During the 2019 American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Conference, there was much discussion about how important change management is for successful SEM implementation. While we have known for some time that SEM needs institution-wide collaboration and support to achieve its objectives (Black 2010, Dolence 1993, Henderson 2005, Kalsbeek 2007, and Smith 2000–2001), enrollment managers have varying degrees of success in achieving the change management necessary to fully implement SEM. This article provides an overview of change management in higher education, identifies some of the ways organizational change contributes to successful SEM implementation, and introduces some specific ways in which community colleges and four-year institutions are managing change at both the project and enterprise levels. Recommendations for professional practice and further areas of research are also presented.
