By Jody Gordon, Senior Managing Consultant, AACRAO Consulting
Dear AACRAO Consultants,
We are just beginning our SEM planning work on our campus.
We need a very straightforward definition to describe this effort to others as a way to begin to socialize this work.
In other words, what is our SEM elevator speech?
Signed,
AACRAO Member
Dear AACRAO Member,
Over 20 years ago, the late Bob Bontrager succinctly stated:
“Strategic Enrollment Management is a concept and process that enables the fulfillment of institutional mission and students’ educational goals.”
This means that SEM planning is not just a tool for managing enrollment but is also a way to increase learner success and improve overall institutional health. It is an enterprise-wide concept that spans the entire learner lifecycle, and it is a process practiced by AACRAO Consulting for almost two decades across hundreds of institutions in the U.S., Canada, and abroad. To what end? Well, to ensure our learners achieve their educational goals. This means broadening our understanding of learner success beyond just a completed credential. It also means having a rich understanding of what our learners see as their desired outcomes.
When defining what SEM is, we should also consider what SEM is not.
SEM is not a quick fix or an overnight sensation.
It is not the work of a single administrative unit.
It is not just focused on recruitment.
It is not grounded in anecdotal information.
It is also not disconnected from a campus’s strategic plan – its vision and mission.
In other words, we are in it for the long haul, working collaboratively across the campus, focused on the entire lifecycle of the learner, data-informed and assessment wealthy, and grounded by our campus “why” – our purpose.
One more time: “Strategic Enrollment Management is a concept and process that enables the fulfillment of institutional mission and students’ educational goals.”
Signed,
Jody, AACRAO Consultant
AACRAO members, do you have a question for our team of higher education consultants? Send your "Ask a Consultant" question to consulting@aacrao.org.
For more information on how AACRAO Consulting can assist your campus with SEM planning, visit our website or contact us via email at consulting@aacrao.org.
For more information on SEM planning and the power of LinkEx as a tool for managing planning fatigue, visit the AACRAO Bookstore to order the SEM trilogy of books: