UPCEA’s Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success (MESS) Network sponsors annual competitions for UPCEA members at the MEMS: Marketing, Enrollment Management, and Student Success conference. The 2024 MEMS awards program recognizes the Excellence in Enrollment Management Award, the Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Award, and the Excellence in Marketing Award!
We invite UPCEA members to submit their outstanding enrollment planning, operational best practices, and superior enrollment management results for recognition under the Excellence in Enrollment Management Award.
We invite UPCEA members to submit their work promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout their marketing, recruitment, communication, programming, student success/services, and/or enrollment efforts for recognition under the Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Award.
Finally, we are excited to invite UPCEA members to submit their outstanding and effective marketing campaigns, which excel in creativity, execution, and impact, for recognition under the Excellence in Marketing Award.
The top award recipients will be recognized and shared with conference attendees in an interactive panel. The panel allows each of us to learn from the experience and strategic thinking of our esteemed colleagues.
We look forward to reviewing your submissions,
Awards Subcommittee, 2024 MEMS Planning Committee
Make sure you’re an UPCEA member. These awards are open to UPCEA members only (either institutional or corporate). Corporate members are expected to submit awards in conjunction with an institutional member. Information about UPCEA membership is available here.
Please note, by submitting an entry that you have worked on with a partner, you are agreeing that both parties are aware of and comfortable with the submission being made and, if selected as a recipient, will share the recognition.
Review the award criteria and the information you’ll need to submit below.
Enrollment management is central to the success of online and professional continuing education units. In the last 40 years, enrollment management has evolved from a theoretical concept in undergraduate education to a highly sophisticated framework for attracting, retaining, and graduating students. The UPCEA Excellence in Enrollment Management Award recognizes an outstanding online and professional continuing education organization (unit or individual) that models best practices and combines process excellence with superior results. This award is affiliated with the UPCEA Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Network.
Criteria:
The nominee (person/unit) must be an institutional member of UPCEA. Corporate members are expected to submit in conjunction with an institutional member. Click here to check your institution’s membership status.
The nominee must provide concrete examples of:
Application of tactics for enrollment goals. (ex. student support, retention, etc.)
Flexibility and implementation of new strategies to maintain or grow enrollments
Taking a student-centered approach in alignment with enrollment goals
Creativity based on resources
Nominations are particularly sought which can demonstrate:
Alignment with the Institution’s strategic vision;
An aim to widen participation and access to higher education or professional development
Nomination Procedure:
Complete the nomination form (opens June 10, 2024; deadline to submit nomination July 18, 2024).
Include among the supporting documents the following:
The Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness in Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Award recognizes institutions or departments that have dedicated their time and efforts to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout their marketing, recruitment, communication, programming, student success/services and/or enrollment efforts. This award focuses on a commitment to equity, representation and inclusion in a school’s marketing, enrollment and/or student success/services. Award recipients will have shown increased and sustained success in recruiting and retaining underrepresented populations based on their marketing and/or student success/services. This award is affiliated with the UPCEA Marketing, Enrollment, and Student Success Network.
Criteria:
At least one representative of the nominated institution/department must be an institutional member of UPCEA. Corporate members are expected to submit in conjunction with an institutional member. Click here to check your institution’s membership status.
The nominee must provide concrete examples of:
Demonstrable recent success within the past 2 years, such as increases in numbers of underrepresented populations served, increased engagement via targeted scholarships, augmented persistence rates, staff training, etc.
Evidence of exceptional efforts to promote a more inclusive learning environment that addresses inequities, including impact data (inquiries, enrollments, etc.)
Substantiation of the contribution that the work has made towards advancing diversity, equity and inclusion
The nominees’ marketing, admissions offices and/or on-campus support services are representative and inclusive of all, and that attracting and retaining underrepresented students (including first-year and adult populations) is a top priority
Nominees are particularly sought which embody any of the following:
Intentional processes or approaches that move an institution towards inclusivity
Cross-campus collaborations designed to support student success
Received feedback and used it to improve underrepresented student’s experiences (examples: change campus culture, increase access to services, etc.).
Intersectional approaches to equity, diversity, and inclusion
Nomination Procedure:
Complete the nomination form (opens June 10, 2024; deadline to submit nomination July 18, 2024).
Include among the supporting documents the following:
The Excellence in Marketing Award recognizes marketing campaigns that excel in creativity, execution, and impact. Regardless of institution size or budget, the award focuses on outstanding and effective marketing in the higher education field based upon overall creativity, messaging, results achieved by the campaign, and level of design. Campaigns must be completed between 2022 - 2024 from UPCEA member institutions and may be developed and executed in-house or in partnership with an outside agency.
Criteria:
The nominee (person/unit) must be an institutional member of UPCEA. Corporate members are expected to submit in conjunction with an institutional member. Click here to check your institution’s membership status.
Campaigns must be completed in 2022 – 2024. Nominations previously entered will not be considered.
The Nomination should clearly state the campaigns targeted audience, title and description, goals and objectives, examples of marketing materials, learning outcomes and results.
The campaign was executed intentionally and effectively to reach the intended audience, and can demonstrate positive impact(s) on the intended audience
Ability to be innovative with the design of the campaign, and to creatively engage a specific audience
Creativity based on resources
Nominations are Particularly Sought:
Tied to enrollment growth, student support, and success
Campaign-supported institutional goals
Took a risk in putting forward a novel or new approach to a marketing campaign
Nomination Procedure:
Complete the nomination form (opens June 10, 2024; deadline to submit nomination July 18, 2024).
Include among the supporting documents the following:
Narrative statement that describes the campaign purpose, marketing elements, the goal, and impact (250-300 words max)
Supporting Materials (not to exceed four items) This is any kind of branded element and material used to promote a brand, product or service, such as video, broadcast, digital or print materials, student stories, etc.
If submitting materials such as video, broadcast, website, please attach a separate document and provide a URL for judging that will remain live through December 2024, even if the URL is not meant for public viewing. No password required, please.