Deirdre Whitman
Vice President, Enrollment Management
Mercy College
This very talented lady followed another very talented lady to her present job - for the third time. Together Deirdre Whitman, Kimberly Cline and effective customer service are making Mercy College higher education's growth story in metropolitan New York.
Is there a typical undergraduate student, and were you one?
No and no. Each student has different priorities, needs, goals, motivation levels, financial circumstances. However, most undergraduates need encouragement, especially to involve themselves in the full college experience. Many of them don't appreciate all the skills they can develop in and out of the classroom. At the beginning of my freshman year I was a kid away from home. Very soon thereafter, St. Michael's College staff had me in the right courses as well as volunteering in soup kitchens and involved in drama.
What brought you back to St. Michael's College for graduate school?
After three years employed at Norwich University, I was Assistant Dean of Students fostering the same engagement activities that helped me as a student. The high quality of my unforgettable undergraduate experience and the mentorship available to me there made St. Michael's an easy choice for pursuing a Master's of Science in Administration and Management.
Is that relationship-building possible in a metropolitan college market?
Since implementing a mentor for every qualified freshman in fall 2009, we've already seen a fifteen percent increase in semester-to-semester retention. The enrollment includes metropolitan markets and encompasses New York City's five boroughs, the counties of Westchester, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange as well as Long Island, and southern Connecticut. Our residence halls are so packed we're booking space for upperclassmen in the Doubletree Hotel, and planning to build.
What distinctions attract people to Mercy College?
Here are our top three. Our course offering is very broad with over 90 academic program choices. If a student knows his or her desired major, we very likely offer it. If he or she is undecided, we allow time and assistance for students to make an intelligent choice. Our Personalized Achievement Contract (PACT mentoring) provides professional cross-trained mentors. Each one of them helps each student from pre-admission through graduation and career. Price also is crucial. Our tuition is one of the lowest private tuition rates in our market area. Mercy students are not buried in debt when they graduate, and graduates become strong advocates.
Among your students, what are some tangible results?
During fall 2009 we enrolled our largest freshman class in ten years. New student enrollment has grown 37 percent in two years. New student applications are up 100 percent since 2007, while the number of first-time full-time freshmen has grown 61 percent. This has created a new vibrancy on all five Mercy campuses. We have many students who were able to choose between a public school and Mercy College, with no difference in out-of-pocket costs when compared to Mercy. In fact, we can often show a better value.
Among Mercy's employees, what are some tangible results?
In three years we've had no layoffs or furloughs. In fact, while other colleges and businesses are downsizing, Mercy is growing to support student success. The PACT team will grow from three mentors in fall 2009 to 21 in fall 2010. We are attracting Fulbright scholars and hiring noteworthy faculty of competence. Our marketing and enrollment staffs are growing. But most important, we are hiring the right people to fill out the right team.
How does 'the right team' affect the college's bottom line?
The right team is made up of people with enthusiasm and passion for higher education. They'll do whatever it takes to help a student. They produce happy students. Happy students stimulate enrollment growth. Enrollment growth produces financial stability.
What plans do you have to mentor online-only students?
This year we have more than 500 mentored students, all of them classroom students. Our plan for 2010-11 will add 500 more, again all classroom students. In a few years we expect to mentor all undergraduate students, which will include online-only.
Where would you like to be five years from now?
I'm enjoying enrollment management very much. I also take great pleasure in working for thirteen years now with Dr. Kimberly Cline, our president. She hits it right out of the park, and I want to be right here. In fact, I hope to be welcoming today's undergraduates back to Mercy's graduate offerings.