NAGAP Perspectives Summer 2019 by KellenComm

VOLUME 31 NUMBER 2 SUMMER 2019

PERSPECTIVES A Newsmagazine for Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals

IN THIS ISSUE  2 From the President  4 2019 NAGAP Award Winners  6 Dissertation Challenges Among Doctoral Students From Underrepresented Groups: Development of a Situational Judgement Inventory 12 Reflections on the 2019 Pre-Conference Institute 13 What’s In A (Given, Middle, Family, Religious, Etc.) Name? Common Naming Practices Around The World 16 Working With A Partner To Achieve Your Goal: Highlights on How NAGAP Member Schools Are Leveraging Technology And Collaborating 18 Goodbye GRE, Hello Diversity Statements! 20 Career Exploration Processes of Domestic And International Master’s Students at a U.S. Campus 22 Enhancing Support and Self-Confidence For Graduate School Admission: Early Findings From the Computing Field 27 Orlando 2020 NAGAP Annual Graduate Enrollment Management Summit 29 Conference Session Summaries

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FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Colleagues, Welcome to the Summer 2019 edition of Perspectives. As I write this, I am reminded of the commencement ceremonies and celebrations that took place on our campus this past weekend. My primary role was simply to assist in lining up the doctoral candidates while explaining what they needed to know in preparation for being hooded on stage. However, I took the opportunity to congratulate as many of the graduates as possible for their accomplishments. Even now, I am humbled to think that I got to play a small part in every graduating student’s journey. Don’t ever let yourself think that what we do in GEM is insignificant.

PERSPECTIVES A Newsmagazine for Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals

Editor, Raymond A. Lutzky, Ph.D. Senior Director of Enrollment and Admissions Cornell Tech 2 West Loop Road New York, N.Y. 10044

Assistant Editor, Caela Provost

This is perhaps my favorite issue of Perspectives each year because I am re-energized coming out of the Annual Conference. This year’s event in Toronto was truly spectacular, offering excellent educational sessions, great networking opportunities, and a wonderful offsite experience at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Congratulations to the Conference Committee on a job well done coordinating our first-ever international conference. I also want to thank our presenters and volunteers who helped to make the event possible. Whether you attended or not, you will want to read through the session summaries to look for ideas that you can apply on your campus. Then share this publication with a few of your colleagues and encourage them to do the same. During our Business Meeting at Annual Conference, I shared some of the strategic initiatives that were launched over the past year. To keep this momentum going, we have several projects we will be working on over the summer months. Development of our forthcoming NAGAP online community – officially called The Exchange – has started. We have finalized several joint research projects with the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), Ruffalo Noel Levitz, and Study Portals. We are also having discussions with FFP EDU Media about partnering on another international recruitment tour this fall. Watch for more information on these efforts and more in your weekly NAGAP News. One other new initiative I want to mention is our inaugural GEM-focused Leadership Academy, made possible by support from Liaison. Scheduled to start in October, this intensive leadership development experience will include cohesive, experiential training that will integrate education, experience, feedback, and coaching. Featuring an opening residency hosted by Teachers College and a keynote presentation by Debra Noumair, this six-month program will culminate in a capstone project designed to link classroom learning to real-world issues and opportunities. Enrollment is limited, so visit the NAGAP website today to learn more. Finally, I want to highlight just a few of the articles you will find in this issue. In addition to our session summaries from the 2019 Annual Conference, you will find several articles on topics around student diversity, the relative value of various parts of graduate applications in decision making, and enhancing support for graduate student success. We have also featured the accomplishments of several NAGAP members who won awards at this year's conference.

North American Officer/U.S. Representative University College Cork 75 Arlington Street, Suite 500 Boston, Mass. 02116 NAGAPpublications@gmail.com NAGAP Perspectives is published three times per year (fall, spring, summer). Articles of particular interest for publication are graduate enrollment management research/study results, how-to articles, success stories, reports of workshops/ seminars, book reviews, etc. Submissions should be sent to the editor via email. Articles should be provided in Microsoft Word, with figures and photos provided separately as high-resolution TIF or EPS files. APA style is preferred for documenting sources. Submission deadlines: August 30, January 6, May 16. Copyright © 2019 NAGAP NAGAP is committed to diversity and inclusiveness in all of its activities. This commitment embraces respect for differences including age, culture, disability, education, ethnicity, gender, life experiences, race, religion, and sexual orientation. NAGAP champions an open exchange of ideas in a collegial environment that embraces academic freedom, cooperation, mutual respect, and responsibility. NAGAP supports activities that promote and nurture professional development, best practices, research, and collaboration of a diverse and global community of graduate enrollment management professionals, encouraging dialogue that fosters professional growth among all of its constituents, in the U.S. and internationally.

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As always, thanks for your commitment to your students and the GEM profession. If you have ideas for what we can do to better serve our NAGAP members or if you simply want to get involved in the association, please contact me or another member of the Governing Board. Have a great summer! n Keith Ramsdell NAGAP President

NAGAP Chapters

Join or Start a Chapter Today!

For those of you looking to get more involved with NAGAP, your local chapter is a great place to start. Chapters provide a wonderful opportunity to network, to participate in regional workshops and conferences, and to assume leadership positions. They are also a great resource for learning more about GEM, especially if you are unable to attend the national annual conference. NAGAP has eight regional U.S. chapters, one international chapter, and two special interest chapters. To find out which chapter your state is a member of, visit NAGAP’s Chapters page. Here you will find contact information for each chapter president, and a link to the chapter’s website or social media page. Most chapters have a “join” or “contact us” link on the landing page. If you find your state is not affiliated with a chapter, you may be interested in beginning a new chapter. For more information, review the How To Get Started overview. Questions? Please contact us at info@nagap.org.

Check out the NAGAP ONLINE RESOURCE CENTER Featuring a database of holistic graduate enrollment resources as well as archived book reviews, GEM articles, webinars, doctoral research, and more. nagap.org/online-education-resource-center

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2019 NAGAP AWARD WINNERS NAGAP, the Association for Graduate Enrollment Management, would like to congratulate our 2019 award winners! These awards were presented at the NAGAP Annual Conference in Toronto, Ontario on Thursday, April 11, 2019.

Congratulations, Fran!

Congratulations to Mark of Carnegie Dartlet and Tony from Direct Development!

Distinguished Service Award

Visionary Award

The Distinguished Service Award is NAGAP’s most prestigious honor and is presented to an individual who has contributed exceptional service to the profession and to the association. The 2019 recipient of this award is Francesca Reed, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management at Marymount University in Virginia. Fran’s service to NAGAP transcends the norm and sets an example of excellence and commitment to graduate enrollment management that many aspire to emulate. She has been involved in higher education for more than 20 years and has enjoyed the opportunity to work in both undergraduate and graduate enrollment management positions. Within NAGAP, Fran has served in many Board leadership positions including Marketing and Social Media Chair, Annual Conference Chair, Special Projects Chair, Membership and Marketing Co-Chair, and as a moderator at multiple annual conferences.

The Visionary Award is intended to recognize an individual or individuals in the higher education community who demonstrate a unique and innovative vision in the graduate enrollment management profession, the field of higher education, and/or for NAGAP, specifically. The 2019 recipients are Mark Cunningham, Executive Vice President, Business Development at Carnegie Dartlet and Tony Fraga, Chief Executive Officer at Direct Development. These two individuals are passionate about improving the GEM experience for prospective and matriculated students, professionals, and all who participate and support this enterprise. Individually, they have incorporated best practices into their respective businesses to support their passion and commitment and have also served on committees, accepted invitations to help, and have offered their expertise to help further NAGAP’s mission. Collectively, they have worked hand-in-hand with the External Relations Partnership Committee to achieve our goal of creating an environment for NAGAP to engage in compelling conversation with partners.

Congratulations 2016-2018 NAGAP Research Committee!

Promotion of Excellence Award Committee members include: Paula Baker, Chair; Terrence Grus; Marlaina Kloepfer; Lian Lynch; Dean Tsantir; and Jennifer Webb. This award recognizes new or existing methodologies that most clearly demonstrates best practices for other graduate enrollment management professionals in terms of processes, policies, events, or technologies. The 2019 recipient of the Promotion of Excellence Award is NAGAP’s 20162018 Research Committee. This dedicated group of volunteers made transformative contributions to the GEM profession through the production of quality academic research and new access to compensation data. This team established a National Research Network via NAGAP’s Student Research Grant and re-envisioned the national salary survey and created GEMCAT, the Graduate Enrollment Management Compensation Analytics Tool.

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2019 NAGAP AWARD WINNERS

CONTINUED

Graduate Student Enrollment Management Research Grant

Congratulations, Brett!

Congratulations, Caela!

Chapter Leader Award

Future Leader Award

The Chapter Leader Award is presented to a current or past NAGAP Chapter Board member who has demonstrated a commitment to the success of their Chapter community, connections between members, and strengthened Chapter communications with the NAGAP leadership. The recipient for 2019 is Brett DiMarzo, who currently serves as NEGAP’s Immediate Past President, where he offers guidance to a Chapter that is now benefiting from the foundation he and his predecessors built. Brett has been involved in NEGAP for nearly a decade, and in every role he has served the Chapter through the contribution of new ideas that bring content to its membership that is current and applicable to daily work lives. He is currently working on creating a guide for future Chapter Board members, specifically presidents, on how to maintain a successful Chapter.

Presented to an individual who has exhibited leadership qualities and an enthusiasm for the profession that distinguishes them as a rising leader, the 2019 Future Leader Award was presented to Caela Provost. Caela is the North American Officer for Study Abroad and Postgraduate Programs at the University College Cork in Cork, Ireland. She is an instrumental member of the Publications Committee and has been for the last several years, recently moving into a new role as Assistant Editor of Perspectives. Caela has also served for many years as a recorder and moderator at Annual Conference, and is a regular contributor of articles to the magazine.

Our 2019 Grant winners are Virginia Byrne and Zid Mancenido. Virginia is currently a doctoral candidate in the Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership at the University of Maryland’s College of Education. Her research focuses on college students’ experiences with social media and online learning and she is currently working on an explanatory mixed-method dissertation study titled, The Chilling Effect of Cyberbullying on Women’s Social Presence in Online Discussions. Zid is a doctoral student in Education Policy and Program Evaluation at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is an experienced high school teacher and teacher educator, having worked with various school systems and teacher preparation programs across the U.S., Philippines, Singapore, and Australia. His research aims to improve how school systems recruit, train, and retain teachers. Both honorees will be joining us at next year’s conference to present their research. n

Handouts and presentation slide decks from the NAGAP 2019 Annual Conference, including the keynote addresses and most sessions, are available on the NAGAP website: https://nagap.org/2019-annual-conference-handouts or download the mobile app "NAGAP" to access all handouts and presentations.

The Leader in Graduate Enrollment Management

The Graduate Student Enrollment Management Research Grant is designed to encourage emerging knowledge and understanding of the complexities of graduate enrollment management including all aspects of admissions and recruitment, enrollment, retention, and graduation in higher education. This year we received many excellent submissions for this Grant, and as a result announced two recipients.

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DISSERTATION CHALLENGES AMONG DOCTORAL STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS: DEVELOPMENT OF A SITUATIONAL JUDGEMENT INVENTORY By Gavin Sanders and Annmarie Cano, Wayne State University; and Antonio Nunez, Michigan State University

Introduction Underrepresentation in academia is apparent in graduate education and the professoriate. In the United States, it is estimated that about one out of every two students enrolled in a doctoral program at a degree-granting institution will depart before they have graduated (Sowell, Allum, & Okahana, 2015; Sowell, Zhang, Bell, & Reed, 2008). Students who identify as a member of an underrepresented minority group typically display higher rates of attrition (Sowell, Allum, & Okahana, 2015). During the 2015-2016 academic school year, only 15% of doctoral degrees conferred were received by an underrepresented minority student (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2018). Not surprisingly, only 13% of full-time faculty at degreegranting postsecondary institutions identify as a member of one of these groups (NCES, 2018). To put this data in perspective, these individuals collectively represent approximately 30% of the U.S. population (Colby & Ortman, 2017). It is, therefore, critical to study the challenges that students from underrepresented groups may face when working on their dissertations. Factors that influence dissertation productivity and ultimately completion fall under three broad domains: interpersonal (procrastination, perfectionism, racismrelated stress responses), interpersonal (lack of support from family, friends, peers), and institutional factors (“chilly climate”, lack of financial support) (Bair & Haworth, 2004). Racism-related stress and microaggressions are particularly stressful for students who identify as minorities (e.g., Gomez, Khurshid, Freitag, & Lachuk, 2011; Reynolds, Sneva, & Beehler, 2010; Solórzano, Ceja, & Yosso, 2000).

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Supports or interventions that are aimed at this critical stage can be beneficial to students, institutions, and society as a whole. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop an instrument called the Situational Judgment Inventory-Dissertation Competencies (SJI-DC) to assess the competencies thought to be required to successfully complete the dissertation in a timely fashion. To offer ideas for how to support all doctoral students in their success, we identified a set of competencies in part by examining the literature for factors related to dissertation progress that could be considered modifiable skills, and through consultation with faculty and leaders at our two institutions. These 12 dimensions are defined in Table 1, and capture three broad competencies: dissertation projects skills (critical thinking, information literacy, writing, oral presentation, and time management), interpersonal skills (mentor-mentee relationship, microaggression management, and organizational knowledge), and intrapersonal skills (perseverance, responding to feedback, initiative, and career orientation). The situational judgment inventory (SJI) measurement method was used to assess competency-based skills in managing the dissertation process. SJIs mirror real-world behaviors. They provide predictive validity with respect to job performance, and incremental validity above cognitive ability and personality variables(such as GPA and conscientiousness) respectively (Lievens, Peeters, & Schollaert, 2008). In a typical SJI, examinees are presented with scenarios and, according to the response instruction, must select the most appropriate answer from an array of response options. This method is well suited to assess dissertation-related

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barriers, as timely progress necessitates effective navigation of these particular inter- and intrapersonal skills.

Method Sample This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Wayne State University. Seventy-nine advanced doctoral students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty members from the AGEP and Postdoctoral Association communities at two Carnegie classified Highest Research Activity institutions volunteered for the study and received compensation for their participation. Of these, 78 participants provided useable data for analyses. For Phase 1, advanced doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars served as subject matter experts. For Phases 2 and 3, advanced doctoral students who already defended their dissertation, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty members who had coached students and postdoctoral students through the two transitions successfully served as subject matter experts. The mean age of the total sample was 33.41 (SD = 7.83). 77% percent were female, 32.1% identified as Black/African American, 30.8% as White, 14.1% as Hispanic/Latinx, 11.5% as Asian, and 11.5% did not provide a response. Two-thirds of the sample were doctoral-level students, 23.1% were postdocs, 9.0% were faculty, and one participant did not provide a response.

Procedures Development of the SJI for dissertation competencies (SJI-DC) followed traditional procedures set forth by Motowidlo, Dunnette, and Carter (1990). continued on the next page

DISSERTATION CHALLENGES AMONG DOCTORAL STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS CONTINUED Phase 1 Participants were provided a list of the dissertation competencies and instructed to generate positive and negative examples of critical incidents faced or currently being experienced during dissertation proposal and defense. Each critical incident was generated according to four questions to ensure examples remained behaviorally grounded as to not introduce any cognitive biases that may influence subsequent responses in later phases. The four questions utilized are as follows: 1. What circumstances led to the example? 2.

What did the student do?

What was the result of this behavior?

How did the behavior cause this result?

Each critical incident served as an individual item stem, was edited to remove identifying information, and was rewritten to conform to a third-person perspective (due to the heavy cultural relevance of many of the situations in the mentor-mentee relationship and microaggression management domains). Phase 2 Non-overlapping participants were presented with the modified item stems and instructed to describe a single response for how they would most likely and least likely respond to each situation. The rationale for instructing participants to provide a behavioral performance response was we wanted students to (a) generate behaviors that were grounded in reality and (b) reference behaviors that they would be likely to execute. Responses were then examined for common themes. Those that were similar were combined into a single response while others that were distinct enough were kept as separate

Participants generated more incidents for time management, the mentor-mentee relationship, and perseverance domains compared to the other competencies. Therefore, professors in the AGEP communities at the two institutions were asked to generate critical incidents based upon their experiences mentoring doctoral students. Taken together, 68 scenarios were generated for Phase 2.

responses. Responses were modified to ensure they were behavioral in nature. Phase 3 Another group of non-overlapping subject matter experts were presented with each item and its responses and instructed to rate the effectiveness of each response using a six-point scale, with anchor point 1 defined as “Highly Ineffective” and anchor point 6 defined as “Highly Effective.” Participants were also instructed to select the best and worst response for each item. Mean effectiveness ratings and standard deviations were calculated for each response. For the best and worst response selection, frequency of endorsement was calculated and converted to percentages.

Phase 2 Thirty-two participants generated a single most likely and least likely response to each of the scenarios. Given that a majority of the scenarios inherently comprise a defined set of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors, many responses were redundant and therefore combined with other similar responses. Across all domains, each item contained a minimum of four or maximum of ten responses.

Measures Demographic information including selfreported age, sex, race/ethnicity, and educational background were collected.

Results Phase 1 Fourteen participants generated 48 critical incidents during Phase 1. Interpersonal skills were the most commonly cited domain with almost half of the total incidents generated, and incidents related to time management of the dissertation project follow those. Note that these critical incidents are based on real student experience situations. Below is an example of a generated critical incident from the microaggression management domain: A committee member from an outside discipline unexpectedly sent a passive aggressive email…demanding an extensive shift in the student’s research interests to better align with theirs…[the] committee member was the only male on the committee, and apparent within the message were sexist connotations.

