such as Duluth Promise.

This priority ensures SEM strategies support these initiatives’ commitment to expanding educational access and economic mobility. Aligning with these regional initiatives embeds LSC within a shared regional framework that supports student opportunity from K–12 through
postsecondary and entrance into the workforce.

Align work with Life@LSC.

Life@LSC provides an institutional foundation for inclusive education, belonging, and student well-being. Integrating it as a cross-cutting priority ensures that every SEM initiative supports a holistic, student-centered experience.

Align work with Competency Based Education programs as they are developed.

Aligning SEM efforts with competency-based education (CBE) ensures enrollment strategies evolve alongside emerging flexible learning models. This connection positions LSC to meet the needs of working adults and nontraditional learners with pathways that recognize prior learning and accelerate completion.

LSC students at commencement

Student-focused, future-focused scheduling.

Student‑focused, future‑focused scheduling improves course access and helps students balance school, work, and family. Predictable schedules strengthen recruitment, retention, and completion.

Flexible course modalities and schedules.

Offering flexible modalities—online, hybrid, accelerated, evening, and weekend—removes friction points that often prevent students from enrolling or persisting. As a cross-cutting priority, it ensures that access and equity guide every stage of the student life cycle.

Basic needs support.

LSC recognizes that students’ basic needs such as housing, food, transportation, and technology are essential for academic success and enrollment stability. LSC will connect students to community resources and support basic needs as a foundational priority.

Objectives (2026-2030)

  1. Our enrollment management goal is to increase enrollment by 8% by 2030 from Fall 2024. Our overarching objectives to help us achieve this goal are to:
    1. Increase market share and visibility in priority segments, such as adult learners, BIPOC populations
    2. Reduce barriers and friction in the student journey through improving processes
    3. Improve access and equity for BIPOC, Indigenous, first-gen, and low-income students
    4. Increase fall-to-fall persistence to 70–75% for targeted equity groups with annual gains adult learners, Pell eligible, first generation, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic, and Two or more races, while maintaining parity across all other student populations
      in alignment with Equity 2030
    5. Increase completion rates toward a 54% target for all students through annual gains across key populations, while maintaining parity among American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Nonresident student groups in alignment with Equity 2030 goals.
  2. We want to focus attention on underrepresented groups and populations where we have equity gaps, such as Native American/American Indians, and Low-Income/First Generation College Students
  3. We recognize that adult learners (25+) are a critical growth segment and will explore strategies to specifically engage these learners and understand their educational needs

Photo of an automotive student working on a vehicle's wheel at Lake Superior College

LSC Strategic Direction Alignments

Throughout this SEM Plan, the following alignments exist with the larger LSC Strategic Direction Plan.

  Culture of Equity and Inclusion Facilitate Student Success Foster anmd Encourage Continuous Innovation Robust Regional Workforce Support Enhance and Celebrate Enthusiastic Campus Climate
1. Recuitment - Strengthen and Grow Pipeline
1.1 Expand adult, working learner, and transfer student segments X X
1.2 Develop community-based recruitment pathways X X
1.3 Launch a regional workforce aligned program demand strategy X
1.4 Address basic needs barriers through partnerships X X
1.5 Position Duluth +LSC as a top Choice destination X
1.6 Built an equity minded, CRM driven, enrollment funnel X
1.7 Recruit LSC grads into other LSC programs X
2. Onboarding - Smooth, proactive transition from admit to enrolled
2.1 Strengthen Admitted to Enrolled Conversion X X
2.2 Reimagine Orientation with Flexible, Equity Minded Options X X
2.3 Transition to a Full Year, Guaranteed Course Schedule X X
2.4 Increase Faculty Integration into Onboarding X X X
2.5 Build a Re engagement Pipeline X
2.6 Review and Revise Onboarding Processes X X
2.7 Increase transparency around course requirements and costs outside of tuition. X
3. Retention — Strengthen Ongoing Student Support to Ensure Steady Progress Toward Completion
3.1 Launch a Predictive Early Alert System with Just in Time Supports X X
3.2 Expand Basic Needs Supports into a Coordinated One Stop Hub X X
3.3 Improve Momentum Through Financial and Work Based Supports X
3.4 Integrate Career Development and Alumni Mentoring X X
3.5 Extend Access to Academic and Student Services X X
3.6 Redirect Resources Through Process and Value Mapping X
4. Completion — Clear, Flexible Pathways and Transitions
4.1 Publish Default Term by Term Program Maps X X
4.2 Implement Block Scheduling and Part Time Pathways X X X
4.3 Expand Stackable Credentials and Credit Options X X X
4.4 Develop intentional schedules with modalities and course delivery options. X X X
4.5 Strengthen Teaching and Reduce DFW Rates X X