Leaders in enrollment management divisions can do more to reduce energy consumption and carbon footprints.

• Carefully examine admission travel, including attendance at college fairs and high school visits. With a national emphasis on reducing dependence on oil, eliminating unnecessary travel can save significant dollars and energy. Some institutions have been able to reduce recruitment travel by as much as 80% with no impact on inquiry generation or yield.

• Save the forests by eliminating all forms in the financial aid process not specifically required by regulation. Consider using technology to have a paperless financial aid process.

• Consider using recycled paper to print letters and necessary publications.

• Discontinue printing college and university catalogues and publish them electronically on your web site.

• More and more colleges and universities are finding that fancy viewbooks are no longer the best mechanism for providing information to students and parents. Retiring such publications would help the environment and significantly reduce postage costs.

• Utilize available technology for electronic registration and course selection for all students each term. Electronic registration is earth-friendly and more efficient.

• Consider eliminating paper transcripts in the Registrar’s Office.

• Take advantage of new technology at some college fairs and let students inquire electronically, rather than completing a paper reply card.

• Consider eliminating paper admission and financial aid applications.

Obviously, institutions should strive to maximize institutional capacity to accomplish economies of scale. Professionals involved in enrollment management can assist in this area.

John W. Dysart is President of The Dysart Group, Inc, a higher education consulting firm specializing in recruitment, financial aid, retention and revenue growth at colleges and universities. To date, Mr. Dysart has provided consulting services to more than 140 colleges and universities in 35 states.