Phase 3 Table 2 presents the domain-level descriptive statistics for the SJI-DC. There were 33 participants who provided effectiveness ratings across all responses. The number of participants that rated each response ranged from 29 to 33, and the mean number of responses per item was 6.50. A complete list of items and responses can be obtained by contacting the first or second authors. Example ratings for a microaggression management domain item are provided in Figure 1. Mean effectiveness ranged from “Somewhat Ineffective” to “Somewhat Effective” and approximately 39% of the sample rated that best answer as meeting in-person with the advisor, whereas almost half the sample rated accusing the advisor as the worst answer. In addition, compared to other items and responses of the SJI-DC, the frequencies show that there may be more than one “best” approach, which may signal that students are unsure how to respond or that there is a continued on the next page

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DISSERTATION CHALLENGES AMONG DOCTORAL STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS CONTINUED menu of good responses from which to choose.

Discussion The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument, the SJI-DC, which could be used to identify doctoral students’ competencies in managing the dissertation writing stage. This stage of graduate education was selected for study because it is a critical juncture in the pathway to the professoriate. We focused on the experiences of students from underrepresented groups because the literature has shown that students from these groups face unique obstacles that may prevent the timely completion of the degree and their entry into the professoriate. The results demonstrate that doctoral students from underrepresented groups indeed face obstacles, as most of the SJI-DC items were generated from their own experiences. In particular, mentormentee relationship challenges were most prevalent, as can be seen from Phase 1 data. This result is similar to previous research that identifies lack of advisor support as a major determinant of graduate student success (Dericks, Thompson, Roberts, & Phua, 2019; “The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument, the SJI-DC, which could be used to identify doctoral students’ competencies in managing the dissertation writing stage. This stage of graduate education was selected for study because it is a critical juncture in the pathway to the

Zhao, Golde, & McCormick, 2007). Another highly generated domain was microaggression management. This result suggests these experiences are salient stressors for minority students, a common finding across the literature (Solórzano et al., 2000). Finally, difficulty with time management was highly prevalent, which is consistent with previous research regarding timely dissertation progress (Bair & Haworth, 2004). Phases 2 and 3 demonstrated that SJIs can be used to assess a range of behavioral responses. Specifically, Phase 3 revealed response patterns that can be used to develop a toolbox of effective responses to challenging situations. For example, in the case of microaggressions, our results show that the responses judged most effective include open discussion, consulting with others, and assessing whether there is a pattern to the behavior before reacting, whereas ineffective responses include overly submissive or aggressive behavior. Future research will examine the extent to which the SJI-DC reliably assesses what it purports to measure, as well as its criterion validity to ensure it has concurrent and predictive utility. A series of validation studies are in planning stages to demonstrate its utility such that it reliably measures dissertation-related criteria, can predict outcomes like dissertation progress, and can differentiate students who have completed from students who have not completed their dissertation. The current study is not without limitations. First, the sample size for Phase 3 participants was small, as the number of participants who rated responses ranged from 29 to 33. Consequently, the mean response ratings may not be generalizable to the larger graduate student community due

to chance or systematic differences of the group sampled here. Second, the dissertation competency framework was developed via an exploratory approach, and is not an empirical representation of the competencies required for successful doctoral students. Third, a majority of the SJI-DC domains contain four or less items. If those items exhibit poor discrimination between dissertation completers and non-completers, they will need to be dropped from the scale, thereby reducing the reliability of the domain and potentially the SJI-DC overall. Future studies should increase the pool of items within those domains. The SJI-DC is a promising tool to identify intrapersonal, interpersonal, and institutional interventions to address potential challenges that doctoral students from underrepresented groups may face during the dissertation writing process. In this study, interpersonal challenges were prominent, suggesting that academic programs and graduate schools may wish to institute programming to provide skills training to students about their options when dealing with relationship challenges. Programming should also train mentors, dissertation committee members, and graduate directors to increase their awareness and skill in managing conflict and addressing bias. Finally, the SJI-DC may also support institutional transformation efforts to examine and modify policies and procedures that may serve as barriers to students including funding, training for mentors and mentees, and approval processes.

professoriate.” continued on the next page

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DISSERTATION CHALLENGES AMONG DOCTORAL STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS CONTINUED Table 1 Dissertation Competencies Framework Dimensions

Definition

Dissertation Project Critical Thinking

Evaluating evidence and theory as a means of developing defensible arguments as to the practical and theoretical importance of one’s research ideas

Information Literacy

Knowing how to identify reliable sources, knowing the scope of resources needed for one’s project, knowing how to search for this information and select relevant citations

Writing Skills

Gaining knowledge and attaining mastery in writing skills, and understanding how to craft an argument in writing

Oral Presentation Skills

Demonstrating mastery in orally presenting one’s research or scholarly work including tailoring one’s message to the audience

Time Management Skills

Prioritizing tasks required to complete one’s work including accurately identifying the collection of tasks that must be completed, gauging the amount of time needed to complete each task, balancing multiple tasks that may need to be completed simultaneously, and completing tasks in an order that enhances likelihood of successful project completion

Interpersonal Skills Mentor-Mentee Relationship Skills

Demonstrating competency in communicating and negotiating with one’s mentor to seek assistance, ask for advice, or advocate for oneself

Microaggression Management Skills

Knowing how and when to respond skillfully to people who engage in microaggressions toward oneself and/ or others. Microaggressions are subtle snubs, slights, or insults that implicitly communicate hostility toward members of historically stigmatized groups

Organizational Knowledge

Understanding how the academic institution works, including requirements for graduation, paperwork, hierarchical structure related to one’s specific needs (e.g. financial aid, registrar, teaching contracts and assignments); competency in communicating and negotiating to seek assistance, ask for advice, or advocate for oneself with the “right” people

Intrapersonal Skills Perseverance

Following through on intended courses of action, “sticking to it”, and dedicating time and effort to established goals and priorities

Responding to Feedback

Seeking out feedback about one’s written work. Accepting constructive and critical feedback while managing one’s emotions to motivate one to continue working on a project

Initiative

Proactively anticipating problems, seeking solutions, and carrying through projects to completion

Career Orientation

Having a clear sense of purpose and direction regarding one’s career interests and plans. Planning, establishing, and following a set of reasonably ordered priorities in light of your career interests and plans

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DISSERTATION CHALLENGES AMONG DOCTORAL STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS CONTINUED Figure 1 Sample SJI-DC Item from Microaggression Management Domain Erykah, an African-American female student, believes her advisor is giving preferential treatment to another student, a White female. While the other students’ ideas are immediately given the green light, Erykah often receives resistance to various projects she conceptualizes and feels her ideas are unjustly criticized. Response

“Best”

“Worst”

A. C onsult with peers or other mentors about how to proceed with her concerns

4.24

0.96

19.40

3.20

B. A ttempt to retroactively document the frequency of rejection compared to other students to determine if there is a pattern

3.77

0.97

22.60

3.20

C. Immediately file a request to change advisors

2.93

0.91

0.00

3.20

D. S tay quiet and do not address the issue, and continue proposing project ideas to her advisor

2.17

1.09

6.50

29.00

E. M eet in-person with her advisor and express her concerns about the unequal approval of projects between the other student and herself

4.37

1.22

38.70

6.50

F. C ontact the Dean of Students Office and file a complaint to against her advisor

3.14

0.88

6.50

G. Immediately accuse the advisor of

1.86

1.03

6.50

48.40

Note: “Best” and “Worst” are the frequency of participants who rated that response as the best or worst answer, respectively, expressed as a percentage.

Table 2 SJI-DC Domain Descriptive Statistics Domain

Range

Critical Thinking

31-32

5-6

Information Literacy

32-33

4-5

Writing Skills

31-32

5-9

Oral Presentation Skills

31-32

5-6

Time Management

30-32

5-9

Mentor-Mentee Relationship Skills

31-32

4-9

Microaggression Management Skills

29-32

6-9

Organizational Knowledge

31-32

5-7

Perseverance

30-32

4-7

Responding to Feedback

31-32

6-7

Initiative

31-32

5-7

Career Orientation

30-32

5-10

Note. k = number of items (i.e. scenarios); n = sample size of responses; item was 6.5.

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DISSERTATION CHALLENGES AMONG DOCTORAL STUDENTS FROM UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS CONTINUED References 1. Bair, C. R., & Haworth, J. G. (2004). Doctoral student attrition and persistence: A meta-synthesis of research. In Higher education: Handbook of theory and research (pp. 481-534). Springer; Dordrecht. 2. Colby, S. L., & Ortman, J. M. (2017). Projections of the size and composition of the US population: 2014 to 2060: Population estimates and projections. (Publication No. P25-1143). Retrieved from https:// www.census.gov/content/dam/ Census/library/publications/2015/ demo/p25-1143.pdf 3. Dericks, G., Thompson, E., Roberts, M., & Phua, F. (2019). Determinants of PhD student satisfaction: the roles of supervisor, department, and peer qualities. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 1-16. 4. Gomez, M. L., Khurshid, A., Freitag, M. B., & Lachuk, A. J. (2011). Microaggressions in graduate students’ lives: How they are encountered and their consequences. Teaching And Teacher Education, 27(8), 1189-1199. doi:10.1016/j. tate.2011.06.003

6. Motowidlo, S.J., Dunnette, M.D., & Carter, G.W. (1990). An alternative selection procedure: The low-fidelity simulation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75(6), 640-647.

10. Solórzano, D., Ceja, M., & Yosso, T. (2000). Critical race theory, racial microaggressions, and campus racial climate: The experiences of African American college students. Journal of Negro Education, 69(1/2), 60-73. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/ stable/2696265 11. Sowell, R., Allum, J., & Okahana, H. (2015). Doctoral initiative on minority attrition and completion. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools.

7. National Center for Education Statistics. (2018). The Condition of Education 2018 (NCES 2018-144). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. 8. National Science Foundation. (2018). Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP). Available at: https://www.nsf.gov/funding/ pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5474 9. Reynolds, A. L. & Sneva, J. N. & Beehler, G. P. (2010). The Influence of Racism-Related Stress on the Academic Motivation of Black and Latino/a Students. Journal of College Student Development 51(2), 135-149. doi:10.1353/csd.0.0120

12. Sowell, R.S., Zhang, T., Bell, N., & Redd, K. (2008). Ph.D. completion and attrition: Analysis of baseline demographic data from the PhD Completion Project. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools. 13. Zhao, C. M., Golde, C. M., & McCormick, A. C. (2007). More than a signature: How advisor choice and advisor behaviour affect doctoral student satisfaction. Journal of further and higher education, 31(3), 263-281. doi: 10.1080/03098770701424983 n

The Leader in Graduate Enrollment Management

5. Lievens, F., Peeters, H., & Schollaert, E. (2008). Situational judgment tests: A review of recent research. Personnel Review, 37(4), 426-441. doi: 10.1108/00483480810877598

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REFLECTIONS ON THE 2019 PRE-CONFERENCE INSTITUTE By Taylor White, The Ohio State University The 2019 Toronto Annual Conference was my first time participating in the PreConference Institute (PCI), but was not my first visit to a NAGAP meeting. The annual conference starts to feel shorter after you get accustomed to it, so the PCI was a good way to extend my time and add value to an already long trip. My specific goal for this annual conference was to get a leg-up on learning how to recruit and support international students (the program I work with has very few international students, which makes it hard for me to gain a lot of experience understanding their needs). I hoped to gain a good deal of knowledge in a short amount of time, both so that I can better support my own program’s small number of international students and also to bolster my understanding of underlying principles in international student enrollment. These goals would support me to be better prepared for future advancement into positions of higher responsibility over a larger number of international students. The Pre-Conference Institute met my needs by giving me a lot of information to take back home about recruiting and supporting international students, and I’m very glad to have received the PCI Fellowship to support my first visit. My first major takeaway was about the increased competitiveness in international student recruitment – at the same time, we are seeing the growth of tools to make it easier to reach these students. Like everything, trends in international recruitment are not static, and you can’t rely on what’s always worked before. This I particularly true for programs that have relied on enrollment from China or India; with more students studying domestically

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Kathryn Kendall, Keith Ramsdell, Taylor White, and Amanda Ostreko

and other countries recruiting from those populated regions, competition is becoming more intense. At the same time, institutions are seeing more enrollment from developing countries. Digital marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), often used to increase name recognition among international students, are vital to keep up with competition in an economical way. My other major takeaway helped me think about how we can support our current international students and make sure that we have the proper opportunities for support in place (in particular, for future growth in student enrollment). International students obviously share some needs with domestic students and have their own different needs, but understanding those different needs and your institution’s

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ability to support them are important. Studying in another country is a major undertaking, and institutions need to have a strong ecosystem in place to support these students, both in central offices and in individual programs. Ultimately, I found the PCI to be a good use of my time that added value to my major professional development opportunity in the year. Having a long preliminary program focused on a single topic gave me a lot to think about and to reflect upon after getting home. The additional networking opportunities and time to talk to colleagues about the topic helped beyond just the opportunity to listen to two knowledgeable speakers. I would recommend the PCI for any NAGAP member, especially if the topic is something that you or your program would particularly benefit from. n

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WHAT’S IN A (GIVEN, MIDDLE, FAMILY, RELIGIOUS, ETC.) NAME? COMMON NAMING PRACTICES AROUND THE WORLD By Christin Neary, International Education Research Foundation When it comes to legal and academic records, names are the most basic identifiers people have to distinguish themselves from others. While a person may go through life with very few, if any, changes to his or her name, confusion arises when one naming custom is in direct contrast with another. Discontinuity in a person’s name from one record to the next might also bring into question the validity of the records. Fortunately, a basic understanding of different naming conventions around the world may prevent errors and, in turn, make a student feel more welcome on campus. Even terms for names can be source of confusion. This article will use the terms of first (or given), middle, and last (or family) names; however, applicants may be more accustomed to the British English terms of given name for first name, and family name or surname for last name. Applicants from Francophone countries may be confused by the false cognate of the French surnom (used for nick name, such as “Val” for “Valérie”). Luckily, awareness of potential areas of confusion in records will help reduce frustrations. While this article may not be able to address the naming variations specific to each and every applicant’s home country, the following tools for analyzing names from high-volume countries may prove useful. First, translations of records from China often contain mistakes involving the inversion of first and last names. Indeed, in Chinese, names are written with the “last” or family name first, followed by the “first” or given name. In filling out paperwork in English, it would be easy for a Chinese applicant to confuse first name for the name that is written first instead of the name that is chosen by one’s parents. Simply from the pool of Chinese applicants an institution may receive, it may be apparent that a handful of common Chinese last names,

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such as Wang, Chen, Li, or Liu, account for a wide portion of the population. With few exceptions, Chinese family names consist of one syllable. So, if an applicant has reported her first name as Wang and last name as Yuxin, one may safely infer that the first and last names have been mistakenly inverted. More commonly, Chinese women do not change their names at marriage, but if they do, they may add their husband’s family name in front of their own family name. So, if a woman named Wang Yuxin marries a man named Li Xiaoming, she may choose to change her name to Li Wang Yuxin. For Korean applicants, names may vary slightly from one document to the next. Korean names are typically written starting with the family name, followed by the given name, such as PARK SeongMin. Common family names include Kim, Pak, Lee, Choi, and Chung. The given name is comprised of two parts. Traditionally, the first part of the given name is specific to the individual, while the second part is shared with the siblings as a generational name. Koreans may choose to transliterate (how the names are written with the Latin alphabet) the spelling of their given names a few ways. Seong-Min could also be transcribed as Seongmin, Seong Min, or SeongMin, for example. The family name Pak could also be transliterated as Park or Bak, Kim may be written as Gim, Lee as Rhee, Yi, or Li, and Chung as Jung. Depending on who is doing the transliterating, an applicant may submit a graduation certificate with the last name spelling as Choi, and a photocopy of their passport with the same name written as Tsui. With twenty-two official languages spoken in India, as well as numerous other dialects, it is no surprise that Indian naming conventions vary widely according to the family’s culture,

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affected by geographical region, religion, and/or caste. For example, most Southern Indians do not have a last or family name. Traditionally, they may use the name of their geographical region or village, followed by their father’s name in front of their own given name; however, when adapting to western society, they may choose to use their father’s name as a last name. (When abbreviating, they may use the first initial of the region/village, first initial of their father’s name, and then their full given name.) For example, a man from Tamil Nadu could be named Vellore Satish Anand, or V.S. Anand. His first written name represents the village where he is from (Vellore), his father’s given name is Satish, and his given name is Anand. If Anand moves to the U.S., he might change his legal last name to Satish. In Hindu families, people have first, middle, and last names, but some prefer to drop the last name and use the middle name as the last name, as a Hindu last name may be attached to the discriminatory caste system. Sikhs participate in the Khalsa tradition, which could be compared to a baptism in Christianity, in that they are given a religious title that becomes a symbol of their religious identity. This name is always Singh for males and Kaur for females. Sikhs have a first name, followed by Singh or Kaur, and then a family name—but, like many Hindu families, because they do not condone the caste system attached to the last name, they drop their family name and instead just use Singh or Kaur. Different endings to names may also be added in India. For Gujarati-Hindus, -bhai may be added to men’s first names, and – bai or –ben may be added to women’s first names. Sikh given names may bear the ending –ji in formal situations. Muslim Indians may follow Indian naming conventions common to their continued on the next page

WHAT’S IN A (GIVEN, MIDDLE, FAMILY, RELIGIOUS, ETC.) NAME? CONTINUED geographical region, or they may prefer to follow Arab Muslim conventions (as referenced later in the article).

