TRUE FACT: The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that an increasing number of colleges “screen students’ academic records and admit them before they’ve formally applied” (Daily Briefing, August 6th online).
Well, hold onto your tasseled mortarboards with both hands, ladies and gentlemen. Eastern Michigan University has taken this strategy to the next level. In its “Guess What, You’re Done!” program, potential students are awarded an EMU degree before they even submit an application for admission to the institution.
According to Eastern Michigan President James M. Smith, “the Guess What initiative enables us to manage enrollment at our school much more precisely than we ever have in the past. Of course, we no longer have to worry about retention, because students graduate before they have a chance to drop out. Moreover, we’ve been able to ‘right-size’ our roster of tenure-track and adjunct faculty, since we no longer employ any tenure-track or adjunct faculty.
“Guess What has allowed us to add staff to both our Business Office and our Division of Alumni Affairs, which is a good thing — the folks there are super busy now. For example, collecting tuition from someone who has never taken a course at your institution can be challenging. But it’s a challenge we embrace with enthusiasm…and with a no-nonsense collection agency.”
NOTE: If you would like to attend EMU, just check your email. You may already have graduated! An invoice should be arriving soon. Payment is due upon receipt, so respond promptly. Things can get very unpleasant if they have to contact you a second time.