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Miller/Cook & Associates, Inc. is committed to
providing clients affordable professional consulting
services to a wide range of institutions and
organizations. All of our services are designed to meet
the unique needs of each of our clients with
consideration given institutional mission and culture
and desired outcomes.
ENROLLMENT SERVICES
Institutional and Enrollment Analysis
Miller/Cook & Associates, Inc. professionals perform a
comprehensive review and analysis of the institutional
recruitment practices, policies, internal processes, and
philosophies presently in place on your campus. Both
external and internal variables that impact the
effectiveness of these practices and processes are
examined as part of the review process. Institutional
data from admissions, financial aid, business office,
institutional research, academic and student services
are considered. Clients receive a comprehensive written
report outlining institutional strengths and weaknesses
including specific recommendations for improvement.
Strategic Positioning/Institutional ImageWays
to improve both recruiting effectiveness and
institutional visibility in your local, regional and
national markets. Our professionals will help you
investigate the implications of changing demographics
upon your recruitment and re-recruitment processes.
Enrollment Integration/Operation
The new and continued enrollment of students is the
shared responsibility of a number of offices and people
on your campus. Miller/Cook & Associates, Inc. can help
representatives across your campus better understand the
importance of their roles in the recruitment process and
make recommendations to integrate institutional
practice, process and policy. In addition, Miller/Cook &
Associates, Inc. professionals can help you link
enrollment strategies to your institution's strategic
and long-range plans, helping to ensure that the content
and delivery of your curricular and co-curricular
programming address the needs of the audiences you are
attempting to enroll.
Re-recruitment/Retention
What is inviting about being a sophomore on your campus?
The professionals at Miller/Cook & Associates, Inc.
believe that your institution should have in place
initiatives and strategies intended to provide students
specific reasons for their continued enrollment. While
institutions commonly have in place recruitment
strategies for new students, most lack similar
strategies intended to strengthen and sustain the
interest of enrolled students. Miller/Cook & Associates,
Inc. can review your institution's re-recruitment
program and identify creative ways to sustain the
interest of your currently enrolled students.
Integrated Communication
Communication to and from your institution occurs in a
variety of ways: face-to-face, online, in print, and on
the telephone. Miller/Cook & Associates, Inc. will help
integrate all of your communication efforts into an
overall communications strategy. We will review your
existing systems and practices to ensure the proper
processes and data collection are taking place. This
review includes a comprehensive analysis of your
institution's website, including functionality, look and
feel and content.
External Assessment Services – Secret Shopping
Many major industries use some form of secret shopping
to help evaluate the quality of their services and
products. It is very common for a bank or major retailer
to secret shop their customer service operations to
evaluate whether the service provided by employees is
meeting both company and customer expectations. In our
work with colleges and universities, we find that the
quality of service provided by enrollment staff to
prospective and returning students influences enrollment
outcomes. Miller/Cook & Associates is now offering a
service to the higher education community that provides
institutional leadership a tool to both evaluate and
monitor the quality of service provided to students. Our
Silent Service Assessment™ makes use of secret shoppers
trained to collect data and conduct evaluations of
products and services according to specific research
protocols within the higher education market. We
consider all forms of service delivery including print
and online media and the “in person” experience. This
third - party unbiased perspective on the quality of
service provided to students and parents helps colleges
and universities develop student - centered customer
service approaches.
FINANCIAL AID SERVICES
Financial Aid Operational Audits
Many financial aid departments meet compliance
requirements adequately but fall short in how they
support an institution's overall enrollment goals. A
Financial Aid Operational Audit provides institutions
with a review of how the financial aid function is
operating by looking at policies and procedures,
workflow design, human resources and the use of
information technology. What makes our service unique is
that it also includes a review of how the financial aid
function integrates with other enrollment management
functions including admissions, student accounts and the
registrar. The service also considers how the financial
aid function supports the retention and re-recruitment
of students.
Financial Aid Compliance Evaluations
Financial Aid Compliance Evaluations offer a thorough
evaluation of an institution's compliance with federal,
state and institutional financial aid regulations.
During an onsite visit, consultants meet with staff to
gather information and data related to compliance.
Clients receive a detailed report that identifies both
strengths and weaknesses of an institution's compliance
with financial aid regulations and rules. The report
also provides written recommendations for improvement.
Tuition Discount & Net Revenue Reviews
Executive leadership and middle management's
understanding of the principles of tuition discounting
and net revenue are necessary for the successful
management of institutional financial aid resources. It
is common to find differences in interpretation and
understanding of tuition discounting among trustees,
executive administrators and financial aid
administrators at the same institution. These
differences often result in a lack of alignment of
strategic and financial goals and financial aid
packaging strategies. A Tuition Discount and Net Revenue
Review provides a review of an institution's tuition
discount rate and net revenue goals. It includes an
evaluation of the understanding and application of
tuition discounting across campus constituents, helps
identify the influencers of the discount rate at the
institution, and helps determine whether the financial
aid awarding strategies are aligned with discounting and
net revenue goals.
Competitive Market Financial Aid Analysis
Many colleges and universities have admissions
departments that provide a competitive edge.
Unfortunately, that edge gets lost when it comes to
financial aid. A Competitive Market Financial Aid
Analysis provides an institution with a review of how
competitive its financial aid function is within the
marketplace. It helps identify ways to improve how to
the financial aid function supports the recruitment and
retention of students. The review also includes market
research on what an institution's competitors are doing
in terms of merit scholarships and financial aid
awarding practices. The benefit of this service is that
it helps an institution make its financial aid
strategies, policies and procedures competitive with
overlap institutions. This helps improve admission and
retention efforts
BUSINESS SERVICES
Mergers Acquisitions & Succession Planning
Miller/Cook & Associates can assist boards of trustees
and corporate owners of schools complete due diligence
and merger and acquisition assessments. Areas we
consider in these services include enrollment and
revenue projections, financial aid regulatory
compliance, program viability and market assessment.
Whether you are a president or a chairman of a board of
a not-for-profit or the COO of a private equity group
considering a school purchase or sale, we can assist you
with your due diligence. We can also assist you with
both leadership and operational succession support.
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Collaborative. Quantitative. Principled. Successful.
Miller/Cook & Associates, Inc.
800.591.1141
info@millercook.com
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