In Portuguese-speaking countries, one sees use of the double family name; however, more often than not, it is the mother’s family name that comes before the father’s family name. In informal situations, only the last family name would be used (that is, the father’s family name).

Names in Spanish- and Portuguesespeaking countries do share similarities. For example, Spain, Portugal, and Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries in Latin America all use a double family name structure. While there are variations on the order and presentation of the names, a person will have a given first name, a family name from the father’s side, and a family name from the mother’s side. In Hispanic America, as in Spain, an individual will have one or two given names. (Often, one or both of these names are traditional Catholic names, and the first name will correspond to the person’s gender, while the second may not.) A person may choose to go familiarly by both names or just the first one. Next, the individual will have two family names: the first one coming from the father’s side and the second coming from the mother’s side. These may be written one name after the other or joined by the conjunction y (“and”). For example, the name Javier María Torres y Aguilar would consist of the first names Javier and María, followed by Torres (father’s family name) and Aguilar (mother’s family name). While all four components would make up his legal name, he may choose to go by Javier Torres informally. Typically, when a woman marries, she may change her family names to go by her father’s family name followed by her husband’s father’s family name, or she may keep both her father’s and mother’s last names followed by de and her husband’s father’s family name. Hyphenated last names are also common in the event that the family would also like to pass down a mother’s family name. Javier Torres and his wife Sofia Morales Rosas de Torres may have a child and follow the naming customs to call him Teodoro Torres Morales. Similar naming customs may also be found in the Philippines.

Arab Muslim names can be made up of numerous components and can have varying lengths. The first parts of a full name will have a given name, followed by the father’s given name, and possibly the grandfather’s name. The father or grandfather’s given name may be preceded by ibn or bin for “son of.” (Less commonly, one may see bint or “daughter of.”) These names will be followed by the family name.

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“Many immigrants can grow frustrated with the frequent misspelling and mispronunciation of their names and opt to anglicize their names or choose to go by a name that is common in the U.S.” In Russian culture, an individual’s name is comprised of three parts: the given name, the father’s given name with a gendered suffix (for example, -ovich for men or -ovna for women), and the family name with a gendered suffix (for example, -ev or -ski for men, or -eva or -skaya for women). Additional suffixes exist. So, Svetlana Aleksandrovna Pushkina derives her name from her father’s: Aleksandr Petrovich Pushkin. In this way, each of the three parts of a person’s name denotes a masculine or feminine gender. After marriage, a woman is most likely to keep her given name and father’s given name and change only her father’s family name to her new husband’s family name (adding a feminine suffix).

People unaccustomed to Arab naming conventions may make mistakes with compound names. For example, the name Abdullah (“servant of God”) could also be spelled as Abd-Allah or Abd Allah. For an Arabic speaker, it is obvious that this is one name; however, some may incorrectly identify Abd as a separate name from Allah. Variations in transliterations are also common. Mohammed, for example, could also be spelled as Muhammad, Mohamed, Mohummad, or a number of other ways. In addition to each country and/ or culture having its own naming conventions at birth, name changing conventions vary at marriage, which may further affect the names listed on legal and academic records. What seems to be consistent is that cisgender men do not change their names due to marriage. For cisgender women in Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, tradition dictates that no name change occurs, as is also the choice for most women in China. As previously explained, Spanishand Portuguese-speaking cultures are prone to change last names for women, but more and more contemporary families are choosing to defy tradition. An increasing number of Portuguese couples are now choosing to put the father’s family name first for their new child’s double family name, which places more importance on the mother’s family name. Of course, the legalization of same-sex marriage and same-sex parenting around the world will welcome new possibilities for naming conventions. Lastly, names will vary further as people adapt to cultural norms in the United States. Many immigrants can grow frustrated with the frequent misspelling and mispronunciation of their names and opt to anglicize their names or choose to go by a name that is common in the U.S. In January 2019, The Atlantic published an article pertinent to this continued on the next page

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WHAT’S IN A (GIVEN, MIDDLE, FAMILY, RELIGIOUS, ETC.) NAME? CONTINUED topic: “American Immigrants and the Dilemma of ‘White-Sounding’ Names.” It mentions several academic studies that unmask prejudices U.S. Americans carry regarding foreign-sounding names. Fortunately, with a desire to make a new student feel welcome and a

minimal effort to inform oneself of other countries’ traditions, we can all ensure that less and less obstructions will occur because of how names are presented on documents. n

Resources: 1. Adams, Angela. Law Enforcement Guide to International Names. Regional Organized Crime Information Center, United States Department of Justice, 2010, https://info.publicintelligence.net/ ROCICInternationalNames.pdf. 2. Pinsker, Joe. “American Immigrants and the Dilemma of ‘WhiteSounding’ Names.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 4 Jan. 2019, https://www.theatlantic. com/family/archive/2019/01/ immigrants-american-sounding-firstnames/579367/.

Customer – Naming Conventions for Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Wester African, & Hispanic Cultures; American Taxpayer Identification Numbers.” 14 Jan. 2002, https://www. bankersonline.com/sites/default/ files/tools/namingconventions_0.pdf 4. A Guide to Names and Naming Practices. General Secretariat of the United Kingdom, March 2006, https://www.fbiic.gov/public/2008/ nov/Naming_practice_guide_ UK_2006.pdf.

3. Richards, James. “Know Your

2018–2020 NAGAP GOVERNING BOARD Officers President Keith Ramsdell Assistant Dean and Director of Graduate Enrollment Bowling Green State University Vice President Jeremiah Nelson Wake Forest University School of Business Treasurer Andrew Kim Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada) Secretary Teisha Johnson Illinois College of Optometry Immediate Past President Julia B. Deland Harvard Graduate School of Education Executive Director Katherine Hughey NAGAP, The Association for Graduate Enrollment Management

UPCOMING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES 2019 Summer Institute July 18-19, 2019 Las Vegas, NV http://nagap.org/summer-pdi-2019

Inaugural NAGAP Leadership Academy October 16-18, 2019 New York City, NY http://nagap.org/leadershipacademy

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Directors Paula Baker University of Minnesota Katherine Beczak Rochester Institute of Technology

WORKING WITH A PARTNER TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL: HIGHLIGHTS ON HOW NAGAP MEMBER SCHOOLS ARE LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY AND COLLABORATING By Gayle Oliver-Plath, CareerEco Virtual Events

Colleen L. Gabauer Purdue University Marcus Hanscom Roger Williams University Jennifer Kulbeck Saint Mary's College of California Raymond Lutzky Cornell Tech Amanda Ostreko University of Kansas Sara Pettingill Bellarmine University Naronda Wright Georgia Southern University

Publications Committee Denise Bridwell University of Kansas Dave Fletcher Barry University Marianne Gumpper Fairfield University Kate McConnell Pennsylvania State University Great Valley Kittie Pain McDaniel College Caela Provost University College Cork (Ireland) Troy Sterk Seattle University

With the emergence of various technology solutions and restrictive recruitment budgets, it is clear virtual tactics have become part of today’s strategic recruiting fabric. Combined with an ever-increasing competition for new students, schools are adapting to generational shifts and meeting prospective applicants where they are…online. Carol Williams recruits for Master’s and PhD programs at University of Pittsburgh’s Medical School. Williams has participated in the Biomed Virtual Fairs since 2012. Each year, approximately 5% of her applicants are attributed to the virtual fairs hosted by BioGAP. An easier way to reach international and U.S. students, online fairs offer broader exposure to their programs and provide an opportunity for existing prospects to delve deeper into topics of importance. As a best practice, Williams proactively sends out marketing to pre-registered candidates ahead of the fairs to optimize using the tools available. She has found that virtual events support their strategy of reaching Under Represented Minorities, which ultimately helps during the grant process. She appreciates that students can learn from questions their peers ask in the public chat forum, particularly ones that may influence their own evaluation process. Since attendees can see the history of the conversations that took place prior to their arrival, the virtual fairs enable those from across the globe to better understand her institution’s graduate options. Collaborating is key according past BioGAP president Leslie Lichter, who works for Johns Hopkins University. Lichter has been an advocate and early

trailblazer of virtual collaboration events. It has become a central activity since it is a core part of the BioGAP mission to reach more students interested in Biomed programs without burdening them with travel expenses. It allows member institutions to assist the students in finding the best fit by offering a convenient way to meet with 60+ programs on a single day, multiple times a year. Lichter indicated cost savings are an equally important factor, knowing onsite fairs can be price prohibitive. Some events cost as much as $2,000 per booth. When adding $300+ in airfare, $600 in hotel bills, and $6070 per diem expenses (often multiplied by 5-10 attendees), it can severely limit the recruiting opportunities feasible for any institution. Comparatively, with the total cost of a virtual event typically less than $400, Lichter can save money by multi-tasking from the office rather than being out on the road. She can engage 10-12 faculty members in the events and even get a department chair involved on short notice, if she believes it will be high impact. Because BioGAP hosts three events per year, schools can reach prospects that are early on in their discovery, as well as those with last minute questions who are finalizing their decisions. As an added benefit, the virtual fairs have fostered more comradery translating into greater alignment as a Chapter and bolstering their collaboration on other traditional recruitment initiatives. Lichter said, “it has been important to have a virtual partner that is willing to explore new ways to serve the Chapter as their strategy continues to evolve.”

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WORKING WITH A PARTNER TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL Regional NAGAP Chapters such as TxGAP, NEGAP, and NYGAP, along with various allied health professions, are excellent examples of schools joining forces to recruit. Knowing that students will be comparing and contrasting offerings, they embrace the power of cooperating rather than shying away from competition. Having a single registration process and overlapping availability of schools during the event day helps compel individuals to register and attend. Candidates at very different stages of discernment can eliminate phone calls, email inquiries, and the arduous process of navigating schools’ websites. The barriers are lowered for passive candidates to explore more. In a recent virtual grad fair hosted by NEGAP and NYGAP showcasing multiple fields of study, an attendee expressed her satisfaction at being able to connect with public affairs, public health, and international relations programs in New England and New York all in one event. This helped her with her immediate “plan A” while clarifying her “plan B.” Ramping up engagement opportunities with candidates appears to be paramount. This was echoed by Indiana University’s Brandy Wood, who shared that according to a recent NAGAP presenter, it takes 9 unique interactions with a prospect before enrolling at an institution is even a consideration for a student. According to Wood, virtual fairs have been an essential element in creating emotional connections and building relationships with the millennials that “need experiences” with institutions they are evaluating. She added that “email marketing just doesn’t cut it

anymore.” They have improved their yield by hosting their own exclusive virtual events in combination with the group fairs they join with their Biomed peers. Indiana University hosts events that target prospects, applicants, interviewees, and admitted students. Not only does Wood retarget prospects acquired through onsite and group events, she incorporates educational sessions that help applicants get very involved with their brand at each phase of the process. Having recently heard from a student that “you’re the most responsive group” validates their commitment to hosting small groups of highly engaged individuals for one to two-hour chat sessions at least twice a month. Bringing together enrollment management and faculty for both morning and evening sessions, while often using the video feature to engage with their pipeline of potential students, has proven to be an excellent differentiator. Building deeper relationships and engaging with applicants in a less stressful environment using virtual tools is something Wood says has been huge for them and resulted in enrollments. Current BioGAP president Kristin Smith of Penn State College of Medicine agrees virtual event ROI is significant. Looking back over the last 3 years, 7-8% of their applicant pool and 10% of their offers have been tracked to her institution’s participation in the virtual fairs. “No other strategy compares to delivering the quality of applicants or number of offers and enrollments,”

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Smith said. She prefers this user-friendly format because it provides the ultimate flexibility in recruitment. Being singlehandedly responsible for recruiting applicants for three Ph.D. programs, she has to think outside-the-box to accomplish her goals. Smith has found hosting chats sessions (sometimes until 9 pm) has allowed her to connect realtime from anywhere. Whether from her hotel room, couch at home, or poolside lounge chair, the virtual fairs help her maximize her time. She confessed she has even found a way to help her kids with homework and cook dinner in between chat conversations during evening hours when traffic in the chat room may be intermittent. The platform allows her to extend her availability to those who are usually grateful that she is accessible during non-traditional work hours. “With the changing times and so many digitally-savvy prospects, you must meet the students where they are,” Smith reiterated. She also cautioned that contemplating an increase in yield may not be immediate since 30-40% of their visitors aren’t applying in the upcoming cycle. It is not a one-time deal but requires a longer term commitment. For students narrowing down their top schools or exploring new fields of study, online events can help them navigate toward their near-term goal or provide the initial jumpstart needed. When meaningful connections are made by leveraging technology, futures can be decided and outcomes can be achieved for enrollment management teams. Of course, less travel and lower costs are good for the team and the budget. Virtual events are a win on all fronts. n

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GOODBYE GRE, HELLO DIVERSITY STATEMENTS! By Johnnie Yaj, Columbia University Teachers College In just this past year, graduate enrollment managers across the United Stated have made bold moves. From the University of Pennsylvania’s philosophy department to Harvard and Cornell’s English departments, admissions committees have dropped the GRE requirement. It is critical for us as scholars to truly consider the reasons for so many graduate programs going testoptional. Considering the large number of graduate programs in this country with varying values, goals, histories, and prospective students, the debate around who deserves to be admitted remains a controversy. Before we head into the discourse on test-optional practices, we must reiterate the considerations for what we currently qualify as required applicant material, what they tell us about the applicant, and why. I conclude this article by addressing the trend of using diversity statements as a part of the graduate admissions process.

are the closest thing to authentic that a complete graduate application may require out of a prospective applicant. Grade point average (GPA), on the other hand, may be harder to extract. “Graduate enrollment managers shouldn’t necessarily be looking at the GPA itself and comparing prospective students’ GPAs with others, but rather at the ways in which a prospective student has taken advantage of the academic opportunities afforded to them and seeing how their GPA reflects their strategic navigation of their

Critics have argued that GPA tells little about a student’s academic potential because all undergraduate institutions have varying levels of academic standards and rigor, and thus, does not provide an objective measure of a student’s academic potential. I argue that although academic standards are different among undergraduate institutions, they serve as a measure of a student’s ability to make do with the academic rigor, resources, and opportunities afforded to them at their undergraduate institution. Graduate enrollment managers shouldn’t necessarily be looking at the GPA itself and comparing prospective students’ GPAs with others, but rather at the ways in which a prospective student has taken advantage of the academic opportunities afforded to them and seeing how their GPA reflects their strategic navigation of their resources. Another requirement of graduate applicants is letters of recommendation.

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One of the largest controversies in today’s realm of graduate study is the requirement of the Graduate Record Examinations, or GRE. The GRE is a standardized test that measures students’ verbal, quantitative, and qualitative reasoning. Although numerous research studies have shown that the GREs do not predict the likelihood of academic success or graduation, many graduate programs continue to require them. In fact, the GRE has been shown to be an overt barrier for many students seeking to pursue graduate study–– primarily students from historically underrepresented and low-income backgrounds. While the aforementioned commonly required applicant materials are scaled to the student and their resources, the GRE allows for every graduate applicant to be measured using the same standardized tool––it would seem more objective in this way. But although advocates of the GRE argue that it is an objective measure of an applicant’s academic potential, some fail to acknowledge the cultural content and the notions of literacy that are

resources.”

Statements of purpose, or personal statements, serve as a qualitative measure of one’s ability to answer a prompt, a question, or a challenge that the graduate program highly values and asks. Many of these graduate programs ask about similar qualities such as a reason for a student’s interest in their program, the student’s research interests, and their academic aspirations. While students have the opportunity to express themselves qualitatively, there is potential for this applicant material to be forged, untruthful, or unaccounted for. It serves as a mere impression of a student’s ability to provide articulate expressions of the kind of student that they think the program would like to admit. More importantly, though, it is an opportunity for students to draw information from their personal lives and/or communicate the behind-thescenes activities of the information already provided in other parts of the application such as their CV/resume, transcript, or standardized tests. Most of the times, statements of purpose

For one, letters of recommendation offer great insight into a prospective student without requiring the student to articulate themselves what type of student they are. It allows another professional, academic, or authority to speak on behalf of a student. Sometimes, the credibility of the recommender is more valued than the actual substance of the recommendation letter. Either way, letters of recommendation can be swayed in both directions where some students are more socially equipped to ask the right people in their field to recommend them for a specific graduate program that the writer may already have social ties with. Regardless of who writes the letters and what is said in these letters, they ensure that the student has made an exceptional impression on someone they work closely with.

