Strategic Enrollment Management Plan
Principia College · July 7, 2026 · VisionPoint Marketing
Executive Overview
Principia College has a strong foundation rooted in personalized education, close faculty relationships, experiential learning, residential community, and values-based student development. These differentiators remain meaningful in today's market, particularly for students seeking mentorship, connection, and a more purpose-driven college experience, but the institution also faces a number of structural and strategic challenges that are limiting enrollment growth and long-term sustainability.
Through stakeholder workshops, enrollment analysis, market research, and institutional review, several key themes emerged. The institution has an opportunity to clarify and strengthen its market positioning, expand awareness and enrollment pipeline development, improve onboarding and early student alignment, and more clearly connect its academic and experiential strengths to career pathways, outcomes, and long-term value.
This SEM Plan addresses those realities through five integrated priorities: strengthening affinity and brand alignment, building a healthier enrollment funnel, improving onboarding and student transition experiences, repositioning academic centers and pathways as enrollment assets, and evaluating the infrastructure and academic evolution needed to support long-term growth.
The SEM Plan is intended to serve as an institution-wide framework. Successful implementation will require shared ownership across enrollment, academics, student life, marketing, operations, and institutional leadership.
Enrollment Landscape & Strategic Context
Internal Data
Principia College is a small private liberal arts institution serving approximately 300 undergraduate students in a traditional residential, in-person model. Students and families are increasingly asking harder questions about outcomes, career paths, earning potential, and ROI alongside fit and experience.
Principia is also structurally limited in who it can serve today. The institution currently offers bachelor's degrees only, with no graduate programs, no certificate options, no adult learner pathways, and no meaningful online or hybrid infrastructure. Retention data: first-year retention sits in the approximately 75–80% range. Losing roughly 20–25% of students after year one creates real enrollment and revenue pressure.
Where Principia clearly stands out is the student experience. Small class sizes, strong faculty access, close community, residential campus life, athletics, and values-based education are real differentiators. The issue is that the digital and enrollment experience does not consistently communicate that value in the way students are making decisions today.
External Data
Principia is competing in a crowded and increasingly value-driven higher education market. Lewis and Clark Community College, Southwestern Illinois College, and St. Louis Community College offer significantly lower tuition and flexible access. Regional publics (SIUE ~13,000; UMSL ~16,000) add pressure on affordability and breadth. Private competitors like McKendree, Greenville, Illinois College, Lindenwood, and Blackburn compete on Christian identity, small campus experience, athletics, and applied academic offerings.
Geographically, Illinois remains a strong immediate opportunity. Approximately 62% of adults in Illinois identify as Christian. Beyond Illinois, Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, and Indiana are strong opportunity markets due to high Christian-affiliated populations, strong extracurricular participation, and continued private college consideration. Athletics remains an important pipeline (>8M high school participants nationally), but should not define the growth strategy.
Five Strategic Objectives
01
Affinity & Brand Alignment
Clarify and align the institutional story while more clearly connecting Principia's values-based education, academic rigor, and student experience to measurable outcomes and long-term value.
02
Feed the Funnel
Build a more intentional full-funnel enrollment strategy that expands awareness in the right markets, strengthens audience segmentation and nurturing, and improves conversion outcomes across the student journey.
03
The Student Experience
Build a more intentional onboarding and transition experience that strengthens student fit, expectation setting, engagement, and support well before students arrive on campus.
04
Academic Centers & Outcomes
Reposition academic offerings and centers to more clearly communicate experiential learning, faculty mentorship, alumni success, and career relevance to prospective students and families.
05
Campus Infrastructure
Strengthen near-term program alignment and positioning while evaluating the physical, digital, operational, and academic infrastructure investments needed to support sustainable enrollment growth.
Strategic Tactics
Affinity & Brand Alignment
Develop a Defining Brand Narrative
Establish a clear and differentiated market position answering "Why Principia?" Define the institution's core value proposition, key differentiators, messaging architecture, and overarching brand narrative.
Action 1: Fine-tune brand messaging to include how Principia communicates to the Christian college student.Owner: Steve John · Due: Jul/Aug 2026
Action 2: Create and implement brand assets into a full-cycle optimized campaign (10% increase in prospective inquiries into FA27 funnel).Owner: Steve John · Due: Aug 2026 launch
Align Institutional Messaging Across the Enrollment Journey
Create a consistent messaging framework across admissions, marketing, academics, student life, and student success.
Action 1: Execute a multi-channeled marketing plan for the 2027 cycle: email, digital, and paid social through the entire student journey.Owner: Steve John · Due: Aug/Sep 2026 launch
Fine-Tune the Digital Brand Experience
Enhance the website and digital enrollment experience to better communicate academic strengths, experiential learning opportunities, student outcomes, and long-term value.
