With the impending demographic shifts and a tight labor market, the CoBT is challenged to address declining graduate enrollments and to focus resources, efforts, and priorities for growth and innovation. Work in mid-2022 to restructure the CoBT's Graduate Programs office from a centralized to a decentralized model led to further faculty engagement (as program coordinators), redefining some staff positions to provide support to graduate recruitment and advising, and the addition of a dedicated graduate recruiter.
The resources generated from the CoBT Graduate Programs are significant not only for the university, given differentiated allocation in the state funding model, but also for the premium tuition in two of the four existing programs that support CoBT operations and strategic initiatives. While the following actions are intended to reverse a decline in program enrollments, other actions may be determined and implemented for all or some of the programs as part of continuous review and improvement.
Action Steps
1: Incorporate MMIS Double Bobcat
1: Incorporate the Double Bobcats program into the mmis program
Completed in Spring 2023
- Champions:
MMIS Program Coordinator; IS/CS CHair; Graduate Recruiter - Goals/Target Dates:
An average of 10-15 additional students per AY - Key Performance Indicators:
| AY23 | AY24 | AY25 | AY26 | AY27 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # of Applicants | 15 | 20 | |||
| # Admitted | 15 | 15 | |||
| # Enrolled (as DB) | 15 | 15 | |||
| # Enrolled in MMIS Program | 14 |
- Resource Needs:
No additional resources other than the potential for increased part-time faculty ($5,000 per AY)
2: Increase Underrepresented Students in Graduate Programs
2: Through various recruitment tactics, work to increase the number of underrepresented students in the graduate programs
Ongoing
- Champions:
Graduate Coordinators; Graduate Recruiter; Associate Dean - Goals/Target Dates:
Realize a 25% increase in underrepresented graduate students across programs between 2022-2027 - Key Performance Indicators:
Number of international students
Number of students self-identifying as underrepresented (e.g., BIPOC)
Underrepresented Students in Graduate Programs - Fall 2023
MAcc | ||
|---|---|---|
2022 (% of total enrolled) | 2023 (% of total enrolled) | 2024 (% of total enrolled) |
8.00% (Asian) | 11.76% (Asian) | 3.6% (Asian) |
4.00% (African American) | 5.88% (African American) | 10.7% (African American) |
4.00% (Hispanic) | 5.88% (Hispanic) | 0% (Hispanic) |
56.00% (Female) | 58.82% (Female) | 46.4% (Female) |
MBA | ||
|---|---|---|
2022 (% of total enrolled) | 2023 (% of total enrolled) | 2024 (% of total enrolled) |
|
| 2% (Asian) |
16.67% (African American) | 31.58% (African American) | 36.7% (African American) |
|
| 0% (Hispanic) |
38.89% (Female) | 63.16% (Female); | 57.1% (Female); |
2022 (% of total enrolled)
MLSCM | |||
|---|---|---|---|
2022 (% of total enrolled) | 2023 (% of total enrolled) | 2024 (% of total enrolled) | |
8.00% (Asian) | 10.00% (Asian) | 6.7% (Asian) | |
14.00% (African American) | 30.00% (African American) | 37.80% (African American) | |
4.00% (Hispanic) | 3.33% (Hispanic) | 2.20% (Hispanic) | |
38.00% (Female) | 46.67% (Female) | 40.00% (Female) | |
MMIS | ||
|---|---|---|
2022 (% of total enrolled) | 2023 (% of total enrolled) | 2024 (% of total enrolled) |
7.69% (Asian) | 23.08% (Asian) | 5.8% (Asian) |
11.54% (African American) | 7.69% (African American) | 26.1% (African American) |
3.85% (Hispanic) | 2.56% (Hispanic) | 0% (Hispanic) |
38.46% (Female) | 48.72% (Female) | 39.10% (Female) |
- Resource Needs:
$10,000 - targeted recruitment, marketing, and admissions/operating costs per year
3: Implement a Second Cohort for MLSCM
3: Explore the feasibility, and potentially implement, a second cohort for the MLSCM Program, leveraging the double bobcat program
In Progress - Proposal passed CoBT faculty in spring 24. Planned for Spring 25.
- Champions:
MLSCM Graduate Coordinator; Graduate Recruiter - Goals/Target Dates:
2024 and Spring 2025; 15-20 additional students per spring cohort - Key Performance Indicators:
Number of students expressing interest
Number of applicants
Number of admits
Number of students declaring
Number of students enrolled and SCH growth - Resource Needs:
Additional FTE faculty line in Logistics and Supply Chain Management ($100,000)
Part-time faculty resources ($5,000 per semester)
4: Provide pathways from universities to CoBT Graduate Programs
4: Establish articulation agreements with universities that offer primarily undergraduate education to provide pathways to CoBT graduate programs
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Andrew College, Atlanta Metropolitan State College, College of Coastal Georgia, Dalton State, Georgia Highlands College, Georgia Military College, LaGrange College & Middle Georgia State University, and UNC Asheville have been provided pathways
- Champions:
Dean; Associate Dean; Graduate Coordinators; Graduate Recruiter - Goals/Target Dates:
Establish MOUs with 8-10 universities between Academic Year 2024-2027
Yield an average of 10-15 students per year for the CoBT graduate programs - Key Performance Indicators:
| Number of Students in our Graduate Programs for Partner Institutions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer '23 | Fall '23 | Spring '24 | Summer '24 | Fall '24 | ||||||
| Admits | Enrolled | Admits | Enrolled | Admits | Enrolled | Admits | Enrolled | Admits | Enrolled | |
| ABAC | 3 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Andrew College | ||||||||||
| AMSC | ||||||||||
| CoCG | ||||||||||
| Dalton State | 1 | 1 | ||||||||
| Georgia Highlands | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Georgia Military College | 1 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 2 | |||
| Lagrange College | 1 | |||||||||
| MGSU | 3 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 5 | ||
| UNC Asheville | ||||||||||
| Total | 19 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 8 | ||||
- Resource Needs:
$5,000 - targeted recruitment, marketing, and admissions/operating costs per year
5: Degree/non-Degree Program Development
5: Degree/non-degree program development and implementation
Exploring the possibility of a graduate degree in applied AI; Several faculty work with the School of Continuing and Professional Studies to offer workshops to adult learners
- Champions:
Dean; Associate Dean' Graduate Coordinators; Graduate Recruiter; Faculty; Executive Director; School of Continuing and Professional Studies; Deans of other GCSU Colleges - Goals/Target Dates:
Explore the feasibility of adding one new graduate degree in FY24; if feasible, implement in FY25 or FY26
Develop/implement at least two non-degree professional development programs for adult learners between - Key Performance Indicators:
Number of students expressing interest
Number of applicants
Number of admits
Number of students declaring
Number of students enrolled and SCH growth
Program participation and adult learning demographics - Resource Needs:
Undetermined number of faculty positions and part-time resources