By Heather Zimar, Managing Editor, Journals and Publications, AACRAO
This January, SEMQ launched its new community college-focused series, which aims to highlight the ways strategic enrollment management (SEM) impacts student success at access-driven institutions.
The series, which will run throughout 2025, kicks off with a leadership piece by Dr. Randy Weber of Rogue Community College and a research study by Gala M. Ledezma, a Ph.D. student at the UC Irvine School of Education.
Weber outlines how community colleges can effectively integrate SEM into their mission fulfillment strategies. He writes: “By embedding SEM into this vision, presidents can verify enrollment management practices are not just about filling seats but about fulfilling the institution’s mission of providing high-quality, equitable education.”
Ledezma shares her research, which aims to enhance the understanding of enrollment melt dynamics and offer strategies for addressing enrollment challenges at community colleges. “Although much of the existing research on enrollment melt centers on four-year universities, it is important to investigate this phenomenon within the unique context of community colleges, as these institutions are critical entry points for underrepresented and disadvantaged postsecondary students,” Ledezma writes.
Upcoming topics in this series will include: the intersection of SEM and diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB); transformational inclusion; SEM planning; parenting students and Title IX, and expanding access.
Other articles in the January issue include:
Application of Leadership Challenge principles to Strategic Enrollment Management: Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership by Jerry Ross
Data-Driven Methodology to Identify Untapped Student Populations for Marketing, Recruitment, or Program Expansion by Alex Fronduto and Heidi Bishop
The Impacts of Financial Aid on Student Success at Model College by Daniel Saud, Meghan Grace, and Michah Kamrass
Transforming Student Success: A Strategic Approach at Syracuse University by Kalpana (Kal) Srinivas and Hopeton (Hope) Smalling
Review of: A Comprehensive Guide to Graduate Enrollment Management by Christopher W. Tremblay
To submit an article to this series, please contact SEMQ’s Managing Editor. Topics could include data-informed decision-making, financial aid, marketing, organizational structure, partnerships, recruitment planning, student belonging, student retention, technology, and transfer.
Articles must be based on original research or practice in SEM, demonstrating familiarity with SEM concepts. They should appeal to a readership of enrollment management researchers and practitioners in the fields of admissions, registration, financial aid, institutional research, and other student services areas.