Thomas P. Rock, Ed.D. Associate Dean of Enrollment Services at Columbia University, Teachers College and Past President of the National Association of Graduate Admissions Professionals (NAGAP), told attendees of an AACRAO Annual Meeting session last week how to take the principles of strategic enrollment management and apply them to the graduate level.
While the primary goal, he said, is to recruit and retain students, other key features of GEM include: ensuring the student population meets the institution’s interests and is built on an understanding of the institution’s culture, priorities and resources; understanding that GEM involves every stage of the student life cycle; and realizing that one size does not fit all in terms of policies, processes and structure.
“You need to know your population and you need to know the important factors of your students,” he said.
For example, Rock noted that recent undergraduates, particularly millennials, often want the same services they received at the undergraduate level. “You need to think about the staff that’s needed and the policies that are needed, at all of these stages in the student lifecycle,” he said.
GEM is not a quick fix, Rock warned, offering the following long-term strategies for prioritizing and planning:
- Clearly identify objectives and the targeted audience
- Work from the data: do an internal assessment and an external (environmental) scan
- Develop a plan
- Use resources wisely
- Track, evaluate, and revise; and be creative and responsive.
“You need develop long-term as well as short-term goals,” he said.
In conclusion, Rock explained that a successful GEM model: reflects the values and mission of the institution; focuses on defined objectives and target audience; can be supported by available funding, staff and other resources; is based on a realistic assessment of institution culture; incorporates and integrates established GEM methods with new and innovative techniques and strategies; and meets institutional goals.