This study analyzed data from 674 institutions collected through an AACRAO 60 Second Survey to investigate the levels of institutionalization of SEM in U.S. postsecondary institutions. Both Resource Dependency Theory (Pfeffer and Salancik 2003) and Institutional Isomorphism (DiMaggio and Powell 1983) were used to frame the study. The researchers…

Dr. William Serrata has been President of the El Paso County Community College (EPCC) District since 2012. Dr. Serrata serves as an advisory board member of the Higher Education Research and Development Institute (HERDI), and was recently appointed to the Executive Committee for Board of Directors for the American Association of Community Colleges…

In 2013, the convergence of a new Elon University registrar, a fairly new provost, and a need for structure related to summer marketing and registration presented an opportunity to innovate. The university provost conveyed an expectation that summer enrollment should grow under the new registrar, with a promise to free up the resources necessary…

On March 13, 2020, the coronavirus pandemic was declared a national emergency. Late that afternoon, Montgomery County Community College staff received notice to leave at the close of the day and prepare to be out for two weeks. This was the case for many around the country. This article highlights how Montco's enrollment management department…

Gone are the days of expecting a grad fair to bring a flood of students, a list of qualified leads, and inevitable conversion to application. Instead, creativity and attention to the considerations noted in this op-ed are necessary for the grad fair to continue to be of value.

Historically, the most common type of transfer student was described as traditional; they enrolled in a community college, earned an associate's degree, and transitioned to a four-year institution for degree completion. The highest degree of departure from one institution to the next occurs within the second year of enrollment (Hossler, et al.…

This article is the third of a three-part series based on the book, "Basic Guide to Financial Aid," which recently won NASFAA's Robert P. Huff Golden Quill Award. The contents within are adapted from the publication, with additional emphasis on the impact federal student aid administration has on non-financial aid professionals in higher…

Responsibility Center Management (RCM) budget models are designed to create financial incentives that encourage expense reduction and revenue generation. This article--a primer on RCM--equips enrollment management leaders and other higher education professionals with the knowledge required to support the attainment of enrollment headcount and net…

The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers' (AACRAO's) Strategic Enrollment Management Endorsement Program, or SEM-EP, is a well-defined, self-paced professional development program and career advancement track for in-service enrollment service professionals. Designed to promote industry competency and readiness, the…

This study investigates how universities can increase enrollment by advertising anxiety resources to prospective students during the college search process. Anxiety is classified as a mental health crisis on today's college campuses and is the leading concern for college students. There are eight major factors associated with anxiety among college…

As the country and college campuses shut down in the Spring of 2020 in response to COVID-19, institutions needed to quickly pivot their plans into a digital environment to yield their accepted class. Through the Wisr platform, institutions communicated directly with their admitted students and their families through discussion board functionality…

Enrollment offices deploy various outreach methods including mailings, brochures, phone calls, and email campaigns. For these undergraduate admissions offices, working with high school students creates opportunities to shift the enrollment approach every academic year. Evolving admissions strategy created a chance to change the print marketing…

AACRAO Research completed five 60-Second Surveys and four comprehensive reports. Other research-supported work included: supporting the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation credit mobility learning portfolio, partnering with NACUBO to create a joint statement on the use of administrative and student success holds, and supporting WICHE in their work…

As a naïve young manager at a 30,000-student college, Jeffrey Levine vowed that if he ever participated on university cross-departmental teams building on a strong foundation from both student affairs and enrollment management (EM), he would never miss an opportunity to engage key faculty, senior leadership, and academic affairs leadership. Levine…

Registrars and other university offices are integral to students' full life cycle, from prospective students to alumni. In this more encompassing definition of enrollment management, registrars perform a number of duties that overlap with the objectives of enrollment management. This perspective paper analyzes the changes in the historic…