NIU administrators are attributing an increase in retention and a smaller enrollment decrease than anticipated to more than $600,000 worth of marketing strategies from a consulting firm hired in December.The fall 2015 retention rate increased by 1 percent...

Retention between the fall and spring has decreased 1.2 percent to 87 percent, a number that slightly shocked NIU President Doug Baker, who said there are a lot of good things underway.Eric Weldy, vice president of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management,...

Doug Baker is 6 or 7 years old, if his memory serves right.He is on a trip with his grandma from Hood River, Ore., to Monache, Wash., to visit family. Stopped at a cafeteria, Baker piles food atop his plate and sits by his grandma.“I think your eyes...

NIU President Doug Baker has focused on revitalizing the campus through the Master Plan Thesis, but the results have been mixed: Total enrollment has continued to drop and projects are behind schedule, but NIU has seen gains in retention and international...

NIU President Doug Baker will push for a rise in retention between the fall and spring semesters as the university copes with a 527-student decline in enrollment from fall 2013 to this semester.Enrollment has fallen to 20,611 from last fall’s 21,138,...