Action 1: Update key website pages: Admissions & Apply, Careers & Outcomes, Academic Pathways, Campus Life, Tuition/Financial Aid.Owner: Steve John · Due: Sep 2026 (monthly updates)
Action 2: Create authentic videos: identify, create, and launch 5 new enrollment-focused videos using student testimonials and value messaging.Owner: Steve John · Due: Oct 2026
Build Institutional Storytelling Through Real Proof Points
Develop a sustainable storytelling strategy highlighting student experiences, alumni outcomes, faculty mentorship, and career success.
Action 1: Build a "PRIN Story Library" with alumni, recent graduate, and current student stories (3 libraries: text, video, digital).Owner: Steve John · Due: Oct 2026
Action 2: Principia Outcomes = Marketing Collateral: environmental scan of alumni database (Lightcast) converted into website and promotional assets.Owner: Steve John · Due: Nov 2026
Feed the Funnel
Expand Brand Awareness in Priority Markets
Increase front-end awareness through targeted campaigns in markets with strongest audience alignment, starting with Illinois and surrounding Midwest, then CA, TX, GA, NC, TN, FL, IN.
Action 1: Map Principia alumni concentration by geography; build priority market activation plan. Top 3 primary and 3 secondary markets with defined campaign investment and lead generation targets.Owner: Steve John · Due: Oct 2026
Build Audience-Specific Recruitment Strategies
Develop clearer audience personas and segmented recruitment strategies for faith-based students, student athletes, academically motivated students, transfer students, and students seeking smaller private college experiences.
Action 1: Create 5 diverse recruitment pipelines for non-athlete first-year students: Transfer, Secondary In-State, Primary Out-of-State, Academic Center-Based, Private High School.Owner: Rachael Stock (+ Marketing) · Due: Sep 2026 activation
Diversify Lead Generation and Recruitment Channels
Action 1: Activate a private school recruitment campaign: comprehensive list of private high schools (primary/secondary/tertiary), digital campaigns, name buys, on-the-ground recruitment, Campus ESP for families.Owner: Rachael Stock + Steve John · Due: Built Oct / Launch Nov 2026
Action 2: Evaluate and expand digital inquiry generation through student search tools (Encoura, Niche, College Board) targeting faith-affiliated, academically motivated students.Owner: Steve John + Rachael Stock · Due: Eval Sep / Activation Nov 2026
Execute on a 3-Year Funnel Growth Model
Action 1: Execute each year of the 3-year funnel growth model. Monthly check-ins on inquiry, applicant, admit, and enrolled metrics starting September.Owner: Rachael Stock (+Marketing) · Due: Monthly starting Sep 2026
Improve Enrollment Visibility, Reporting, and Operational Efficiency
Action 1: Build out full workflow emails and communication plans for all funnel stages inside Slate.Owner: Steve John + Rachael Stock · Due: Oct 2026
Action 2: Purchase and implement a new Slate instance dedicated 100% to Principia College.Owner: Adam Davis + Rachael Stock · Due: Purchase Fall 2026 / Impl Jan 2027 / Go Live May 2027
The Student Experience
Redesign Onboarding as a Full Student Transition Experience
Action 1: Create a "student success coaching" model: assign each incoming student at admit/deposit stage a dedicated staff member. 3 coaches, 40–45 students each, single point of contact for enrollment, financial aid, orientation, housing. Target: 90% enrollment + 85% Y1–Y2 retention.Owner: Ole Nkwe · Due: Implemented Jan / Active Mar 2027
Action 2: Design a structured pre-arrival engagement plan: welcome call, virtual campus connection event, housing/orientation guide, 30-days-before communication series, Meet & Greet with roommate/RA. Min 5 touchpoints between deposit and move-in.Owner: Rachael Stock + Dorian Watkins · Due: Designed Feb / Live Apr 2027
Action 3: Send Principia welcome swag package to all deposited students within 2 weeks of deposit: t-shirt, water bottle, sticker set + car sticker and mug for family.Owner: Rachael Stock + Steve John + Adam Davis · Due: Ordered Feb / Live Mar 2027
Create & Accelerate a Transfer-Centric Model
Action 1: Create a strong transcript evaluation process: initial review within 72 hours, evaluation roadmap with clear roles, designated transfer-specific staff.Owner: Rachael Stock + Ramiro Dominguez · Due: Oct 2026
Action 2: Build and launch a dedicated transfer student marketing campaign: transfer-specific landing page, paid social/search, full Slate workflow from inquiry through deposit.Owner: Rachael Stock + Steve John · Due: Built Oct / Launch Nov 2026
Leverage Financial Aid
Action 1: Conduct standalone analysis of historic institutional aid spend vs. future Title IV funding to set up a yield-optimized aid strategy for FA27.Owner: Adam Davis · Due: Sep 2026
Action 2: Leverage federal, state, and institutional dollars in a cell matrix to use scholarship dollars as a marketing tool. Begin packaging new students with full financial aid awards by early November.Owner: Adam Davis · Due: Early Nov 2026
