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Starting in 1998, Northwest Vista College had to develop systems to respond to annual enrollment increases of 30 to 32 percent. We did so using the core values of community and communication to successfully plan for enrollment growth. And by aligning, enrollment targets with the Alamo Colleges’ strategic plan, Northwest Vista College developed a systematic enrollment plan that is seamlessly integrated with retention, persistence and degree completion targets.
The Alamo Colleges established a partnership with local public school districts to launch College Connections in the spring of 2007. A cross-functional Connections Leadership team of Northwest Vista staff, through College Connections, visited 11 high schools to coordinate orientation, admissions, placement testing, advising, and registration to more than 4,500 high school seniors between September 2007 and May 2008. College Connections allowed college staff to provide intensive on-site services to all seniors. Additionally, College Connections allowed staff to target high schools with low college-going rates and large populations of Hispanic and African-American high school seniors, groups that have been underserved in San Antonio. Northwest Vista’s enrollment grew by 12 percent, and the number of Hispanic students increased by 71 percent.