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GOODBYE GRE, HELLO DIVERSITY STATEMENTS! used by the GRE to measure academic potential. In this way, it is clear to connect the evidence of how the GRE may not be so objective in nature––after all––to the levels of racial and economic disparities in having access to higher education. The GREs may give an upper-hand to well-resourced students and wellresourced communities who have had academic support since early on in their educational experiences. While the GREs may seem like an objective approach to graduate study and the graduate application process, we must truly reconsider whether the substance of the information that a GRE score tells us about a student is accurate enough to describe the intellectual capabilities that a student may offer to an institution and a field of study. Moreover, it is important to ask: Who is making these standardized tests? What kinds of cultural information or content are students being tested on? Which types of students are more likely to succeed? What groups of students are less likely to score high? Are we able to construct a standardized test that yields results that do not disproportionately vary based on race, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status? Does the GRE favor certain groups of students over others? If the answer to the latter question is “yes,” then the standardized tests need not be treated as objective. If we are not using the GRE to supplement or give us any important information about a student’s academic potential or intellectual potential to contribute to a field of study, then what is the point of requiring them? The GRE serves as a financial barrier to some, a cultural barrier, and for many, a strictly polarizing academic barrier. Perhaps, it would be beneficial for universities to adopt the notion that the GRE is, perhaps, more like a rite of passage that requires graduate students to experience

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the taking of a test for the sake of being tested, as opposed to providing any critical information about the student’s intellectual capacities. Much of my research is focused on the use of frameworks related to and conducive to the goals and values of diversity on college campuses. When considering diversity and diversity goals, admissions committees are not necessarily looking at GPAs, GRE scores, and other applicant material in a manner to compare them and determine the more deserving candidates. Rather, admissions committees are looking at the applicants that are most inclined to contribute to their institution’s research agenda, goals, values, and vision. People often think that diversity goals are another way of saying that white applicants are not welcomed, but in fact, it welcomes everyone. The goals and values of diversity try to pursue inclusion with consideration of historical exclusion, student’s individual experiences, and structural factors. Many graduate programs across the country have realized this, and thus, have adopted the use of diversity statements as part of the graduate application process. Many diversity statement prompts require applicants to address the ways in which their positionality, personhood, research, academic background, and other relevant aspects of their life contribute to their place in the field, the institution, and the admissions committee’s collective goals. It forces the applicant to be reflexive in their work, their study, and their own positionality–– something which the traditional statement of purpose may not openly ask. Instead, the diversity statements allow the applicant to explicitly articulate who they are, what they’re doing with regard to their academics, and how much their values align with the goals of the institution. Many top universities in the country such as the University

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of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Stanford have adopted the use of diversity statements in their graduate admissions process. It really hits the core of an applicant’s notions of their purpose without giving much room for inauthenticity, opportunities to “fake” the substance of the writing, or applying to an institution that seeks deeper intellectual potential. In conclusion, I ask that if we were to replace the GRE with something like a diversity statement, would we be getting closer to what we are looking for in our graduate students? Does the diversity statement urge students to be more human, or reflexive, in their application process? How are diversity statements different from statements of purpose and what new compelling information can we extract from them that we cannot from the GRE? Advocates of standardized tests argue that the GRE is helpful when comparing and evaluating applicants from unfamiliar undergraduate institutions or from countries with different educational systems, but a score on a test won’t help admissions committees get one step closer into which students are better. Rather, we should look at the student’s intellectual values (statement of purpose), their academic potential (GPA), social ties (letters of rec), and their institutional fit (diversity statement). Everyone is deserving and capable of pursuing a higher education. The structures, values, and barriers that we set in place to censor access to our institutions of higher education must be in alignment with our goals and values. It is not a competition with others to get into a top college; it is about what you have to offer the world with your way of thinking, your potential contributions, and the values that are rooted in your daily work, study, and life. n

CAREER EXPLORATION PROCESSES OF DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL MASTER’S STUDENTS AT A U.S. CAMPUS By Que Nguyet Tran and Tricia Seifert, Montana State University Advances in automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence are influencing the nature of work, business, and society and will become important issues in the future and effect the nature of career choices, career development, and career counseling (Hirschi, 2018). The United States labor market is forecast to see an increase of master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees during the period of 2014 and 2024 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017). Total graduate enrollment increased 0.8% over a tenyear period from 2007-2017 (Okahana & Zhou, 2018), though the trend flattened between fall 2016 and fall 2017 at U.S. institutions. International enrollment decreased 2.4%, while domestic enrollment increased by 1.2% over a one-year period from 2016-2017. Previous research investigated both domestic and U.S. based international student career preparation at the undergraduate level, however, few studies have explored the graduate level. In addition, United States campusbased career services mainly serve undergraduate students and not much attention is given to graduate student employment needs. The purpose of the study is to explore domestic and international master level students’ approach to career preparation at a land-grant institution in the western part of the United States. The findings from the current study suggest implications for international student recruiters, college student career counselors, institutional leaders, and faculty. First, our findings suggest it would be beneficial to add career support for graduate students at the institutional level. Data from four students –twenty years of age – suggests graduates need access to employability information and services when they were searching for jobs or struggling to get a job. Career aspiration was

found to be one of the top reason domestic and international students choose higher education and to study abroad (Loveland, 2017; Gallup, 2018; Adamuti-Trache, 2018; Albert, 2018; Nilsson et al., 2016). Furthermore, using data from students’ previous background, work experience, and graduate education proved useful when developing a career consulting map for the graduate students. Supporting graduate student career preparation is critical to their overall success and these positive outcomes can be used to support and enable future student recruitment.

students demonstrate less interactive exchanges with faculty at undergraduate level, and international students, from different cultures, need time for cultural adjustments as Bozionelos et al. (2015) indicated. Moreover, developing socialization for career preparation strengthens students self-efficacy and career-oriented behaviors, such as networking and job application. Career fairs and internships were also activities students utilized to build their professional socialization. Students could attend career fairs on campus and internships based on graduate program requirements or opportunities availability at the institution. In order to maximize student competences and provide support during their graduate education students need to share with student affairs professionals or other institutional administrators what obstacles they encountered while trying to develop professional networks.

Second, professional socialization is tremendously important in the process of career exploration, particularly in the U.S. context (E. George, Saclarides, & Lubienski, 2018), and the present study has similar findings for both domestic and international students. International students want to make sure academics align with their goals and career preparation; while domestic students focus on social aspects for their persistence. Thus, understanding graduate students’ concerns is helpful when designing appropriate assistance programs to engage students on campus and enrich social experiences, particularly for international students. Professional socialization for these four graduate students was accomplished by faculty introducing them to relevant conferences and other professionals, supporting students writing research proposals for the conferences, or personally financing their attendance at the events. Faculty and mentors need labor market information so they can advise and guide the graduate student’s career preparation prior to their entrance to the labor market. Additionally, encouraging student/faculty interactions plays an important role preparing future graduates, as domestic

1Corresponding

author: Que Nguyet Tran, College of Education, Health and Human Development, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA. Email: quetran@montana.edu

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Third, career service centers available at U.S. institutions seem to focus on undergraduate students and lack support for graduate students who also seek employment information. Graduate students are diverse, including tradition and non-traditional students (working professionals, distance students, veterans, etc.); multiple and flexible approaches such as digital channels to deliver occupational information or professional development events to students would be beneficial for their career preparation. Career counselors for graduate students along with faculty support, enable students to navigate their desired occupation, especially, based on previous experience, program structure, career stages, or their living context including finances, children, and family commitments. Furthermore, career counselors can help international continued on the next

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CAREER EXPLORATION PROCESSES OF DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL MASTER’S STUDENTS CONTINUED students update legal considerations given their interest in international careers after graduation. Changes in the immigration policy and the world of work offer both opportunities and challenges for graduate students whether at home or in a host country. Finally, international students at the master’s level who have completed a U.S. based undergraduate degree or came to the U.S. for a graduate

References 1. Adamuti-Trache, M. (2018). International Students’ Experiences in the US Workforce: Gender Differences in Labor Market Outcomes. In Global Perspectives on International Student Experiences in Higher Education (pp. 273-288). Routledge. 2. Alberts, H. C. (2018). PostGraduation Plans of International Students. Global Perspectives on International Student Experiences in Higher Education: Tensions and Issues, 259. Routledge. 3. Bozionelos, N., Bozionelos, G., Kostopoulos, K., Shyong, C. H., Baruch, Y., & Zhou, W. (2015). International graduate students’ perceptions and interest in international careers. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 26(11), 1428-1451.

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program, tend to pay more attention to the academic graduate environment than geographic cultural diversities and professional/organizational environments. While graduate students at the master’s level in this study have completed or plan to accomplish their programs within two years, only the domestic students emphasize “working culture” differences from state-to-state when out of their comfort zones (i.e.

their home state); while international students only have a vague awareness of such insights.

4. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2017). 37 percent of May 2016 employment in occupations typically requiring postsecondary education. The Economics Daily. Retrievedfrom https://www.bls.gov/ opub/ted/2017/37-percent-of-may2016-employment-in-occupationstypically-requiring-postsecondaryeducation.htm

7. Hirschi, A. (2018). The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Issues and Implications for Career Research and Practice. Career Development Quarterly.

5. E. George, C., Saclarides, E. S., & Lubienski, S. T. (2018). A difference in priorities? Why US and international students consider leaving doctoral programs. Studies in Graduate Postdoctoral Education, 9(1), 38-57. 6. Gallup. (2018). Why Higher Ed? Top Reasons U.S. Consumers Choose Their Educational Pathways. Retrieved from http://www.stradaeducation.org/ consumer-insights/why-higher-ed/

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These practice implications, based on the interviews of domestic and international students, provide an understanding of career exploration processes and career-support deliverables used by graduate school officers and administrators for recruitment, engagement, and retention. n

8. Loveland, E. (2017). Instant Generation. Journal of College Admission, 235, 34-38. 9. Nilsson, P A., & Ripmeester, N. (2016) International student expectations: career opportunities and employability. Journal of International Students, 6(2): 614631 10. Okahana, H., & Zhou, E. (2018). Graduate enrollment and degrees: 2007 to 2017. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools. Retrieved from https://cgsnet. org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/CGS_ GED17_Report.pdf

ENHANCING SUPPORT AND SELF-CONFIDENCE FOR GRADUATE SCHOOL ADMISSION: EARLY FINDINGS FROM THE COMPUTING FIELD By Annie M. Wofford, University of California, Los Angeles

Introduction Over the last several decades, student interest in graduate programs has grown immensely. In 1966, 54.1% of first-year students indicated interest in pursuing graduate school; yet, by 2017, almost three-fourths (73.6%) of first-year students were interested in earning a graduate degree (Eagan, Stolzenberg, Ramirez, Aragon, Suchard, & RiosAguilar, 2016; Stolzenberg et al., 2019). While this growth in interest for graduate education is remarkable, it is not evenly shared among all students and across all disciplines. In my own work as an admissions coordinator for graduate medical programs, I have seen racial, gender, and socioeconomic inequities that shaped not only who was interested in our programs but who matriculated successfully. Such disparities are even more apparent in other science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) graduate programs. For example, the majority of women and racially minoritized students (i.e., American Indian or Alaskan Native, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic or Latinx) intending to pursue a STEM graduate degree directly after their bachelor’s plan to earn advanced degrees in biological sciences and health professions rather than in engineering and computing (i.e. computer science, computer engineering, information science, and varying interdisciplinary fields) (George & Wofford, 2019).

from underrepresented racial minority backgrounds accounted for just 3.7% of master’s degrees and 3.2% of doctoral degrees in computing (Zweben & Bizot, 2018). One way to address these vast inequities in graduate degree attainment is to more thoroughly examine who gets to graduate school in the first place. My current work seeks to understand the role that self-confidence plays in translating students’ computing graduate aspirations to actions of application and enrollment. I suggest that in order to diversify the graduate pipeline in computing, departmental faculty, instructors, and staff need to cultivate students’ self-confidence early, beginning with introductory computing courses. Research has shown that students’ academic self-confidence plays an important role in building and acting on aspirations for graduate education, but confidence levels may also be moderated by social identities like gender or race (MacPhee, Farro, & Canetto, 2013). As such, this study examines how graduate school aspirants develop self-confidence in being admitted to a graduate program in computing and how self-confidence may be affected by students’ beliefs in their abilities or their college experiences. The following questions frame this inquiry:

Equity in computing has been a particular concern lately as more and more students are interested in this growing discipline. In 2017, women comprised only 29.6% of master’s degree awardees and 19.3% of doctoral recipients in computing fields. Likewise, domestic students

1. What are the characteristics of students who indicated high selfconfidence in being admitted to a computing graduate degree program? How does low, moderate, and high self-confidence change over time? 2. What experiences and interactions directly and indirectly predict students’ self-confidence in being admitted to a computing graduate program, and how do mediating relationships vary by race/ethnicity or gender?

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Here, I highlight selected results from this study and offer suggestions for graduate enrollment management (GEM) professionals seeking to support equitable pathways to graduate school. Most notably, this study signals the importance of affective attributes— like self-confidence—in shaping the graduate school pipeline. While this study focuses on admission to graduate computing programs, implications from this study may be relevant for many disciplines striving to increase the number of women and racially minoritized students pursuing graduate school.

Guiding Literature and Conceptual Framework The idea of going to graduate school has become an increasingly prevalent part of conversations that advisors and enrollment managers are having with undergraduate students. In a parallel fashion, higher education research has also recently drawn more attention to the graduate school pipeline. Scholars looking at graduate school trajectories often assess students’ aspirations or matriculation into graduate programs (English & Umbach, 2016; Hanson, Paulsen, & Pascarella, 2016). In STEM, evidence has suggested that participating in undergraduate research or co-curricular enrichment programs support students’ intentions for and likelihood of enrolling in graduate school (Eagan, Hurtado, Chang, Garcia, Herrera, & Garibay, 2013; Kyoung Ro, Lattuca, & Alcott, 2017). These disciplinary environments often expose students to peer communities and amplify opportunities for faculty mentorship, which is also an important influence on graduate school aspirations continued on the next page

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ENHANCING SUPPORT AND SELF-CONFIDENCE (Cole & Espinoza, 2011; Hanson et al., 2016). However, there are many considerations affecting how aspirations translate into concrete enrollment—one being students’ confidence that they will be admitted. To explore students’ self-confidence in graduate admission, specifically in computing, this study draws from social cognitive career theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994, 2000). SCCT has been widely adapted for a number of outcomes in social science research, most of which map on to the theory as career-oriented interests, goals, or performance outcomes. Because of my focus on affective attributes in graduate school pathways, SCCT helps underscore the importance of both individual self-assessments and varying environmental influences on graduate school trajectories in computing. Students’ beliefs about themselves and their abilities lie at the nexus of SCCT. In SCCT, individuals’ background traits shape self-efficacy expectations (i.e., one’s own beliefs about successfully doing a task), which then directly influence outcome expectations (i.e., one’s beliefs of what will occur if they successfully complete the preceding task). These self-assessments, in addition to larger contextual factors like disciplinary departmental environments or larger social systems, then cumulatively guide educational and vocational decisions. Given the salient role of context in this model, I include several computing-specific measures to examine self-confidence for graduate school admission (detailed in Figure 1).

introductory computing courses in 20152016 and participated in a follow-up survey two years later (n=349). The first survey, administered at the end of the introductory course, provides insight into students’ introductory course experiences, and I focus specifically on departmental and mentorship support in the computing context as well as students’ math self-concept (i.e., students’ beliefs of themselves and their abilities, as influenced by others’ perceptions of them). The second survey, administered two years after the introductory course, provides a deeper understanding of how students’ computing experiences have developed over time. From this second time-point, I emphasize self-rated academic ability, computing self-efficacy, and students’ identification as a “computing person”. Further, the dependent variable draws from a single item on the second survey, asking students to rate their confidence in being admitted to a computing graduate program on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

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Methods: Analyses Descriptive analyses helped me understand which students reported high self-confidence for admission to graduate school as well as how selfconfidence changed over time. Although helpful as a baseline, the complex nature of the relationships between students’ computing experiences is best detailed by assessing direct and indirect paths via structural equation modeling (SEM). In this case, SEM allowed me to test whether the effects of introductory course experiences on self-confidence for graduate school admission were partially explained by students’ later selfbeliefs (e.g., computing self-efficacy) or if experiences and interactions leading to greater self-confidence differed by gender or race. Thus, SEM permitted me to acknowledge that there are not only direct predictors of self-confidence for admission to graduate school, but also that there are indirect predictors of this self-confidence that come to play a salient role.

Methods: Data Source This study uses longitudinal student survey data from the BRAID Research project, a mixed-methods study of efforts to diversify undergraduate computing at 15 doctoral-granting institutions across the country. Analyses presented here used a sample of computing graduate aspirants who took

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Figure 1. Conceptual model of students’ self-confidence in getting admitted to a graduate computing program. Latent variables, or constructs comprised of several observed measures on the survey, are indicated with circles, and rectangles indicate observed variables. T1 indicates the first time-point, at the end of students’ introductory course, and T2 represents two years after the introductory course.

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ENHANCING SUPPORT AND SELF-CONFIDENCE Early Results By examining the characteristics of students with computing graduate degree aspirations, we learn valuable information that suggests where students are learning about graduate school opportunities. For example, 1/3 of these students had at least one parent with a graduate degree. Further, nearly half of these students were studying computer science as their major, as opposed to another computing sub-discipline. Though perhaps obvious that students would benefit from important information networks developed by parents who have attained a graduate degree or by pursuing computer science, there were also a sizable number of students interested in computing graduate school that were first-generation, former community college students, or majoring in a field other than computer science (e.g., computer engineering). The variation in educational characteristics among students interested in computing graduate school indicates that there may be untapped pools—beyond students in the most popular majors or with families knowledgeable about graduate pathways—from which GEM professionals may be able to recruit graduate students. Additionally, interesting trends emerged when I looked at changes in selfconfidence in being admitted to a computing graduate program over time. During introductory computing courses, about 1/3 of computing graduate school aspirants felt very confident in being admitted to graduate school—a number which stayed fairly consistent two years later. Yet, exploring students’ confidence in being admitted by gender and race/ethnicity, these trends look quite different. Most notably, Figures 2 and 3 tell us that the proportion of men with high self-confidence in being admitted to graduate school significantly increased over the two years students

were surveyed while the proportion of women with high self-confidence dropped more than 10 percentage points. These stark contrasts in confidence are concerning, particularly as the proportion of women reporting high self-confidence at the end of the introductory course was actually higher than men. Similar trends were seen among students from underrepresented racial minority backgrounds. These changes suggest that women and racially minoritized students may be having negative computing experiences in their later years of college and that their self-confidence for graduate school admission may be suffering as a result. In an effort to examine what types of experiences, interactions, or other selfbeliefs might play a role in predicting self-confidence in being admitted to computing graduate school, the second research question tests the conceptual illustration of a structural model for direct and indirect effects

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(Figure 1). Early results conclude that the relationship between many students’ experiences and their confidence in graduate admission is partially explained, or mediated, by computing self-efficacy. Here, computing selfefficacy is defined as students’ beliefs in their own abilities to successfully complete computing-related tasks (e.g., successfully learn a new programming language, translate what they are doing to a non-technical audience). In other words, the positive effect of computing departmental support and self-assessed academic ability on self-confidence in graduate school admission becomes stronger when students also believe that they can effectively do disciplinary tasks in computing. A second key finding from the early renditions of this study further explains the aforementioned gender differences in self-confidence in computing graduate school admission. In explaining why this is the case, results suggest that women have significantly lower math self-concept during introductory computing courses compared to men. While the effect of women’s math selfconcept in STEM majors has been well studied (e.g., Sax, Kanny, Riggers-Piehl, Whang, & Paulson, 2015), my findings suggest gendered perceptions of math ability may have a lasting impact on computing educational trajectories. Put another way, even when women have other successes in collegiate computing environments—such as support from their academic departments—initial uncertainties in math ability continue to have indirect, longer term impacts.

