Cece Jabs-

The University of WisconsinStout aired a regional Super Bowl ad during this year’s football game. Was the ad intended to link UWStout’s image to their new website, or to help boost enrollment?

Doug Mell, executive director of communications and external relations, said he is responsible for “all official communications to our internal and external audiences, such as our students, faculty and staff and the public,” which means Mell is aware of the recent changes to enrollment rates.

During the 2016-17 school year, UW-Stout gained approximately 100 more students than the previous year. The university also achieved a record enrollment that year, with the number of enrolled students sitting nicely at 9,619. However, this year UWStout’s numbers dropped by about 200 students, with enrollment currently standing at 9,401.

“Right now, it appears that we will have another decline for 2018-19, but it is still early in the admissions process and we are doing a number of things to help turn that around. We certainly will do everything possible to return to the record enrollment level we had in 2016-17 and even exceed it,” Mell said.

The university has taken further measures to recruit more students, including a regional ad during the 2018 Super Bowl.

“The purpose of that advertisement, along with all of our marketing efforts, is to raise the brand visibility of UWStout and to increase our enrollment,” Mell said, “This advertisement was just one part of our overall marketing effort.”

Mell said only time will tell if the marketing efforts will help enrollment. Students and officials are hoping for another record breaking year in 2018-19.

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