This study examines the critical role that marketing plays within the realms of public four-year higher education institutions (HEIs) in the United States, all through the lens of HEI presidents. The context is a higher education market that is rapidly evolving, stirred by fierce competition, shifting societal norms, the COVID-19 pandemic…

Data interpretation can be difficult. Data visualization techniques from the manufacturing industry make interpretation easier. Control charts display trends in context, so it is clear when performance is truly changing and when it is not. Decision makers know when to act, when to maintain, and when to celebrate. This article discusses the use of…

Missouri State University (MSU) began developing a strategic enrollment management (SEM) plan at the beginning of the fall 2019 semester and completed this initiative in December 2020. The impetus of the plan was a changing landscape in enrollment and recognition of the need to respond with intentionality. The university approached the plan by…

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…

This article explores the perceptions of senior enrollment managers at Canadian colleges and universities regarding the effectiveness of using the Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) model within the Canadian context. The research design consists of a qualitative approach involving 23 individual interviews. Research participants reflected on…

When March 2020 brought with it not only the initial signs of spring, it also brought the reality of the global pandemic to be known as COVID-19. This global pandemic impacted society in many facets. People lost loved ones to the illness, others are still dealing with "long-COVID" affects, and many people lost their jobs due to the…

Community colleges have experienced many challenges since their establishment in 1902; however, the 21st century has brought new obstacles and opportunities. In turn, community college leaders have been called upon to address challenges such as the COVID-19 global pandemic, the demand from students for virtual course offerings, and financial…

Prospective graduate students' noncognitive attributes are commonly evaluated as a part of a holistic review of their admission applications. Yet it is difficult to determine which noncognitive attributes are considered by those who evaluate graduate admissions applications and what approaches they take to measure applicants' noncognitive…

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.

This guide describes how community college presidents can embed strategic enrollment management (SEM) into mission fulfillment. It emphasizes the importance of setting a vision, ensuring adequate resources, and fostering collaboration. By leveraging data-driven strategies and continuous improvement, colleges can enhance student recruitment,…

This study examined how Directors of Admissions informed, conceptualized, and delivered a response to summer melt in the admissions enrollment process, if at all. Semi structured interviews were conducted with eight Directors of Admissions and/or their designee throughout small-medium sized private institutions in New England, chosen through…

The effects of the pandemic, COVID-19 reverberated throughout the higher education environment, ultimately creating a need for a greater understanding of how it impacted an already marginalized group such as African American women. This qualitative phenomenological case study examined the lived experiences of African American women who obtained…

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.…

Higher education institutions world-wide were impacted by the unprecedented novel coronavirus (COVID-19) beginning in early 2020. COVID-19 caused a disruption in services to students and resulted in pivots of teaching, learning, and student support. Community colleges differ from four-year counterparts through varying student demographics, funding…

The practice of enrollment management at America's colleges and universities is central to prominent discussions taking place in the public arena about the cost of higher education, the value of a degree, and the role of student loans as tools to finance a college education. While research has explored many variables within the context of using…