ESBD_File_349369_RFP #24-17 Strategic Enrollment Consulting Services.pdf

RFP 24-17 Strategic Enrollment Consulting Services 1

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) #24-17

STRATEGIC ENROLLMENT CONSULTING SERVICES

PROPOSED SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

This schedule may be modified or changed at the sole discretion of SJCCD.

DATE ACTION

February 6, 2024 RFP issued.

February 14, 2024

Questions and/or Clarifications Deadline

Requests for questions and clarifications regarding RFP documents shall be submitted through the Questions tab in IonWave by 5:00 p.m. Central Time to be considered.

February 15, 2024 Issuance of final addendum, if necessary.

February 21, 2024

Proposal Submission Deadline

All proposal documents shall be submitted before 2:00 p.m. Central Time in IonWave.

The RFP opening will take place digitally through IonWave immediately following time due. A list of vendors who submitted will be made available upon written request to the Procurement Contact

April of 2024 Recommendation of award and approval to enter into contract.

Award will be announced after approval received.

IonWave:

https://sanjac.ionwave.net

PROCUREMENT CONTACT

Farrah Khalil, Buyer

281-998-6326 farrah.khalil@sjcd.edu https://sanjac.ionwave.net/ mailto:farrah.khalil@sjcd.edu

RFP 24-17 Strategic Enrollment Consulting Services 2

SCOPE OF WORK

San Jacinto Community College District (“SJCCD” or “College”) is soliciting sealed proposals from qualified firms to provide strategic enrollment consulting services.

All work performed must be in compliance with existing federal, state and local codes, statutes and requirements.

SJCCD is a public community college district organized under Chapter 130 of the Texas Education Code and is tax exempt in the State of Texas.

This scope of work covers the requirements to provide SJCCD with strategic enrollment consulting services in an effort to help connect the College’s mission, current state, and changing environment to long-term enrollment and fiscal health. Services shall include, but are not limited to the following:

1. PHASE ONE - DISCOVERY

Firm shall gather information and provide consultation and advisement in the following areas:

a. Projections and Enrollment Pattern Analysis

(1) Analyze population projections at the state-and-local level by age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and age for credit, non-credit, and dual-credit student populations.

(2) Analyze application, enrollment, and completion patterns for credit, non-credit, and dual-credit student populations.

(3) Analyze tuition and fee revenue based on historical trends for credit, non-credit, and dual-credit student populations.

(4) Analyze dual credit enrollment trends and their impact on overall enrollment and capacity.

(5) Evaluate the current alignment between non-credit and credit programs.

(6) Analyze the entry and completion pathways for both non-credit and credit programs, identifying the gaps and opportunities for integration.

b. Capacity

(1) Determine enrollment capacity for the College by classification and by program in the context of existing resources and projections.

i. Capacity analysis should include evaluation of faculty lines and the potential for colleges support projected enrollment growth.

c. Marketing Through focus groups, surveys, or other appropriate research-based strategies:

RFP 24-17 Strategic Enrollment Consulting Services 3

(1) Determine why prospective students choose to attend (or not attend) the College and, concurrently, identify particular areas of strengths and weaknesses.

(2) Evaluate marketing materials and efforts as they pertain to image/reputation-building of the College, recruitment efforts, and areas and/or programs of strength.

d. Recruitment

(1) Evaluate effectiveness of recruitment strategies for enrolling different populations of students, those likely to graduate and those not likely to graduate.

(2) Identify gaps in recruitment capacity.

e. Tuition and Financial Aid

(1) Evaluate the price point for the College.

(2) Evaluate the College’s Promise initiative and its impact on the College.

(3) Determine the effect of financial aid packaging on enrollment yield and completion yield.

f. Student Success Through focus groups, surveys, or other appropriate research-based strategies:

(1) Determine why current students choose to stay or leave the College and identify particular areas of strengths or weaknesses.

(2) Examine current practices the College uses to improve student success and evaluate their effectiveness.

(3) Examine current practices the College uses to promote success of students who are deemed “at-risk” of not graduating.

(4) Examine the strengths and/or weaknesses of the utilization of texting as a student communication and engagement tool.

g. Organizational Structure

(1) Evaluate the current organizational structure the College employs to meet recruitment and retention goals.

h. Technology

(1) Assess the efficiency and success of the College’s Customer Relationship Management

(CRM) System and student portals as they pertain to student enrollment, student retainment, and student success.