Figure 2. Changes in the proportion of men reporting high self-confidence in being admitted to graduate school in computing between the end of their introductory course (Time 1) and two years later (Time 2).

Implications and Conclusion Figure 3. Changes in the proportion of women reporting high self-confidence in being admitted to graduate school in computing between the end of their introductory course (Time 1) and two years later (Time 2).

As a former admissions coordinator for graduate medical programs, I am deeply invested in researching 1) why only certain subsets of students are interested in graduate school, and 2) continued on the next page

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ENHANCING SUPPORT AND SELF-CONFIDENCE what university leaders in admissions or specific academic departments can do to address inequities and cultivate greater diversity in the graduate school pipeline. My early investigation of these questions addresses these questions in computing specifically. Although many of my findings have direct implications for computing faculty members in regard to how they structure introductory courses as well as departmental support and mentorship, these results also suggest that there are steps that GEM professionals can take to recruit and sustain confidence in admission for computing graduate school. Further, these suggestions may be transferrable to other disciplines seeking to increase the representation of women and racially minoritized students in graduate school. First, GEM professionals should take steps to introduce the possibility of graduate study at the early stages of students’ undergraduate experiences. By making pointed efforts to meet with or develop presentations for lower-division students, GEM professionals can inspire and support students’ early exploration of possible educational and vocational options in particular disciplines—like computing. Given that my findings suggest that a greater proportion of women had high self-confidence within the introductory course as opposed to

References 1. Charleston, L. J. (2012). A qualitative investigation of African Americans’ decision to pursue computing science degrees: Implications for cultivating career choice and aspiration. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 5(4), 222-243. doi: 10.1037/a0028918

later in college, an early introduction to graduate school seems particularly critical to sustaining higher levels of selfconfidence and narrowing the gender gap in computing graduate school. Second, GEM professionals should cultivate relational networks with faculty and administrators in specific disciplines seeking to recruit more diverse students to graduate school. In particular, faculty mentorship and role modeling has been found to support women and racially minoritized students’ long-term educational and vocational commitment in computing (Charleston, 2012; Tamer & Stout, 2016). Thus, if GEM professionals can provide information about a wide variety of graduate programs and admission processes to faculty advisors or research mentors, underrepresented students may have more exposure to graduate school opportunities from role models that they trust. Also, although not a primary focus of this study, there was a relatively high proportion of former community college students with computing graduate aspirations. In light of community college students’ representation here, I posit that GEM professionals should extend their influence in two-year settings by speaking with community college advisors and faculty members in technical education. Graduate

2. Cole, D., & Espinoza, A. (2011). The postbaccalaureate goals of college women in STEM. New Directions for Institutional Research, 152, 51-58. 3. Eagan, M. K., Hurtado, S., Chang, M. J., Garcia, G. A., Herrera, F. A., & Garibay, J. C. (2013). Making a difference in science education: the impact of undergraduate research programs. American Educational Research Journal, 50(4), 683–713.

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aspirations do not solely develop within the undergraduate, four-year institutional context—in fact, confidence about skillsets and educational plans develop throughout one’s educational path— and increasing the visibility of graduate school opportunities at all educational stages across institution types may be beneficial. As this research project develops, I plan to further explore into how students’ gender and racial identities, selfbeliefs, and undergraduate computing experiences affect their later selfconfidence in admission to computing graduate programs. Taken together, I will investigate how undergraduate faculty and administrators can develop meaningful collaborations with GEM professionals to advance greater equity in post-baccalaureate trajectories. GEM professionals play an important role in cultivating diversity among graduate students in a variety of ways, including doing outreach to prospective students in multiple educational settings, cultivating relationships with key university leaders to make the graduate school admissions process more transparent, and supporting marginalized students as they develop the confidence to navigate pathways to graduate school. n

4. Eagan, M. K., Stolzenberg, E. B., Ramirez, J. J., Aragon, M. C., Suchard, M. R., & Rios-Aguilar, C. (2016). The American freshman: Fifty-year trends, 1966-2015. Los Angeles, CA: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA. 5. English, D., & Umbach, P. D. (2016). Graduate school choice: An examination of individual and institutional effects. The Review of Higher Education, 39(2), 173-211. continued on the next page

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ENHANCING SUPPORT AND SELF-CONFIDENCE 6. George, K. L., & Wofford, A. M. (2019, April). Relationships with faculty and self: Examining factors that contribute to STEM graduate degree intentions. Paper presentation at the 2019 American Educational Research Association (AERA) annual meeting, Toronto, Canada. 7. Hanson, J. M., Paulsen, M. B., Pascarella, E. T. (2016). Understanding graduate school aspirations: The effect of good teaching practices. Higher Education, 71(5), 735-752. DOI 10.1007/s10734-015-9934-2 8. Kyoung Ro, H., Lattuca, L. R., & Alcott, B. (2017). Who goes to graduate school? Engineers’ math proficiency, college experience, and self-assessment of skills. Journal of Engineering Education, 106(1), 98-122.

9. Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79-122. 10. Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (2000). Contextual supports and barriers to career choice: A social cognitive analysis. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 47(1), 36. 11. MacPhee, D., Farro, S., & Canetto, S. S. (2013). Academic self‐efficacy and performance of underrepresented STEM majors: Gender, ethnic, and social class patterns. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 13(1), 347-369.

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13. Stolzenberg, E. B., Eagan, M. K., Aragon, M. C., Cesar-Davis, N. M., Jacobo, S., Couch, V., & RiosAguilar, C. (2019). The American freshman: National norms fall 2017. Los Angeles, CA: Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA. 14. Tamer, B., & Stout, J. G. (2016). Understanding how research experiences for undergraduate students may foster diversity in the professorate. In Proceedings of the ACM SIGCSE Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education, 114-119. 15. Zweben, S., & Bizot, B. (2018). 2017 CRA Taulbee survey: Another year of record undergrad enrollment; doctoral degree production steady while master’s production rises again. Computing Research Association, Washington, D.C. https://cra.org/wp-content/ uploads/2018/05/2017-TaulbeeSurvey-Report.pdf

12. Sax, L. J., Kanny, M. A., RiggersPiehl, T. A., Whang, H., & Paulson, L. N. (2015). “But I’m not good at math”: The changing salience of mathematical self-concept in shaping women’s and men’s STEM aspirations. Research in Higher Education, 56(8), 813-842.

NAGAP Volunteer Opportunities NAGAP is a member-driven association, and there are many ways to get involved!

Check out the Volunteer Opportunities Page to learn more

For more information, or to talk to someone about ways to become more involved with NAGAP, you can email a member of the Leadership Cultivation & Elections Committee.

about the committees, organizational activities, and other projects for which you may volunteer your time.

We hope you will take the time to consider the opportunities for volunteer participation, and that you will discover a way to become more involved in NAGAP.

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The Leader in Graduate Enrollment Management

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ORLANDO 2020: ANNUAL GRADUATE ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT SUMMIT By Naronda Wright, 2020 Conference Chair, Georgia Southern University The 2019 Conference Planning Committee would like to extend our gratitude to all of you who were able to attend the Annual Conference in Toronto, Ontario in southeastern Canada. With 800 conference attendees, we hope you were able to maximize your experience as we move into another academic year. As we close the current academic cycle, we hope continue to find ways to stay involved both regionally and nationally with NAGAP through future Summer and Winter PDIs as well as open leadership opportunities in your local chapter. We’re also pleased to announce that with NAGAP’s $500 match contribution, we were able to raise a total of $1253 for Pathways to Education! Your on-site contributions were greatly appreciated and extremely important to the organization.

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We are very excited as we look ahead to 2020! The 2020 NAGAP Annual Graduate Enrollment Management Summit will be held at the Loews Royal Pacific at Universal Orlando in beautiful Orlando, Florida! This will be another opportunity for you to engage with colleagues in practice and research at another outstanding conference. We encourage you to find ways to take advantage of this experience, whether it is submitting a conference proposal to present in the coming months or volunteering. There are plenty of ways for you to stay engaged in the Annual Graduate Enrollment Management Summit! And of course, Orlando, Florida is home to Universal, Walt Disney, and many more attractions. Make sure to Save the Date from April 22-25 for the 2020 Annual Graduate Enrollment Management Summit! n

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CONFERENCE SESSION SUMMARIES The Use Of Social Media And E-Marketing In Graduate Student Recruitment: An Investigation Of Graduate Enrollment Management Practices Presented by Stanley J. Kania III, Ph.D, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Reported by Justin Gubersky, University of Southern California With undergraduate enrollment projecting a limited future growth, colleges and universities are looking for ways to “stand out” and increase their social media presence and e-marketing practices within graduate enrollment. Identifying current usage can be difficult as most scholarly literature focuses on undergraduate enrollment. With this challenge in mind, Stanley J. Kania III conducted a study looking at recent strategies for the graduate enrollment process. Kania’s study specifically focused on four-year public and private non-profit colleges and universities in the United States. Major takeaways included: • Social media usage is similar between public and private institutions • Private institutions use more e-marketing practices with targeted and tailored content • Institutions with higher budgets (mainly private institutions) also use more social media and e-marketing practices overall

With these conclusions in mind, Kania emphasized three specific implications for professional practice:

that messaging posted is consistent with prospective student needs. The calendar should include dates, media, and the channels to push out content.

• No need to reinvent the wheel, social media tools used for undergraduate programs are likely to be the same for graduate programs

E-Marketing Strategy Example Use text messaging software (e.g. Mongoose) to engage with prospective students during all phases of the admission process. This is an opt-in service where prospective students can reach out with questions during the process. Templates can be made to reflect the types of questions received at various points of the cycle.

• Do a SWOT analysis every 2-3 years to identify areas of improvement • Push to allocate more budget resources to e-marketing and social media recruitment practices and initiatives While data can capture a picture of institutional trends, there are also the realities that many GEM professionals are often expected to do more with less. Kania provided practical examples based on his own experience that can be adjusted to meet institutional needs of any size or budget.

Social Media Strategy Example Creating a social media content calendar can alleviate stress at busier times of the enrollment cycle and ensure

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Strategies should be tailored towards specific institutional needs, and creating polished content should be prioritized over quantity. Data from applicant feedback can be used to identify areas of interest and content can be adjusted to provide targeted, relevant information. Even with limited resources, ingenuity and creative approaches can allow any institution to create successful social media and e-marketing strategies as part of their graduate enrollment process. n

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CONFERENCE SESSION SUMMARIES

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The Fundamental Four: Critical Competencies for Today’s Global GEM Professional Presented by Alice Camuti, Ph.D., Tennessee Technological University Reported by Christopher Ditmar, University of Notre Dame Leadership competencies are crucial for success in today’s global graduate admissions environment. Dr. Camuti presented an overview of the “fundamental four” competencies and offered both self-coaching techniques, and skills acquisition tactics applicable to each competency; communication, influence, learning agility, and selfawareness. Communication: Individuals who communicate well are able to speak, write, and listen clearly. Good communication, whether in speaking or writing, is done with passion. Good communicators tailor their communications to others’ needs, motivations, and agendas. They make organizational goals clear. Good communicators have good command of non-verbal skills. Influence: Individuals who influence well persuade others in order to gain their cooperation and commitment. Ken

Blanchard wrote, “The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority.” The competency of influence involves building a broad network of supporters. Those with strong influential skills are inspirational; and can influence up, down, and across the organization. Good influencers are regarded as collaborative and flexible. Learning Agility: Individuals who are learning-agile seek out diverse experiences and apply lessons learned to new challenges. President John F. Kennedy said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” Those who possess the competency of learning agility are able to adapt and persevere. They practice new skills and refine them in response to feedback. Individuals who are learning-agile develop a reputation for leading change, learning from both setbacks and successes. Self-Awareness: Individuals who are self-aware use reflection and feedback

to gain insight into their own strengths and developmental needs. They understand their impact on situations and people, and have an accurate picture of how others view their strengths and weaknesses. Individuals with strong self-awareness respond well to new situations, holding fast to personal values while considering the values of others. Self-awareness is crucial throughout all stages of one’s career. Dr. Camuti engaged the audience throughout the discussion of each competency, inviting and answering questions, and posing questions to the audience. Those who answered Dr. Camuti’s questions correctly received a fun prize. In response to a question about whether any one competency was more important than another, Dr. Camuti asserted that, of the four, communication is the most visible. Dr. Camuti suggested Strengths Finder as a helpful tool for increasing one’s selfawareness. n

Connecting Graduate Admissions Practices to Program Goals Implementing an effective holistic admissions process to identify the right applicants and effectively meet institution and program goals is a complex task. Now, there’s a website with information, tools and resources to help you navigate holistic admissions practices.

Visit HolisticAdmissions.org today ETS - Measuring the Power of Learning.® Copyright © 2019 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. ETS, the ETS logo, MEASURING THE POWER OF LEARNING and GRE are registered trademarks of Educational Testing Service (ETS). SIAS18099

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Alumni Engagement and Admissions: Ways To Engage Graduate Alumni While Serving as Admissions Ambassadors Presented by Jill Murrin, American Film Institute (AFI) Conservatory Reported by Jordan Rose Wiehebrink, Bellarmine University Alumni are like movies – each with a unique story to tell. And prospective graduate students are an audience waiting to see them. Colleges and universities are the theater, determining which previews to run and films to show to reach certain audiences. Filmmakers like Jill Murrin, Interim Director of Admissions at American Film Institute (AFI), are already applying this cinematic analogy to direct both movies and alumni.

1. Develop your highlight reel — “50 years of excellence” and short clips from famous films connected to notable AFI alumni are one way Murrin creatively showcases alumni successes in a recruitment video that quickly and effectively shares what her audience wants to see: statistics and stories.

2. Host your casting call — AFI purposefully addresses audience demands while engaging their alumni by creating reconnection opportunities (especially for those not yet able to contribute financially). They utilize internal connections and recommendations from the alumni office, program directors, etc., to identify potential volunteers, as well as manually track communication with and participation of alumni.

3. Set production guidelines — Murrin suggests developing a general template with appropriate talking points to guide your alumni. Ensure they have current program information/updates and be prepared to host basic trainings (if needed).

5. Check your ratings — 74% is the average annual percentage of alumni referrals for AFI’s applicant pool, which is their #1 source of referrals. As for decisions to enroll, alumni reputation accounts for 98.2% and alumni encouragement contributes to 73.2%. 6. Know your audience — AFI’s alumni engagement approach coincides seamlessly with the consumer-driven mindset expanding across current and future applicants. At a time when prospective graduate students want to see the value in selecting a program/institution, they’re relying more and more on outcomes and testimonials to do so. As Murrin explains, “They want to know that their investment is worthwhile.”

b. Behind the scenes — Certain alumni provide an additional perspective in the selection process by participating in application review and interviews. Some even take part in the admission notification process by making the congratulatory calls personally.

Institutions like AFI that are at the forefront of the alumni engagement trend have already seen some “blockbusters” with this approach. By applying these tactics to your own motion picture productions, we as admissions filmmakers might have a “reel” opportunity for some awardwinning performances. n

4. Keep it Low-budget — For AFI, no incentives are given to alumni for their time, other than $15 hourly for those participating in the selection process. All production is done

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in-house utilizing existing personnel skill, so communication content is no additional expense.

a. Red carpet — Alumni have unique perspectives and can share these at recruitment events. This allows alumni to engage in honest, open dialogue and can create genuine conversations of encouragement towards their respective program/institution. Murrin claims that alumni just have an unmatched “love and pride for their alma mater.”

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How to Establish Enrollment & Tuition Revenue Goals for Graduate Academic Programs Presented by Joseph Paris, Ed.D., Temple University College of Education Reported by Erin Carroll, M.B.A, Temple University College of Education In researching the key points to build In order to better project tuition revenue, the formula, a number of strategic the College of Education at Temple questions came to the surface. Do University undertook a significant GEM professionals know the true cost project combining GEM knowledge, of running an academic program? Are best practices in business, and even admissions decisions being made with some algebra to develop a formula by consideration for academic advising which institutions could more accurately loads and classroom size caps? Are predict enrollment trends. Presenter programs growing in alignment with the Dr. Joseph Paris started the session industry demands? How can institutions with a disclaimer – while he couldn’t right-size programs that produce promise that the formula would be the graduates that do exceed demand? “special sauce” for every institution, he did promise that attendees would Paris examined these questions and be introduced to universally applicable developed what he called “critical considerations to serve as forecasting considerations for goal setting.” These tools at their respective institutions. considerations included the availability of data systems and reporting, the Representatives from the College of possibility of differential tuition by Education’s Deans Office, Enrollment program or level, market demand, Management and Marketing, Data expenditure by program, and “breakAnalysis and Research, Academic even” points for tuition revenue by Operations, and Graduate Academic program — among many other Affairs researched and created these necessary criteria. considerations for goal setting; and ultimately designed this formula to Paris suggested that using most recent help the College of Education GEM three-year averages (at minimum) professionals grow or right-size are the best ways to forecast future programs.