Move Up the Student Billing Cycle
Action 1: Create an external-facing bill showing total net charges vs. institutional funds.Owner: Adam Davis + Shared Services Controller · Due: Nov 2026
Action 2: Issue bills to deposited incoming students in late spring: 3-prong financial clearance process (counselor walkthrough, July deadline, approved payment plan before matriculation).Owner: Adam Davis + Shared Services Controller · Due: Mar 2026 internal / May 2026 execution
Build Early Intervention and Student Success Checkpoints
Action 1: Establish a Principia First Scholars Program: 10–12 academically at-risk students on campus one week before classes. Peer mentors, success coaches, faculty interaction, 90% Y1 retention target.Owner: Rachael Stock + Dr. Portia Benson · Due: Created Feb / Students invited Mar 2026
Action 2: Create a sophomore year experience to support 2nd-to-3rd year persistence (target +5% retention).Owner: Sally Steindorf + Greg Bruland · Due: Implement Jan 2026 / Launch Fall 2027
Create Peer, Alumni, and Community Connection Points Early
Action 1: Launch a student mentor and buddy program pairing each incoming student with a current student in a matching academic or co-curricular area. 85% matched before move-in day.Owner: Dorian Watkins + Rachael Stock · Due: Design Feb / Recruitment Apr / Matched May 2027
Academic Centers & Outcomes
Reposition Academic Centers Into Student-Facing Career Pathways
Action 1: Conduct a branding and positioning exercise to develop student-facing pathway language, naming conventions, and messaging that better communicates career outcomes and experiential learning.Owner: Steve John + Academic Affairs + Rachael Stock + Adam Benkendorf · Due: Feb 2027
Build a Clear Value Proposition for Each Pathway
Action 1: Develop pathway-specific value propositions and storytelling assets: academic experiences, mentorship, internships, experiential learning, career pathways, alumni success stories.Owner: Steve John + Academic Affairs + Rachael Stock + Adam Benkendorf · Due: Spring 2027
Use Academic Pathways as a Partnership and Pipeline Strategy
Action 1: Identify and prioritize 3–5 pathway-aligned partnership opportunities including transfer pathways, dual enrollment, and regional partnerships.Owner: Academic Affairs + Rachael Stock + Adam Benkendorf + Steve John · Due: Spring 2027
Integrate Pathways Across the Full Enrollment Journey
Action 1: Integrate Academic Pathways into website, admissions materials, campus visits, inquiry nurture campaigns, and enrollment communications.Owner: Steve John + Rachael Stock + Academic Affairs + Adam Benkendorf · Due: Summer 2027
Campus Infrastructure
Evaluate Program and Curriculum Alignment Against Market Demand
Action 1: Conduct an academic prioritization exercise: 3-year academic roadmap for leveraging current programs, creating key concentrations, and/or starting new programs.Owner: Academic Affairs (Provost + Marketing/Admissions) · Due: Jan 2026
Build New Partnership and Pathway Opportunities
Action 1: Create and sign two bridge programs with 2-year colleges providing clear credit-agreed pathways for designated academic programs.Owner: Academic Affairs + Admissions · Due: Dec 2026 / Roll out Spring 2027
Action 2: Develop transfer pathway relationships with large regional universities (Mizzou, SLU, SIUE, UMSL, Illinois State). Goal: 1 formal articulation agreement by Fall 2027.Owner: Rachael Stock + Adam Benkendorf + Academic Affairs · Due: Strategy Jan / Visits Spring / Agreement Fall 2027
Develop a Long-Term Academic Growth Strategy
Action 1: Conduct an exploratory assessment of future academic growth opportunities: graduate programs, certificate offerings, adult learner pathways, alternative delivery models.Owner: Academic Affairs + Admissions · Due: Spring 2027
Build Campus Facilities to Meet Student Experience Demand
Action 1: Conduct a student experience survey and campus facilities gap assessment. Identify top 3–5 living and learning environment upgrades with highest enrollment and retention impact.Owner: Adam Davis + Dorian Watkins + Adam Benkendorf · Due: Survey Jan / Rec Feb 2027
Implementation & Accountability
Recommendations are intended to be implemented over multiple enrollment cycles. Immediate priorities focus on strengthening enrollment performance within Principia's current operating model, while longer-term initiatives emphasize institutional evolution, infrastructure planning, and future growth opportunities.
Progress should be reviewed on a regular cadence through the SEM Steering Committee utilizing agreed-upon metrics, enrollment dashboards, milestone tracking, and annual progress assessments. The accompanying SEM Tracker serves as the living management tool for monitoring progress, tracking ownership, assessing milestone completion, and maintaining visibility into institutional efforts over time.