RFP 24-17 Strategic Enrollment Consulting Services 4

2. PHASE TWO - REPORTING REQUIREMENTS – DATA ANALYSIS

Upon completion of discovery, firm shall provide a written/electronic report detailing the following:

a. Population projections at the state-and-local level by age, race/ethnicity, gender, educational attainment, and age for credit, non-credit, and dual-credit student populations.

b. Statis quo projections of application, enrollment, and completion patterns for credit, non-credit, and dual-credit student populations.

c. Tuition and fee revenue based on historical trends for credit, non-credit, and dual-credit student populations.

d. Dual-credit enrollment trends and their impact on overall enrollment and capacity.

e. Data detailing the current alignment between non-credit and credit programs.

f. Data detailing the gaps and opportunities for integration in relation to the entry and completion pathways for both non-credit and credit programs.

g. Enrollment capacity for the College by classification and by program. Report should include evaluation of faculty lines and the potential for colleges support projected enrollment growth.

h. Data detailing why prospective students choose to attend (or not attend) the College, and identification of particular areas of strengths and weaknesses.

i. The evaluation of the College’s marketing materials and efforts as they pertain to image/reputation-building of the College, recruitment efforts, and areas and/or programs of strength.

j. Effectiveness of recruitment strategies for enrolling different populations of students, those likely to graduate and those not likely to graduate.

k. Gaps in recruitment capacity.

l. Effects of financial aid packaging on enrollment yield and completion yield.

m. Data detailing the College’s Promise Initiative and its impact on the College as it pertains to student enrollment, student retainment, and student success.

n. Data detailing why current students choose to stay or leave the College.

o. Effectiveness of the College’s current practices used to improve student success (retention and completion).

p. Effectiveness of the College’s current practices used to improve success of students who are deemed “at-risk” of not graduating.

q. Effectiveness of the College’s current organizational structure employed to meet recruitment and retention goals.

r. Effectiveness of the utilization of texting as a student communication and engagement tool.

s. Effectiveness of the College’s CRM System and student portals as they pertain to student enrollment, student retainment, and student success.

RFP 24-17 Strategic Enrollment Consulting Services 5

3. PHASE THREE - REPORTING REQUIREMENTS – RECOMMENDATIONS FOR

INCREASED AND RETAINABLE ENROLLMENT

Upon completion of discovery, firm shall provide a written/electronic report detailing the following:

a. Recommendations to improve enrollment of prospective/potential credit, non-credit, and dual-credit student populations.

b. Recommendations to improve student retention and graduation.

c. Recommendations to close the gaps and increase opportunities for integration in relation to the entry and completion pathways for both non-credit and credit programs.

d. Recommendations to improve the College’s marketing materials and efforts as they pertain to image/reputation-building of the College, recruitment efforts, and areas and/or programs of strength.

e. Recommendations to improve and/or develop a branding/marketing strategy within the following areas:

i. Creative Materials

ii. Advertising Campaign

iii. Traditional Advertising

iv. PR/Communications

v. News Media

vi. Social Media

f. Recommendations to improve the recruitment strategies for enrolling different populations of students, those likely to graduate and those not likely to graduate.

g. Recommendations to close the gap(s) in recruitment capacity.

h. Recommendations regarding price point for the College.

i. Recommendations on financial aid packaging.

j. Recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the College’s Promise Initiative and its positive impact on the College.

k. Recommendations of practices that can be used to improve student success in credit, non-credit, and dual-credit student populations.

l. Recommendations of practices that can be used to improve success of students who are deemed “at-risk” of not graduating.

m. Recommendations to improve the College’s current organizational structure employed to meet recruitment and retention goals.

n. Recommendations regarding the utilization of texting as a student communication and engagement tool.

o. Recommendations to improve the utilization of the College’s CRM System and student portals as they pertain to student enrollment, student retainment, and student success.

RFP 24-17 Strategic Enrollment Consulting Services 6

4. PHASE FOUR – STRATEGIC ENROLLMENT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

a. Firm shall utilize all previously gleaned knowledge, information, and data from Phases One through Three to help the College create a highly customized three-to-five-year strategic enrollment implementation plan.

5. PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

a. Firm shall coordinate all discovery and consultation activity with the SJCCD point of contact(s).

b. Firm shall procure all discovery documents and information listed in Section 1 of this solicitation from the SJCCD point of contact(s).

c. Phase One shall be preceded and succeeded by face-to-face and/or virtual meetings with all applicable College departments/staff.

d. Phase Two shall be succeeded by a face-to-face and/or virtual meeting with all applicable

College departments/staff.

e. Phase Three shall be succeeded by a face-to-face and/or virtual meeting with all applicable

College departments/staff.

f. Phase Four shall be preceded and succeeded by face-to-face and/or virtual meetings with all applicable College departments/staff.

g. Firm shall be available for virtual consultations following project conclusion for one calendar year.

6. PREFERRED PROJECT TIMELINE

Item: Due Date Phase One - Discovery July 2024 Phase Two - Data Analysis Report November 2024 Phase Three - Recommendation Report February 2025 Phase Four – Implementation Plan Creation April 2025

7. CAMPUS LOCATIONS

a. Central Campus – 8060 Spencer Hwy, Pasadena, TX 77505

b. North Campus – 5800 Uvalde, Houston, TX 77049

c. South Campus – 13735 Beamer Road, Houston, TX 77089

d. Maritime – 3700 Old Hwy 146, La Porte, TX 77571

RFP 24-17 Strategic Enrollment Consulting Services 7

e. Generation Park Campus – 13455 Lockwood Rd., Houston, TX 77044

f. Edge Center – 13150 Space Center Blvd., Houston, TX 77059

8. SUPPLIER DIVERSITY REPORTING

SJCCD does not give preference to historically underutilized or small business in the awarding of contracts. However, if the awarded contractor utilizes a subcontractor(s) to fulfill the proposed requirements, the contractor may be required to track and report the amount paid to each subcontractor along with the subcontractor’s supplier diversity classification. This information will only be used for the purpose of statistical tracking. The reportable classifications include:

• African American

• Asian Pacific American

• Caucasian

• Hispanic American

• Native American

• Small Business

• Veteran Owned

• Minority Owned

• Woman Owned

• LGBTQ

• Other / Non-disclosed

9. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

a. All contractors, subcontractors or company representatives working at any college property or college facility shall wear a clearly visible name tag, badge, embroidered or labelled uniform shirt, or other personal or company identification at all times. Failure to comply with this requirement could result in removal from the campus until corrected.

10. CONTRACT TERM

The contract term, if any, for contract(s) awarded from this solicitation will be from the effective date through project completion, subject to the termination provisions as further described in the sample contract terms and conditions on the Attachments tab section of this solicitation.

RFP 24-17 Strategic Enrollment Consulting Services 8

EVALUATION CRITERIA

An Evaluation Committee will review all proposals according to the criteria stated herein. The committee’s evaluations will be based on all available information, including qualification statements, subsequent interviews/presentations, reports, discussions, reference checks, and other appropriate review.

Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

Factor Points

Section 1: Qualifications and Experience of Firm 15

Section 2: Qualifications and Experience of Personnel 15

Section 3: Scope Understanding, Approach, and Management 25

Section 4: References 10

Section 5: Exceptions to Terms and Conditions 5

Section 6: Price Proposal* 30

Total 100

* The price proposal for each firm will be evaluated in comparison with the other firms’ price proposals;

however, the number of points possible may be evaluated in proportion to each respondent’s evaluation score received for Section 3: Scope Understanding, Approach, and Management.

RFP 24-17 Strategic Enrollment Consulting Services 9

PROPOSAL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

All proposal response requirements must be submitted through IonWave. The system does not allow a proposal submission unless all requirements have been met, including Attributes and Response Attachments. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the following:

Written Proposal:

Written Proposal shall be submitted as a Response Attachment in IonWave and shall include responses to Section 1 – 3. Written Proposals shall be a single PDF document with a maximum of twenty (20) pages (numbered 1-20). Sections must be in order and clearly labeled as outlined below.

Include a coversheet that includes your firm’s name, representative, and contact information.

Coversheet does not count towards the 20-page limit.

1. Qualifications and Experience of Firm

a. Include a description of the firm including firm’s history and size. Provide information regarding how long the proposer has provided the services requested in this RFP.

b. Describe previous experience with SJCCD or other public entities and/or colleges. Include how many public entities and/or college accounts are in your current client base. Did your company perform satisfactorily to the terms and conditions of the last award given to your company? Were there any discrepancies, issues or complaints reported concerning your organization’s performance?

