GACRAO

Award: Elbert W. Ockerman State and Regional Professional Activity Award

Winner: Georgia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers

Project: GA SEM - The Georgia Institute of Strategic Enrollment Management (GISEM) and the GACRAO Enrollment Managers Workshop (GEM)

2018 marked the 12^th year that GACRAO’s Institute of Strategic Enrollment Management (GISEM) has served the needs of aspiring and new-to-the-profession enrollment managers. Participants are awarded the distinction of achieving status as a Registered Enrollment Professional (REP) after participation in two pre-annual conference GISEM institutes and completion of a variety of field experiences. To date, 85 members of GACRAO have achieved the status of Registered Enrollment Professional through GISEM participation.  

2018 also marked the inception of a new, complementary pre-annual conference experience, the GACRAO Enrollment Managers workshop (GEM). The GACRAO Executive Board, desiring to provide low-cost professional development opportunities for senior enrollment managers across the state, enlisted a group comprised largely of GACRAO past-presidents to design and implement the GEM workshop. The GEM track provided in depth data -oriented sessions relevant to the complex challenges faced by today’s enrollment managers. Together, the new GEM track and the GISEM track marked the inception of GA SEM, featuring speakers such as Georgia State University’s Tim Renick, University of South Carolina’s Scott Verzyl, AACRAO’s own Executive Director, Mike Reilly, and other enrollment thought leaders. Concurrent sessions occurred within the GISEM and GEM tracks, complemented by several joint sessions and a networking reception for all GA SEM participants. Additional sessions covered retention, branding, strategic use of financial aid, and the evolving intersection of enrollment management and data science.

Over 30 aspiring and established enrollment managers from Georgia’s public, private, and technical higher education institutions participated in the initial year of GA SEM. Registration cost for GA SEM was only $75 when also registered for the GACRAO annual conference. Through initial and future support for GA SEM, comprised of the GISEM track for aspiring enrollment managers and the GEM track for established enrollment managers, GACRAO actively seeks to support the present and the future of our profession.