Making it normal for new enrollments: Effect of institutional and pandemic influence on selecting an engineering institution under the COVID-19 pandemic situation

TL;DR

This study examines how institutional and pandemic influences affected students' choices of engineering institutions during COVID-19, highlighting the importance of institutional repositioning to attract new enrollments in crisis times.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights into the relationship between institutional and pandemic influences on student choice during COVID-19, guiding policy for enrollment strategies.

Findings

Pandemic influence is positively affected by institutional influence.

Institutional and pandemic influences govern EI choice during COVID-19.

Repositioning institutions can help normalize pandemic influence and attract enrollments.

Abstract

The COVID19 pandemic has forced Indian engineering institutions (EIs) to bring their previous half shut shades completely down. Fetching new admissions to EI campuses during the pandemic has become a now or never situation for EIs. During crisis situations, institutions have struggled to return to the normal track. The pandemic has drastically changed students behavior and family preferences due to mental stress and the emotional life attached to it. Consequently, it becomes a prerequisite, and emergencies need to examine the choice characteristics influencing the selection of EI during the COVID19 pandemic situation. The purpose of this study is to critically examine institutional influence and pandemic influence due to COVID19 that affects students choice about an engineering institution (EI) and consequently to explore relationships between institutional and pandemic influence. The findings of this quantitative research, conducted through a self-reported survey, have revealed that institutional and pandemic influence have governed EI choice under the COVID19 pandemic. Second, pandemic influence is positively affected by institutional influence. The study demonstrated that EIs will have to reposition themselves to normalize pandemic influence by tuning institutional characteristics that regulate situational influence and new enrollments. It can be yardstick for policy makers to attract new enrollments under pandemic situations.