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enrollments and accounted for these averages in building his formula: (A + [B * E]) — (C + D), where • A is the number of currently registered students • B is the number of new enrollees (three-year average) • C is the number of graduating seniors (three-year average) • D is the number of attritions (threeyear average) and • E is the desired rate of enrollment growth Ultimately, this formula has aided in projecting incoming class sizes and many other “back-end” components of the admission funnel — including advising loads, funding offers, and the number of course sections to be offered. n

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The Fellowship Application Incentive Program: How We Convinced 195 Students To Apply For 274 Fellowships/Grants Presented by Julie Goodliffe, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Charlotte Reported by Gregg Meiklejohn, Enrollment Resources Inc. Julie Goodlife shared her experiences in catalyzing graduate students at her school to access fellowships and scholarships the world over. The problem that Julie was tasked with solving was this. In spite of billions of dollars being available to graduate students at her school, they were not even attempting to try and apply for the treasure trove of resources. Not only was there money available but of course fellowships, however small look create on a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s resume. Julie promoted the Global Fellowship Databases available to grad students, crickets. She started offering information

sessions on how to access databases and help students wind through the often nasty application requirements. Julie marginally improved her results but still largely skunked. Grad Students still did not embrace fellowship and scholarship opportunities.

Here's is what happened There were 195 students who stepped up and applied for 275 grants, scholarships and fellowships. With her support from her department her 195 charges garnered several hundred thousand dollars in edu gifts as low as $400 and as large as tens of thousands of dollars. Students opened doors and added to their edu profile and the School built tremendous brand awareness. This was triggered all from a modest bursary to pursue bursaries. n

Finally Julie landed on what seemed on the surface a different idea.She created a bursary for grad students to pursue bursaries. She paid grad students to pursue opportunities for them to get paid. How weird, but brilliant. With a small bursary of $500 it was enough of an incentive to tip grad students into action.

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Go Further Beyond: Working with EducationUSA for International Graduate Student Recruitment and Retention Presented by Jennifer Brown, Peter Baker, Maria Mercedes Salmon, and Shevanti Narayan, EducationUSA Reported by Mandy Choie, Cornell Tech EducationUSA, a worldwide network of U.S. State Department-sponsored education advising centers, provides free and unbiased information on all accredited colleges and universities located in the United States. Serving 180 countries, EducationUSA advising centers offer virtual and in-person services for students and U.S. institutions that include: • Individual and group advising on the U.S. education system, college application and visa processes, standardized testing, and predeparture information • Recruitment strategies and assistance in contacting local educational institutions • Verification of academic credentials • Virtual and in-person fairs and social media outreach • Opportunity Funds Program covers upfront university application costs for qualified students from underserved communities • Global Guide — annual publication with information about EducationUSA advising services, regional profiles and trends, country-specific opportunities, and economic factors related to student mobility During this session, each Regional Educational Advising Coordinator (REAC) on the panel shared an overview of their region: • Europe • 10% of all international students from this region

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• Top graduate student-sending countries in this region: Turkey, Italy, Russia, Spain, Germany, and United Kingdom • Majority undergraduate market (59% undergrad v. 41% graduate) • Tips - E ngage with Fulbright (23 centers across region) - P hD programs integrated with a Master’s can be a strong selling point - H ighlight the benefits of 2-year master’s over a 1-year master’s, which is typical in Europe

• North America, Central America, and Caribbean • Canada is the top sender of graduate students to the U.S. in this region and fifth-largest sending country overall • Cuba has the highest growth of students • Finances have led to a decrease in students from Canada and Mexico • Trends  - I ncrease in foreign government scholarships and private sector support  - I nstitutional partnerships are facilitating student mobility  - G rowing interest in “added value” education (ex. specializations, internships) • South and Central Asia • Over 21% of total international student population from this region • Top graduate student-sending countries in this region: India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka

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• Trends - I ndia: still the top sender but decreased by 9% this past year; prioritize Optional Practical Training (OPT) opportunities and high return on investment - P akistan: binational funding has increased student mobility - K azakhstan: Bolashek International Scholarship and government scholarships are available for Master’s and PhD programs • Top fields: STEM, machine learning, data sciences, and data analytics • Uncertainty in H-1B and OPT opportunities have driven to students to other countries (ex. Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, and China) • Tips - C onsider accepting 3-Year Bachelor degrees from established Indian institutions - A lign communications and highlight alumni success stories

When creating your international student recruitment strategy, EducationUSA suggests that you review the top fields of interest in each region, inventory any pre-existing and/or potential partnership opportunities, diversify your travel, make early decisions involving financial support, and engage with EducationUSA before and during your travels. n

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Building a Graduate Research Symposium to Strengthen Retention and Increase the Enrollment Funnel Presented by Tracy Collum, Ph.D., Idaho State University Reported by Ruth Braganza, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine A research symposium is a great way to give exposure to the diversity of graduate research taking place on campus; giving students a sense of accomplishment from seeing their work on display, as well as being an instrumental part of preparing students for the wider professional stage. By working with your undergraduate feeder schools to encourage attendance, these events can also prove to be an effective way of widening the enrolment funnel. Having initiated research events at two schools, Tracy provides key steps from her own experiences as well as strategies employed at other schools.

Next steps: Consider adding in oral presentations, such as the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT); quick ‘big picture’ talks, which engage the audience. Look at ways to encourage remote attendance to your graduate research symposium.

First timers: For schools who have never organized a research symposium before, the simplest way to start is with a poster session; having students prepare

Partnering/Sponsors: On-campus partners such as the provost office, academic affairs, research office, library or graduate student associations can collaborate on keynote speakers and share the burden of costs and administrative efforts. Partnering also

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encourages a multidisciplinary event. Consider keeping students involved by having them serve as moderators. Seek sponsors to fund prizes, food, giveaways and cover publishing costs.

simple visuals for display on campus is an ideal way to showcase work. Having industry experts appointed to judge the posters provides the students an excellent networking opportunity with prospective employers.

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Retention and growth: Consider building in some professional development workshops such as poster development classes, 3MT practice sessions, and CV writing. Creating safe spaces for practice and feedback in a lower pressure environment also helps students develop relationships with faculty mentors. Make arrangements for feeder schools to attend. Incentives such as reduced tuition, funding opportunities and application fee waivers are a great way to encourage applications to supplement your recruitment efforts. n

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Diversity in Graduate Education: Looking at, and Beyond, Admissions Presented by Julie Shurts, Educational Testing Service; Janet Rutledge, Ph.D., University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Mark Smith, Ph.D., University of Texas at Austin; and Steven Matson, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Reported by Moises Orozco Villicaña, Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign In this panel session, which Shurts moderated, three deans representing different public 4-year research universities provided rich insight into the challenges and issues involved in increasing student diversity and inclusiveness of graduate programs. Equally important, Matson, Rutledge, and Smith offered concrete examples of successful efforts that have led to increasing the student and faculty diversity at their home institution. All three panelists cited the significance of viewing diversity as a necessity for excellence while also setting up strategic diversity plan that lays out how campus and academic units can partner for their efforts to be successful. To ensure a diversity plan works, it must be general to fit the unique needs of each department, but there must be accountability that encourages the timely execution of the plan.

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The three panelists were also asked to share insight into the greatest hurdle for graduate schools that seek to diversify their student population. According to the panelists, a significant barrier in increasing diversity is the campus culture. To be successful in increasing the diversity of the student body, there has to be a culture change that prioritizes diversity and fosters an environment that is passionate about student diversity. This campus culture must also reward and feature academic units that have been successful in the recruitment and retention of a diverse student population. This type of culture shift is not easy and requires considerable amount of effort and dedication from faculty and staff. Rutledge provided specific insight that graduate enrollment management professionals need to consider when recruiting diverse students:

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• Students have to believe that they are going to be successful • Be able to describe their graduate school experience • Commitment to finding the right program • Be genuine with prospects and how to get to their goals To diversify graduate education and foster an inclusive environment, there must be a deep commitment and a culture shift that views diversity as a moral imperative. This type of approach is not easy and requires immense collaboration, communication, and accountability. If done with a deep sense of passion and a strategic plan, graduate enrollment management professionals will see success similar to the success the three deans from this panel have experienced at their respective institutions. n

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Dissecting a Bachelor’s Degree: Resources & Tips for Determining U.S. Bachelor’s Equivalency Presented by Emily Tally, Indiana University Bloomington Reported by Karen Eden, St. Ambrose University In a time when Admission offices are expected to do more with less, often the responsibility of international credential evaluation falls on those individuals who may not have the expertise or training to perform the work. As GEM professionals we need to work smarter not harder — taking advantage of the many resources available to assist in determining U.S. Bachelor’s equivalency. The presenter began with a review of what makes up a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Typically, it takes four years of full-time study to complete a bachelor’s degree. In that time, 120 credits are completed or approximately 40 college courses taken. There tends to be an emphasis on liberal arts education, not just a major subject area. There is usually no distinction made between academic and professional degrees in the US. International undergraduate degrees and the Bologna Process in Europe were reviewed. The Bologna Process is an agreement between European countries to ensure standards and quality of education are comparable. It was recommended when determining bachelor’s equivalency, the home country’s education system and as well as the institution itself be considered.

1. IERF — https://www.ierf.org • International Education Research Foundation • Free online & print publications: education terms, academic calendars, languages, credential “vault”, etc. 2. AACRAO Edge — http://edge.aacrao.org • American Association for Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, Electronic Database for Global Education • Education ladders, credential descriptions, grading scales, links to primary sources of recognition

4. Ministry of Education & governmental websites • List of recognized postsecondary institutions • Difficult to navigate 5. World Higher Education Database (WHED) — http://www.whed.net/ home.php • List of recognized institutions around the globe by International Association of Universities in collaboration with UNESCO • Easy to search 6. ECE: The Connection — https:// theconnection.ece.org/ • Message Boards on many topics

3. TAICEP — https://www.taicep.org/ taiceporgwp/resources/availableonlineresources/ • The Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals • Links to professional organizations, country & regional resources, associations of colleges & universities, etc.

The presenter stressed consistency and developing internal processes of evaluation which are clearly documented and shared within the institution. Documentation of the process can easily be managed by an internal Wiki — a customizable and easy-to-use editing tool. Free online software and coding instructions can be found at https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/ MediaWiki. n

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Several online resources were highlighted; these can aid with the evaluation processes.

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An Inside Look at The Hubspot Marketing Platform (And How GEM Schools Are Using It) Presented by Zach Busekrus, Direct Development and Guillaume Delloue, HubSpot Reported by James N. Crane, Brigham Young University In today’s competitive and increasingly complex graduate student recruitment environment, GEM professionals are looking for strategies, tools, and resources that will enable them to effectively identify quality inquiries and effectively nurture these inquires to the point of application and beyond. Graduate programs spend an incredible amount of money and time on both the middle and the bottom-of-the-funnel recruitment efforts (investing in state-ofthe-art CRMs and training for graduate coordinators) but often struggle to allocate appropriate attention to top-ofthe-funnel strategies (digital advertising, conversion-centric content creation, and quality lead generation). Furthermore, graduate program websites are often notorious for providing barriers to entry (inquiry forms with 20+ fields and applications from

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the dial-up era) and frequently do not consider the user’s experience; rather, they offer content that is written for internal stakeholders rather than for prospects, etc. The good news is that HubSpot is committed to helping graduate schools differentiate themselves, reduce friction for both prospects and coordinators in the applicant journey, and track the metrics that matter most all in an effort to make the graduate student recruitment process more sustainable. An inside look at the HubSpot platform and how grad programs are using it reveals that grad programs are leveraging the power of this leading inbound marketing automation and content management platform to identify quality prospects across the digital recruitment landscape (the internet!) and convert prospects with compelling,

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field-specific, and personalized content. In other words, HubSpot can integrate with your CRM to provide full-funnel reporting on each individual’s journey through the enrollment process — from their first Google Ad click to deposit and beyond! Graduate programs of all shapes and sizes who partner with HubSpot report that they are generating higher quality inquiries using features like chatbots, winning the SEO game by publishing keyword-rich blog posts and longform content resources, and equipping grad coordinators and admission committees with deep insights (based on the digital foot print of each user) on which prospects are compelling and should be communicated with strategic timelines for communication, and where their prospects are in the graduate admissions process. n

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The 2019 Inquiry Response Project and What It Means for Your Communication Strategy Presented by David Cotter, Boston University; Robert Ruiz and Suzanne Sharp, Liaison International Reported by Paula Baker, University of Minnesota Visa issues, travel bans, and decreased state funding are a few of the challenges facing enrollment managers in graduate education today. In 2018, the United States saw decreased international enrollment for the second straight year, while at the same time, 49 of 50 U.S. state budgets lost resources for higher education. The 2019 Inquiry Response Project investigated how institutions with NAGAP members respond to requests for information, and created a set of best practices to improve communication with prospects in these challenging times. Secret shoppers visited 517 graduate school websites from the NAGAP membership list, submitted requests for information to schools with electronic forms, and tracked all communications, including email, print mail, and phone calls received within four weeks of the initial request date. The following are key findings and recommendations for best practices from this project. • Make your forms easy to find. Approximately one-third of the websites studied had inquiry forms on the home page, but only 20% had forms that could be found without scrolling. For inquiry forms not located on the home page, the most common number of

• Make sure web pages and forms use responsive design. 60 percent of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. • Keep forms up to date. More than a quarter of the inquiry forms studied contained outdated selections such as expired entry terms. • Keep forms short. Although form lengths varied, asking for approximately four pieces of key information is becoming standard. Instead of front-loading all of your questions, request additional information in follow-up messages to create a dialogue with prospective students.

they will be hearing from you in the future. 65 percent of submitted inquiry forms received a response within 24 hours, while 25% received no response at all. • Keep the focus on the prospective student. Acknowledge the individual and thank them for introducing themselves. Research shows that including a first name in communications increases response rates by 135%, but adding one additional detail increases response rates by 500%. • Send multiple communications across different channels. Channels could include text, email, phone, printed mail, webpages, Facebook, Google, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, LinkedIn, YouTube, and many others. Recommended number of “touches” over a fourweek period is 10-15 interactions across 4-5 channels. The topics and content should be varied, not the same message each time. Consider having your students create YouTube videos that can be shared.

• Don’t be generic! What does the prospective student see after they submit your form? Most schools displayed a generic success page, some displayed a web page with links, and some displayed no message or even an error message. A small number of schools routed prospects to a personalized URL or portal after form submission.

• Always sign a name on your communications. Avoid generic signatures like “Graduate Admissions Team.” n

• Respond quickly, and let your prospects know when and how

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clicks away was two. 15 percent of schools had no form.

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GRE Test as an Admissions Tool: Pros and Cons Presented by Denise Bridwell, University of Kansas; Brent Bridgeman, Ph.D., Educational Testing Service; Anthony Perez, Medical College of Wisconsin; Christopher Turoski, University of Minnesota Law School Reported by Alyssa Orlando, Bentley University #GRExit has established itself as a social media trend over the last few years. Christopher Turoski of the University of Minnesota Law School moderated a panel of three professionals regarding the pros and cons of using or removing the GRE test as an admission tool in GEM practice. This session solely focused on the GRE and did not discuss any other graduate admission tests. The first panelist, Dr. Brent Bridgeman of ETS, used a multitude of ETS survey data to establish the positive uses of the test in evaluation and admission practice. He advised that as professionals, we know that scores do not predict with 100 percent certainty success in graduate

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school. However, the test is one of few completely objective criteria typically asked for in the admission process. Dr. Bridgeman ended with the statement that more information in an application should be preferable to less information. The second panelist, Anthony Perez from the Medical College of Wisconsin, discussed the implicit and explicit biases that go into the making of graduate entrance exams and their effects on the admission process. He did mention that there are some valid reasons for including the test as a requirement in some processes, but generally, the test carries more weight than it should due to costs, demographic disparities, and other barriers to entrance.

