Institution Overview
Jessup University, a regional institution serving approximately 2,000 students, faced the common challenge of aligning its program offerings with market demand while ensuring student success. By implementing Gray Decision Intelligence’s Program Evaluation System (PES), Jessup gained valuable data-informed insights that transformed their recruitment, program development, and resource allocation strategies.
Challenges
Jessup needed a solution to:
- Identify which academic programs would thrive based on regional demand.
- Improve student recruitment by showcasing real-world job opportunities.
- Optimize resource allocation to maximize profitability.
PES gave Jessup the localized data needed to make smarter decisions—from recruiting students to choosing which programs to grow or cut.
Solutions
By implementing Gray DI’s Program Evaluation System (PES), Jessup gained localized, data-informed insights that transformed decision-making across recruitment, program development, and resource allocation.
1. Enhanced Student Recruitment
Michael Obermire, Business Manager at Jessup, leveraged PES to assess student demand within a 100-mile radius. During an admissions event, he presented Gray DI’s job postings analysis to prospective business students and their parents.
“I showed them the best jobs within the 100-mile radius. Four out of the top 10 were business-related,” said Obermire.
This data-informed presentation resonated with attendees, leading to an unprecedented outcome:
“We had 60 students sign up immediately… which is unheard of for us.“
2. Optimized Program Offerings and Resource Allocation
Before adopting PES, Jessup relied on national BLS data to justify new programs. With Gray DI’s localized insights, the university gained a clearer understanding of which programs had strong regional demand and which ones might require reconsideration.
“Now, we’ve avoided launching programs that wouldn’t attract students in our market,” Obermire explained.
PES also provided financial insights that allowed Jessup to compare program performance and strategically allocate resources to areas with the highest potential for student success and institutional sustainability.
3. Fostering a Data-Informed Culture
Initially, Obermire was the sole user of PES. Over time, he successfully advocated for its adoption across departments:
“For years, I was the only one using Gray DI’s PES. Now, marketing and job placement teams are using it too.”
This broader use of data has empowered Jessup to make informed decisions across all areas of the university.
Conclusion
By integrating Gray DI’s PES, Jessup University not only improved its recruitment and resource strategies but also cultivated a data-informed culture that positions its students and programs for long-term success.
Key Takeaways
Showcasing graduate employability resonated with prospective students and their parents
Aligning programs with local market demand ensured relevant offerings and avoided costly missteps
Data-informed insights supported strategic investments in high-potential programs
Expanding PES use empowered all departments to make better decisions
Situation
Jessup University needed to align academic programs with regional demand, improve student recruitment, and allocate resources more effectively.
Solution
They implemented Gray DI’s Program Evaluation System (PES) to gain localized, data-informed insights for decision-making across departments.
Results
Jessup boosted enrollment with record-breaking admissions event sign-ups, avoided launching low-demand programs, and fostered a campus-wide culture of data-informed planning.