2. Qualifications and Experience of Personnel

a. Include a project-staffing plan and organizational chart for all proposed key staff members who will be assigned to this project. Identify their respective responsibilities for this project. If personnel substitutions are contemplated on a contingency basis, they should also be identified.

b. Provide brief resumes for key staff members outlining the qualifications and experience directly related to this RFP.

c. If your company is not based in the Houston area, do you anticipate remote consulting;

or, if in person, how is travel billed to the client and how many visits would you anticipate for this project?

3. Scope Understanding, Approach, and Management

a. Describe how your services meets the scope listed in this RFP. Address any variances between your proposal and the scope.

RFP 24-17 Strategic Enrollment Consulting Services 10

b. Include the management and technical approach as well as a proposed timeline to complete the project. Include details pertaining to your firm’s approach, implementation, and capabilities as are relevant to this proposal.

c. Describe how your company would rectify a situation where a key staff member is unable to complete work on this project.

d. List any value-added or extra services your company provides. If these services are not included in the price proposal, clearly indicate the respective fees for additional services, if applicable.

4. References

Include references in the Attributes tab in IonWave for the following:

a. The proposer shall provide at least five (5) references on recent projects for which the proposer's company is currently providing or has provided the same type and level of service required in this RFP within the past three years. Include the name, telephone number, and valid email address of a reference person who may be contacted for further information. It is highly preferable that these references are other colleges or public sector accounts comparable in size or larger.

b. All references will be contacted by email. Evaluations will be based on responses received from references. It is advisable to notify your references ahead of time that a reference will be requested by email.

5. Exceptions to Terms and Conditions

An exception includes any addition, deletion, or other modification. Submit exceptions to terms and conditions as an attachment in the Response Attachment tab in IonWave as follows:

a. If you select Yes to “EXCEPTIONS TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS” under the Attributes tab, you must submit a written summary of each exception to this RFP, including the scope, specifications, and/or sample contract, as applicable. The summary shall include supporting justification that clearly identifies the specific reference, page, section, and sub-section of the change, relevance of the change, the vendor’s rationale for the change, and benefit to the College for accepting the change for the submitted exceptions to be considered in the evaluation.

b. The College’s evaluation of submitted exceptions will address the quantity of exceptions, type of exceptions, and justification(s) for exceptions. Fewer exceptions and/or exceptions with a lower risk to the College, if accepted, will equate to a higher score.

c. Any exceptions not explicitly stated may not be considered during contract negotiations, if any. The submittal of exceptions to terms and conditions does not guarantee the College’s acceptance of exceptions. The College reserves the right to accept or reject any exceptions as necessary to negotiate a mutually beneficial contract.

RFP 24-17 Strategic Enrollment Consulting Services 11

6. Price Proposal

Include pricing on the Line Items tab in IonWave for the following:

1. Not to exceed lump sum cost for strategic enrollment consulting services.

Required: Upload a Response Attachment document of the price breakdown for Line Item 1, "Not to exceed for strategic enrollment consulting services.” Price breakdown shall include a breakdown by phase, including each position assigned to the project, their hourly rate(s), and estimated number of hours.

Optional: Upload a Response Attachment document, if needed, to provide details of any costs not listed in the Line Items section, including travel costs. Any costs not explicitly stated in a proposal response shall not be charged to the College.

The College reserves the right to consider pricing submitted through Line Items, Line Notes, and Response Attachments. If there is a discrepancy among the Line Items, Line Notes, and Response Attachments, the Line Items pricing shall prevail.

List of Response Attachments:

Include the following documents in the Response Attachments tab in IonWave.

All forms are available to download under the Attachments tab in IonWave. Except when listed as Optional, all Response Attachment documents are required and failure to provide a required document may deem the proposer non-responsive and disqualify the response from consideration for award.

1. Written Proposal

2. Price Breakdown for Line Item 1

3. Conflict of Interest form

4. Proof of Insurance Requirements

5. Supplier Diversity Reporting Form

6. Federal Vendor Certification Form

7. Exceptions to Terms and Conditions (optional)

8. Additional Costs Not Included in Pricing (optional)