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The last panelist, Denise Bridwell from the University of Kansas, served as a mediator between the two sides and incited questions from the session attendees. Several themes from questions included funding opportunities for test-optional processes, the assessment of international applicants, and recruiting students who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t plan to take the GRE. Although a lot of great information was shared in this session, the removal of entrance exam requirements from many processes is still a new concept. Panelists and attendees expressed that it will take time before we can assess how eliminating a required entrance exam will affect admission and enrollment. n

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Advanced Professionals Roundtable: Supervising, Hiring, And Leading A GEM Team Presented by Jennifer Kulbeck, Saint Mary’s College of California and Teisha Johnson, Illinois College of Optometry Reported by Kate McConnell, Pennsylvania State University – Great Valley How good does it feel when you are engaged in a conversation with a colleague on a topic related to work and suddenly you realize: I am not alone? Someone else is experiencing the same thing and managing through the process. That is how many seemed to feel as they chatted with fellow GEM colleagues during the advanced roundtable on supervising, hiring, and leading. Attendees were grouped together by table to discuss a range of topics facilitated by presenters Jennifer Kulbeck and Teisha Johnson. Discussion topics included: • Managing bad behavior and problem employees • Team building, motivating employees, attending to morale • Professional development on and off campus, peer-to-peer learning, budget constraints • Turnover: how to hire in this context, how to screen for someone who might stay a while, how for retain staff in positions with high turnover rates • Other common challenges in GEM

One area which seemed to monopolize a good bit of the table conversation was how to manage bad behavior and ways to deal with problem employees especially in a union environment. Many shared stories about employees preforming badly, not meeting goals, demonstrating bad judgement, and negatively influencing or impacting office culture and team output. There was collective agreement that managers are often reluctant to have these difficult conversations with employees and are unprepared to address these behaviors in ways that might bring about positive change. Several groups suggested ways to address and remediate such negative situations. Most importantly, attendees were in agreement that managers must recognize the problem, take prompt action to remediate, and document all interaction with the difficult employee– specifically actions taken to remediate or rectify the situation. Another interesting discussion was on how to develop employees, build trust and morale, and develop a positive office culture. Some suggested ways to breakdown silos, build collaboration, and engage all team members. Something as simple as having a team member develop the agenda for an

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upcoming meeting, or volunteer to run or lead a meeting on a mutually beneficial topic for the group could prove to be hugely beneficial. The last topic the group spent time discussing was professional development. The majority saw this as somewhat of a challenge given budget constraints, but others looked at creative ways to provide professional development – understanding it is a long-term initiative which can have tremendous short-term benefits. Providing professional development makes employees feel appreciated, empowered, and eager to learn while they work to become more knowledgeable. As supervisors we face daily challenges, but if we focus our efforts on cultivating existing leaders and mentoring new leaders we will better develop effective teams who can co-exist, support one another, and get the job at hand successfully completed. The roundtables provided participants with an excellent way to engage with other colleagues and have useful and productive conversations. n

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Building A Strong Student Services Office: An Open and Frank Discussion Presented by Marcus Hanscom, Roger Williams University; Kittie Pain, McDaniel College and Kathy Dilkes, Sacred Heart University Reported by Sara Yount Pettingill, Ph.D., Bellarmine University The presenters covered the following objectives/key points: • Reviewed successful best practices by campus to build a Student Services Office. • Shared failures that should not be repeated as well as experiences on how student programming fees can be leveraged to help cover graduate student service costs. • Offered tips on how to work with other offices and divisions to build a mutually satisfying campus-wide experience.

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• Created a Graduate Student Service Tool-Kit, including a tentative calendar of events. Marcus Hanscom, Roger Williams University, surveyed both the full and part-time graduate students and determined the students would in fact be willing to pay a fee for programming. In the fall of 2019, the new fee structure will include a full-time, part-time and online student rate per semester. Students will have the option to pay for some items like the recreation center and health services in an a la carte manner.

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Kittie Pain, McDaniel College, shared an important tool to engaging with graduate students. She does a flash survey to students to get feedback on registration dates, graduate appreciation week, etc. Kathy Dilkes, Sacred Heart University, reported that a key to success is carefully defining and articulating exactly what an office does and does not do for students so everyone on campus has a clear understanding of how the office is able to assist students. n

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New Graduate Student Orientation: A Proven Way to Increase Participation, Engagement, and Student Satisfaction Presented by Daria Pidkorytova and Trista Wdziekonski, University of Michigan-Dearborn Reported by Troy Sterk, Seattle University The presenters shared their journey to establish the best format, timing, and frequency for new student orientations while functioning within a centralized admission office model. Challenges included multiple entry terms, a mix of full- and part-time students, a large percentage of international students, and large fully online student population. The Office of Graduate Studies first offered a campus-wide orientation Fall 2013. The stated purpose of the orientation included:

Acknowledging that a single on-campus event did not meet the needs of the university’s diverse population; programming expanded to include

Content covered in both on-campus and online orientations include academic policies, student services (e.g. advising), resources for success (e.g. library), student resources (e.g. course management tool), and student life (e.g. recreation). This content is followed by a “Browsing Fair” for those students attending an on-campus orientation which provides students with the opportunity to engage with a variety of campus partners including financial services, career services, student government, etc. Current students and alumni are also available to share their

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• A ssisting in student transition • Reducing anxiety and stress • Increasing socialization • Increasing academic performance, retention, and student success • Improving the overall educational experience

experiences. Campus tours tailored to graduate students were also created and offered at various dates and times.

winter and summer orientation options, online orientation options, and both daytime and evening options. Students may attend either in person or online (online is the only option available for those starting summer term). Orientations have also been scheduled further in advance of the term start date to enable students to take care of needs such as purchasing textbooks and parking permits in a less pressured timeframe.

The implementation of a CRM in 2017 improved communications to students regarding orientations as well as RSVP tracking and overall event management. As a result, the number of new students attending an orientation session increased from 18% in fall 2013 to 39% in fall 2018. Survey results also show increased student satisfaction. The presenters have identified gaps in their offerings despite being pleased with the changes made to their orientations and favorable student response. Future plans likely include increasing programspecific details, implementing peer support/mentoring, greater coordination with other orientation activities provided to international students by campus partners, establishing workshops that allow students to select topics that meet their needs, and establishing an extended orientation over multiple days to highlight the realities of graduate education. n

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Dotting Your I’s and Crossing Your T’s: Thoughts on Best Practices in International Admissions Presented by Andy Ray, Ohio University and Emily Tse, International Education Research Foundation (IERF) Reported by Malinda Keidel, State University of New York at Buffalo Former U.S. President Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Presenter Andy Ray encourages the same viewpoint when considering marketing and recruitment strategies for international students.

Marketing & Recruiting International Students Enrollment goals and shrinking pools of international applicants could cause even the most seasoned GEM professional to make hurried decisions regarding international recruitment. A key element should be to ask questions first and let the answers guide your initiatives. Guiding questions should include: • Who is currently attending my institution? • Who is interested in my institution? • Why are they interested in studying at my institution? • Where are these applicants currently located? • How did they find out about my institution? The answers to these questions may already exist within your records. Ray suggests using free resources available at most colleges and universities to gather and analyze data. Such resources may include Google Analytics, the creation of short surveys, and speaking with varied campus constituents,

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e.g. current students, the Office of Admissions, the Office of Alumni Relations, the Office of Institutional Research, and the Office of International Student Services. Once you know who your applicants are what should you do? Assuming most graduate programs do not have an enormous amount of money to spend on recruitment, Ray suggests utilizing mostly free resources. Travel is not discouraged but instead is optimized by guiding decisions with data. Resource suggestions include: • Update your website, ensuring it is clean and simple. Pay special attention to how your page connects with all populations, especially non-native speakers. When it comes to websites, less is more; get them where they need to go quickly. • Update your application. Review the flow. Is it clear or confusing? • Utilize your knowledge and skill set to enhance the admission process, while educating applicants and creating a more satisfying experience. Remember, the admission process will influence perceptions of the academic programs.

Review & Evaluation of Applications

and applicants to students. While outsourcing document review to a third party credentialing agency is an option, departments and schools should become in-house experts in review as well. Since there is no centralized resource to guide GEM professionals, co-presenter Emily Tse shared best practices: • Review your evaluation policies frequently, whenever new information becomes known or when an education system changes. Consistency is key during implementation of policies. • Become a knowledge expert so you are able to recognize the difference between document types, names, and versions (e.g. unofficial, official, and certified). • Use available tools and resources including your GEM colleagues, NAGAP publications, IERF resources, and internet archives like Wayback Machine. • Create country folders to archive research, notes, and documents. These folders store the expertise and knowledge acquired over many years. • Pay attention to the details. If something seems off, do not ignore it. n

After recruiting comes the daunting task of converting prospects to applicants

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Racial Diversity in Graduate Education Matters – Increasing Enrollment of African America and Latina/o Students Presented by Moises Orozco Villicana, Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Reported by Arlinda Fair, Rhodes College Moises Orozco Villicana’s commitment to diversity is a personal journey that started at birth. Born in Mexico, Orozco Villicana came to the United States with his family at the age of two in search of greater educational opportunities that could bring about professional success. This desire truly became a reality. Orozco Villicana was not only the first in his family to attend high school and college, but he then went on to receive a master’s degree and doctorate over the course of his educational journey. Orozco Villicana’s personal story is the perfect example of a trend that has gradually impacted our society, and most importantly, the U.S. education sector. According to the Council of Graduate Schools’ (CGS) “Broadening Participation in Graduate Education” report, “…all segments of society are embracing the need to utilize the talents of all citizens in recognition of the power of diversity and inclusiveness; graduate education must be included in this effort.” As our country continues to diversify, CGS recognizes graduate education to be essential to producing a well-educated workforce comprised of people who have learned to work productively and creatively with individuals from a multitude of races and backgrounds.

Between the fall of 2007 and the fall of 2017, first-time graduate enrollment increased 8.1% among Hispanic/Latinos, 3.3% among Black/African Americans and 4.6% among Asian/Pacific Islanders. With this significant increase, are graduate programs committed and prepared to promote racial diversity, equity and inclusion by recruiting and educating underrepresented minorities? This question has been at the forefront of Orozco Villicana’s work as the Director of Enrollment Management at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s School of Information Science. With three master degree programs as well as a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science and a certificate in Advanced Studies, the School of Information Science, also known as the “iSchool”, has a total enrollment of 800 students. To better recruit and retain a more diversified pool of candidates, Orozco Villicana developed a multipronged approach to increase the school’s diversity. This approach included leveraging online tools, expanded marketing and recruitment efforts, utilizing alumni and friends, as well as strategically thinking about ways to financially support students. By leveraging the resources already available to Orozco Villicana’s team, the iSchool deepened their commitment

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to diversity through targeted marketing efforts that included virtual information sessions and unique student highlights that showcased the success of the school’s minority student population. Orozco Villicana also partnered with internal and external stakeholders such as the Graduate College, the iSchool’s alumni network and other URM affiliated associations to identify and recruit highaffinity, diverse prospects. While these tactics definitely helped the iSchool diversify their applicant pool, Orozco Villicana understood the importance of developing funding opportunities for these students. This not only included the creation of institutional funding initiatives, but it also involved helping students identify external funding opportunities that could make their graduate education affordable. The Council of Graduate Studies’ 2019 federal agenda proclaims that “as our country becomes more diverse, graduate schools must be committed and prepared to recruit, educate and support the advancement of students who are representative of the nation’s population.” Orozco Villicana’s work with the iSchool fully aligns with this agenda by intentionally supporting the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities in graduate education. n

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Making The “Jump”: Building Trust, Relationships, and Skills to Take Your GEM Career to the Next Level Presented by Ariana Balayan, Ph.D., Suffolk University, Ryan Taughrin, University of Buffalo, Jillian Baer, The Ohio State University, Kishmar Best, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Katie-Ann Mason, Bridgewater State University Reported by Caela Provost, University College Cork Many of us know the story of Sisyphus. The former King of Ephyra (now Corinth), he evaded Death (the character and the very act of dying) more than once, made a career of being a trickster, and got his name placed squarely on Hades’s “blacklist” for his clever antics. This said, he is probably best known for the punishment he continues to receive in the underworld: Sisyphus is doomed to forever push a boulder up a mountain only to watch it roll back down right before reaching the top each time. His life, or afterlife rather, is now made up of a series of continuous futile efforts. Those of us working in GEM and higher education are certainly no strangers to our own “series of continuous futile efforts”. Often times we may feel like Sisyphus, pushing the boulder up again and again only to see it roll down our own personal mountains…especially when it comes to moments when we endeavor to advocate

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for ourselves, our positions, and growth in our respective roles. Although no person or group in the GEM field will ever tell you or I that we shouldn’t worry about becoming the illfated Sisyphus of our institution, we must never lose hope entirely when it comes to “making the jump” in our careers through relationship building, the attainment of trust, and leveraging fortes and faculties to attain our professional goals. In their NAGAP session, presenters and panellists Ariana Balayan, Ryan Taughrin, Jillian Baer, Kishmar Best, and KatieAnn Mason shared with attendees their stories and individual paths to achieving their own desired professional aims and objectives over the course of their GEM careers. With an emphasis on making personal connections with stakeholders on campus, embracing and learning from

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rejection, leveraging skills to tell a story, allocating volunteer professional development time, and learning to never sell personal strengths short, the panellists stressed the need for GEM professionals to be their own best advocates in their offices, schools, and institutions. After all, without our voices sharing the importance of GEM in the realm of higher education, a great many of our colleagues would know very little about the impact we make in shaping the climate of our colleges and universities. There is no set path for GEM professionals when it comes to joining, growing, and exceling in our fields. Nevertheless, we need not fear the fate of Sisyphus as long as we have the courage to become our own promoters and supporters, allowing us to move beyond our current positions into roles where we can further affect change in graduate enrollment management and beyond. n

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Distance Admissions for Remote Applicants: Three Methods for Conducting Interviews Presented by Janet Kim, Karen Wilson and Waynele Yu, University of Hawai’i at Manoa Reported by Ruth Braganza, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine With an increasing trend toward remote study options, it follows that admission processes must also adapt accordingly. Moreover, for those of us who are fortunate enough to call a small little rock home, scheduling a traditional face-to-face interview on an island can prove to be an expensive logistical challenge. Janet, Karen and Waynele have summarized their experiences of 3 interview approaches, minimizing barriers to communications in order to gauge whether the candidate is a good fit for their programs operating remotely out of Hawai’i.

Face-to-face: The traditional approach to interviewing has its disadvantages, particularly in locations with limited travel options.

In general, online approaches appear to take less time, resulting in high quality assessments. Cost effectiveness needs to be scrutinized as costs will vary depend on the provider. The one-way recorded method received mixed responses from both applicants and faculty, some users found the experience to be impersonal and unnatural. In these cases, the design could go some way to reduce anxiety and create a ‘personalized’ feel; having open ended questions, such as “Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?” and even creating an online practice area may help. n

Advantages

Disadvantages

Applicants can be grouped together to assess high quality group interaction.

Coordination time is intensive (emailing back and forth).

Can conduct individual assessments or a group activity, depending upon what we are seeking to assess

Scheduling conflicts

Cost effective and convenient (can be recorded for later review by admissions team)

Requires reliable technology/internet

Disadvantages

Assess body language, eye contact, communication skills

Coordination time is intensive (emailing back and forth).

Establish rapport/relationship

Scheduling conflicts

Ensure clarity of response by further questions

Travel costs and time

Group online (synchronous): Aside from the better known business video teleconferencing tools (WebEx, Skype) Learning Management System providers are catching on to the potential to offer integrated solutions, the Zoom platform being one.

One-way video recorded (asynchronous): Available through providers such as Kira Talent or Vidcruiter, this scenario entails interviewers prerecording themselves asking questions, with the option to embed them into the online application. Applicants are able to start their timed interview at their convenience and submit them by the application deadline. Advantages

Disadvantages

Flexible

Impersonal, unnatural, timed responses

Fast (processing and review)

Inability to follow up

Convenient (for applicants and reviewers)

Requires reliable technology/internet

The Leader in Graduate Enrollment Management

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Graduate Enrollment Management: Successfully Leveraging Scholarships to Impact Yield and Campus Revenue Presented by Randall Langston, Ph.D., Texas Woman’s University Recorded by Jaclyn Farina, Brandeis University The presenter outlined how Texas Woman’s University (TWU) moved from a headcount based approach to one that incorporated revenue approaches and formula funding. As a result of the new approach TWU was able to increase new student enrollment. The issue with the headcount based approach is that it did not permit the ability to make strategic decisions. Enrollment managers need to look at funding and revenue from a high level in order to address graduate enrollment holistically. The increase in enrollment was achieved by a number of factors including: • Purposeful communication between the Division of Enrollment Management, the Graduate School, and Academic Affairs • The ability to look outside the box and take measured risks • Direct incentivizing (providing scholarships) based upon leveraging revenue and discounting The new model considered state funding and instead of a headcount factored in semester credit hours (weighted by discipline), program/level weight (lower and upper divisions, masters, doctoral, and professional), and the rate set by state legislature based on a cost study completed by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

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The implementation process for the new model included: • Assessment of past enrollment trends • Review of past procedures implemented for enrollment • Assessment of state funding model. Texas has a 60x30 formula funding model with a goal that by 2030 at least 60% of Texans ages 25-34 will have a certificate or degree (currently at 43.5%) • Decision to increase scope of scholarships and implement a financial leveraging model to maximize resources • Semester Credit Hour (SCH) state funding and institutional discounting implemented to maximize revenue for the institution • Communication with department stakeholders about state funding realities • Hosting best practice recruitment workshops for faculty and staff who manage graduate programs Moving away from the headcount model to a revenue-based approach allowed TWU to grow. Outcomes of the new model included:

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• A significant increase in enrollment for new graduate students. There was a 12% increase in new graduate student enrollment in summer 2018, 13 % in fall 2018, and 40.4% in spring 2019. • More purposeful alignment with formula funding models • Collaborative communication and trust between enrollment manager and the Graduate School • Department stakeholders becoming more purposeful with graduate recruitment communication Texas has grown in population, unlike most states, which likely contributed to growth in enrollment; however, competition remains intense including out-of-state institutions experiencing enrollment declines. TWU used to discontinue the offering of scholarships in February, but would have strong students that would apply late. TWU therefore decided to continue offering scholarships past the original deadline and was able to increase enrollment which offset increased expense. News of the additional scholarships spread and application numbers increased without lowering admission standards while also increasing overall enrollment. n

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Enrollment Challenges our Nation Faces and How We’ll Overcome Them Presented by Robert Ruiz, Liaison and Brett DiMarzo, Simmons University Reported by Michelle Vakman, Columbia University connections with other universities. To break the traditional mold, they are also increasing online course offerings, increasing their national recruitment, and increasing digital marketing. They are offering new entry points to their degrees, like corporate recruitment, and traveling to other parts of the U.S. that will be a good fit for their programs and student opportunities.

students’ home countries. Programs like management and engineering may face difficulties meeting enrollment goals if these trends continue. Domestically, U.S. universities should expect an increase in first generation, low income, and nontraditional students who have unique needs and cannot be recruited the same way as traditional undergraduates from advantaged backgrounds.

