Pacific Community College District's Enrollment Strategies Responding to California's Funding Mechanism Changes

Prior to 2006, California community college funding levels were disparate, with some colleges earning significantly more funding per student than others. To eliminate disparity, the state legislature passed Senate Bill 361 (SB 361) in 2006, equalizing funding to all of the state's community colleges, paying each at the same rate per full-time equivalent student (FTES). The problem of how California community colleges dealt with this challenge, including capitalizing on enrollment growth strategies, was explored in this qualitative case study. General system theory and change theory provided a theoretical framework for understanding how systems respond to changes in their external environments. The research questions for this study ascertained appropriate change strategies to solve institutional dilemmas, the role of institutional leaders in developing change strategies, how strategies for change in enrollment management were best developed and implemented, strategies that were successful in improving student enrollment, and how these strategies were sustained and institutionalized. Data collection consisted of personal interviews with senior academic and student services administrators from two colleges at Pacific Community College District. Pattern coding was used to identify possible themes across responses to analyze data. Findings indicated that institutions could improve enrollment by using institutional research data, linking enrollment to budget, capitalizing on marketing/outreach opportunities, and efficiently scheduling courses. This study contributed to social change by helping college leaders construct their learning environment to best meet the needs of their students.