In 2011, self-described introvert┬" Andrew Kim won the AACRAO SEM Award of Excellence (SAE) - and the recognition helped increase the visibility of his work and lift him out of his institutional bubble┬" to connect with other professionals.
At the time, Kim, Director of Graduate Enrolment Services at Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada), was working to help roll out an aggressive strategic enrollment management (SEM) plan to attract and support graduate students.
We focused on streamlining recruitment and admissions, creating a suite of meaningful grad student services, and leveraging international opportunities,┬" Kim said. And the results were impressive. In two years, graduate applications increased by 72 percent, international enrollment increased 31 percent, and total enrollment was up 22 percent.
What surprised Kim, however, was what came in the wake of the award.
The SAE did a lot to build credibility and give profile to some of our work at Memorial,┬" he said. It's a big deal. These days, I preach almost incessantly about the importance of industry awards.┬"
In today's higher education landscape, SEM expertise is a must on campus.
The SEM Award of Excellence (SAE) is a peer-review awards program that provides formal recognition to exemplary SEM professionals who have contributed to institutional SEM planning and achievement of SEM goals, including using evidence-based tools and analysis in SEM planning; implementing new or innovative programs; demonstrating campus-wide engagement; and contributing to the SEM profession.
The SAE recognizes the work of a SEM expert who, like Kim, has shown outstanding visionary leadership. Recipients will receive a plaque and a $1,000 cash award at AACRAO's 23rd Strategic Enrollment Management Conference.
The nomination deadline is June 28, 2013. For more information, or to nominate yourself or a colleague, please visit the SEM Award of Excellence web page.