Simmons University outside Boston, MA has addressed these challenges directly by focusing on their “bread and butter” students while at the same time supplementing with new initiatives. They are utilizing more events, virtual fairs, and relationships with local healthcare and potential educational partners, and also working with their faculty to form

U.S. universities are coming to realize that focusing on any one type of student is not sustainable. Many schools rely heavily on Chinese and Indian student enrollment, and while they are still the leaders among foreign student populations, the number of those students coming to the U.S. is declining. A few factors discussed included students choosing to study in places like Canada and Australia, an unwelcoming political climate, and increased competition both in the U.S. and in

The key takeaway from this presentation is that, when your budget is strapped, you must be smart and strategic about your spending. Use data to ensure ROI before making any big purchases, understand who your students are, and try to meet them where they are instead of where you think they should be. Students as low-cost ambassadors can be a valuable part of your enrollment strategy as well. n

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State support for U.S. higher education has dropped 4.3% since 2014, and 49/50 states saw decreases in 2018. Universities are expected to do more with less. At the same time, the population of high school graduates is decreasing nationwide; Northeast and Midwest areas are being hit the hardest. Private universities are losing students to public universities who offer lower tuition rates and more program offerings and who have begun to actively recruit students to make up for the loss of state funding.

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Building Student Resilience Through Extended Orientation: Grad Groups at Georgia Tech Presented by James Black, Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology Reported by Sherry M. Melecki, The University of Texas at Austin Think back to your first week on campus as a new graduate student. Once you completed your orientation (if your program even provided one), how did you feel? Many students report feeling lonely, isolated, and stressed. It is common for newly arrived students to start wondering if they should even be on campus. As Special Projects Coordinator in the Office of Graduate Studies, Black decided to assess what the top stressors were for their graduate students and to find a way to help alleviate them. In 2016, Graduate Studies conducted the Graduate School Experience Survey. Forty-six percent of their graduate students completed the survey. Results showed top stressors for Ph.D. students included:

• Finances • Establishing a healthy work/life balance Masters students’ top stressors were: • Finding employment opportunities • Academics • Finances; establishing a healthy work/life balance (tied)

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program milestones, exploring diversity and inclusion concepts, and assessing personal leadership style.

Learning objectives include:

• Host one program-wide social event for the kick-off

• Identify, explore, and prepare for stressors • Develop plans for timely completion of graduate program

• Ph.D. qualifying exam

Members of the Graduate Studies staff determined they needed to offer a structured experience during the students’ first semester of graduate school to address some of these needs. They developed a one-credit hour long course (pass/fail) that does not count toward a degree. New students voluntarily enroll. The class runs through the first eight weeks of the fall semester (one in-person meeting per week and one online module completed each week). Each section has 16 students. A more senior graduate student leads each section and receives a one-time stipend of $500.

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• Provide professional development to encourage education of the whole person The eight modules focus on the following topics: building community (1st and last weeks), creating a foundation for personal resilience, examining the importance of intricacies of mentor and adviser relationships, reflecting on professional goals, listing academic

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The presenter willingly shared lessons learned since implementing this course: • Hold focus groups in addition to conducting a survey before launching program to ascertain the stressors your students are facing • Begin with a pilot program and connect with campus partners to help develop content or host workshops

• Train group leaders on community building techniques and program logistics • Work with key campus constituents to develop the modules A campus-wide extended orientation option can go a long way toward confirming to students that they are in the “right” place, especially those who have a difficult time making connections. As Dr. Black reminded us, “well-connected students are more resilient.” n

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GRExit: Managing Admissions Changes and Strengthening a Holistic Admissions Process Presented by Salvatore Calabro, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and Leslie Lichter, Johns Hopkins University Reported by Hannah Long, Saginaw Valley State University Introduced in 1949, the GRE has been used as a major factor in graduate school admissions decisions. The GRE was thought to predict a student’s successfulness in that graduate program. In 2010 the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program no longer required the submission of a GRE score. Shortly afterward the National Institutes of Health made a similar decision in 2015.

fellowships, or awards of graduate students.

• There was no correlation between GRE scores and the outcomes of graduate students.

GRE scores are also shown to disadvantage women, especially in physical sciences, and underrepresented minorities in the biomedical sciences. “Misuse of GRE scores to select applicants may be a strong driver of the continuing under-representation of women and minorities in graduate school” (Miller and Stassun, Nature 2014). As GRE scores became more competitive, the impact of socioeconomic status on GRE scores became more apparent. Students with access to coaching, multiple tests, and who had time to study were scoring significantly higher than their peers without those advantages.

• There was no correlation between the GRE and publications, conference presentations, or independent fellowships of graduate students.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine and John Hopkins University School of Medicine moved towards a more holistic admissions review process by implementing these policies:

• For biomedical students the GRE scores predicted only first term GPA because programs become more clinically focused as they progress.

• No cut-off scores for GPA; instead, they look at overall preparation for graduate study by considering grades in relevant coursework, evidence of consistent excellence or an upward trajectory, challenging curriculum, and reputation of school for grade inflation/deflation.

In deciding whether to drop the GRE as a requirement, the presenters’ institutions found research that supported dropping the GRE. They found:

• When sampling 29 scores between 1% and 91%, there was no correlation between scores and time to completion, publications,

• Students have indicated that evaluations of self-management are most closely correlated with success, retention, and Ph.D. completion, so this is a particular focus of the admission process. • Scientific preparation is a key factor in admissions. They ask if candidates have made the best use of scientific opportunities available to them. They pay careful attention to letters from mentors who have direct experience with candidates in their jobs. By eliminating the GRE, engaging with students and asking more holistic questions these schools have been able to remove barriers and increase access to higher education opportunities for underrepresented populations. n

The Leader in Graduate Enrollment Management

• Use of a rubric that expedites review and minimizes biases; the rubric should emphasize overall academic preparation rather than individual metrics such as GPA and GRE scores. Other key elements of the rubric include scholarly potential, fit/ program needs, and non-cognitive competencies such as realistic selfappraisal and long-term planning.

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The Power of Authentic Mentoring In Higher Education Presented by Margaret Lomas Carpenter, Texas A&M University Reported by Lydia Carrascosa, Texas A&M University-Commerce Discovering your authentic self is a key component of impacting your students’ personal and educational goals. As a graduate enrollment management (GEM) professional, Margaret Lomas Carpenter believes this act leads to a positive impact and a lasting connection with students. The Authentic Leadership Model serves as a guide to helping GEM professionals to not only have a positive impact on their students, but also leave a lasting legacy in their career field (as well as in many other aspects of their lives). The Authentic Leadership Model outlines five key aspects:

1. Passion leads to Purpose

3. Do you have empathy for others?

2. Behavior leads to Values

4. How do you define your life story?

3. Connectedness leads to Relationships 4. Consistency leads to Self-Discipline 5. Compassion leads to Heart Authentic leadership requires selfreflection and self-reflection requires asking the following questions of yourself:

Being a true leader is about much more than a title and management skills. Being a true leader is fundamentally a question of who we are as human beings. By using self-reflection and discovering our unique life stories, GEM professionals are able to bring our authentic selves to our students, workplaces, communities, and the world. n

1. Do you see yourself as a leader? 2. What are the “crucible” moments in your life?

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Accepting Applications, Classes Begin Every October Learn More at baypath.edu/helos

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FOR A CONSTANTLY CHANGING WORLD

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GEM Professional Turned Implementation Specialist: Guiding the Integration of Software Systems in Graduate Education Presented by Janice Austin, Assistant Dean, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Reported by Sarah Neggers, Indiana University Bloomington Software systems are central to university life, whether we want to admit it or not. An ever-evolving field of education, coupled with an increasing number of choices among software packages available, has left GEM professionals to not only have to become masters of software, but leaders during the critical phase of implementation. Presenter Janice Austin shared her experience of “falling into” the role of implementation specialist at her institution. Assisting in multiple projects, including the transition to a paperless office, a new exam scheduling system, new recruitment software, application system, plagiarism software, and more, gave Dr. Austin enough experience to become a leader on her campus for the introduction of new software.

seat at the table plays in the successful implementation of a new software system. In one example, when asked to review a system, Dr. Austin found 46 issues that were not identified as requirements when the project was given to the developer. Learning to speak up and advocate for graduate education allows for the developing of relationships rather than being put into the position of critic to an already complicated process.

One of the key pieces of advice she shared was the critical role having a

This special interest forum allowed for the attendees to share common experiences and challenges on their campuses. Like Dr. Austin, many attendees shared that taking on the role of implementation specialist was not a planned part of their job. Often the key is to find individuals who can serve as “translators” between the developers and the users. Many problems seem best remedied through good communication with individuals,

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rather than larger groups. Advocates and translators are important to the process but it should be noted that the process is multidirectional. Feedback and communication cannot just go to the project group but must be addressed with all stakeholders during development through implementation. Managing expectations and providing documentation to all parties is as important to ensuring project success as the development itself. Anyone tasked with working on a similar project is encouraged to seek out project management training if available. Ultimately, the continued roll out of new software systems doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon GEM professionals will need to continue advocating for themselves because the implementation of new software systems is unlikely to abate any time soon. n

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Building the Team: Coaching, Performance Reviews and Real, Useful Feedback Presented by Stacy Doepner-Hove, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Reported by Christal Musser, Purdue University Who likes doing Performance evaluations? Performance evaluations can be challenging and make the supervisor as well as the one reviewed feel uncomfortable. However they are important for making decisions regarding one’s merit raise and for employee development. Having reviews more often, maybe quarterly or monthly, can make them more useful for developing one’s employees. Employee engagement and performance outcomes can affect productivity, turnover, absenteeism and many more areas. By increasing engagement with an employee, you are supplying them with the right tools and giving them individual attention. It is also important to recognize employees for accomplishments, but be sure to recognize them in ways they want to be recognized. Engagement experts says effective team building techniques are:

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• Supplying the employee with the right tools; • Giving them individual attention;

The IDP worksheet should include: • What the goals are;

• Providing training and coaching;

• What can help the employee reach the goals’;

• Listening to your employees;

• What action steps are needed;

• Recognize them proudly and loudly.

• What resources or support are available to the employee to achieve the goals.

Completing an Individual Development Plan (IDP) throughout the year can improve those quarterly or monthly individual connections with your employees. The IDP will help the employee: • Evaluate current strengths; • Look for opportunities to improve;

Lastly, practice the process. There is no one in the review meeting that is able to give the employee better feedback than the manager doing the review. Practice Performance Reviews. The more you do them the better it gets. n

• Determine current and long-term goals.

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Who Are You Again? Brand-Building At The Graduate Level Presented by Marcus Hanscom, Roger Williams University Reported by Arlinda Fair, Rhodes College Some of the most reputable brands can be immediately recognized by a distinctive logo, a catchy tagline, a specific product or service or even a defined mission. While the corporate sector heavily invests in advertising to expand brand awareness, universities and colleges also need to effectively establish a brand identity to attain relevance in the competitive higher education market. Marcus Hanscom, the Director of Graduate Admission at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island shared the concept of the brand suitcase, which incorporates four components colleges and universities should consider when thinking about their brand: visual identity, service identity, product identity and emotional identity. The visual identity incorporates an institution’s physical appearance and marketing collateral, including brochures, the college fair booth setup, social media and web presence — and of course — a logo and tagline. The

service identity is what students can expect when they interact with an institution, whether it’s over the phone, at a college fair or during a campus visit. The service identity focuses on if an institution can deliver on the requests of their main consumer. An institution’s product identity includes its location, affordability, program quality, faculty and outcomes, while the emotional identity speaks towards how the university makes prospective students feel. Taking into consideration the many layers of an institution’s brand, it can be complicated to understand where graduate studies fits in the grand scheme of things. While GEM professionals need to understand the importance of honoring their institution’s parent brand, Hanscom believes that separate graduate program branding is critical. Hanscom set out to create a distinctive sub-brand for graduate studies at Roger Williams. With his team he explored the University’s local market, the students

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that chose to pursue the institution for graduate study and assessed how different parts of their parent brand and sub brand could meet the needs of their intended audience and, if applicable their aspirational audiences. By also considering the buying decisions and behavior of both traditional and working graduate students, Hanscom discovered opportunities to enhance the graduate programs’ brand through distinctive messaging, garnering buy-in from stakeholders as well as recruiting and educating key brand ambassadors. A strong brand identity can help consumers distinguish one graduate program from another. By taking time to authentically understand your program’s brand position and deploying the brand suitcase in planning and executing your brand strategy, GEM professionals can be successful in demonstrating how their graduate program offerings can meet the needs of their prospective students. n

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Digital Ads The Inbound Way: How To Get Better ROI From Media Buys Presented by Francesca Reed, Marymount University; Tony Fraga and Zach Busekrus, Direct Development Reported by Kittie Pain, McDaniel College When confronted with a reduction in budget and still located in a heavily saturated higher education market, Francesca Reed of Marymount University faced a challenge that many others also face: what to do to stay competitive and still attract quality students. For most, we think about our spend around the buzz words “apply” and “inquire” and match that up against quantity, but those numbers don’t always produce quality. With the assistance of Direct Development, Reed was able to capitalize on being specific and attracting high quality students that Marymount wished to enroll. Tony Fraga and Zach Busekrus discussed the importance of concentrating on the awareness stage over the decision stage. Colleges and universities are able to do this by:

representations of your ideal graduate students. Focus on the awareness and consideration stages of the applicant journey. Busekrus provided the audience with an example he named “Manager Mark”: • 28-39 years old • Male • Bachelor’s degree • Married, no kids

• Which of your website pages would Mark visit at this stage in his journey? (program pages, career outcomes, student success stories)

• 60-85k annual income Next, he evaluated Mark’s habits to build the awareness stage:

• What are the 5-10 resources Mark would tap into during this stage?

• What are the 5-10 websites that Mark visits?

• What are the 10-15 things that Mark is interested in once he is seriously considering grad school/deciding between you and another institution?

• Where does Mark get his news? • What are 2-5 apps he has on his phone?

• Spending most of the budget on fieldspecific and career-specific resources that align with the target audience stage

• Where are 5-10 places Mark goes for fun?

• In what industry does Mark work?

• What are 10-15 of Mark’s interests?

• Optimizing for quality conversions over quantity of conversions

Finally, he assessed Mark’s habits to build the consideration stage. There are different areas your school may want to focus on:

• Relying on SEO to “seal the deal” and focusing on digital advertising on quality lead-generation at the top and middle of the funnel

• What are the 5-10 websites Mark likely visits at the consideration stage? (job boards, graduate school match, school rankings)

They recommend beginning by producing brand-specific guides to various programs, and aligning them to appear in the earlier stages of the search.

• What are 5-10 places that Mark frequents for networking opportunities? (grad school info session, networking nights in the city)

Add in journey-based advertising by building personas that are fictional

• What are 10-15 things that Mark is interested in once he’s seriously

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• What are 2-5 apps that Mark likely has on his phone if he is thinking about grad school?

Do the same exercise at the decision stage! However, Busekrus pointed out that now the major factors to concentrate on are:

• Lives in suburban Northern Virginia

• Bidding on awareness stage & consideration stage keywords and audiences

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• What website pages would Mark visit at this stage in his journey? When you have the personas built out, simply tap into Google and build the same personas there. This will then assist in getting the materials to applicants at the correct stage. The presenters provided the example of “A Guide to Graduate Programs” produced by Marymount University at the consideration stage. By doing this, colleges and universities can spend less and make their audience aware of their schools before targeting them with apply ads. Fraga and Busekrus stressed, “Journey-based audience profiling enables grad schools to launch digital campaigns that offer conversion opportunities that align with the searcher’s intent.” Bottom line, the money is in the audience profiling, spend most of your time there. n

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Beyond Diversity: Creating An Inclusive Environment For Graduate Students Presented by Noro Andriamanalina, University of Minnesota Reported by Caela Provost, University College Cork What does it mean to fight for diversity? Who is destined to lead us in this fight? Is it a man writing letters and lessons from a prison cell in Birmingham hoping that his voice is heard and his message understood? Is it a man watching his countrymen fight one another while he desperately tries to unify them? Is it a woman overcoming her own insecurities, finding her purpose beyond the role of First Lady, and speaking up for fundamental human rights amidst political criticism? Or, rather, is it you? Is it me? Is it us? When I look at Noro Andriamanalina and her colleagues in the University of Minnesota’s Community of Scholars Program, I see leaders in the fight for diversity.

of under-represented racial and ethnic backgrounds lack the skills, drive, or desire to succeed. Rather, the program serves as a holistic approach to aid students in maintaining identities, trusting in their skills and abilities, overcoming institutional barriers and challenges, and learning to advocate for their stories and experiences in the realm of academia. In other words, the Community of Scholars Program doesn’t create exceptional students; the Community of Scholars Program inspires and strengthens exceptional students.

Created in the fall of 1998 to serve graduate students of under-represented racial and ethnic backgrounds, the Community of Scholars Program (COSP) continues to epitomize the best diversity and inclusion practices in the GEM field and beyond. Supported by a backbone of program components — summer internships, workshops and forums, community engagement opportunities, writing initiatives, faculty and staff trainings, etc. — COSP not only engages and educates participants, but also empowers them to embrace and harness their own unique voices.

Truly, through their work in diverse and minority student advocacy, the University of Minnesota COSP is a leader in the fight for diversity, not by use of force, but by demonstrating that diversity is absolutely essential when creating a dynamic, growing campus. n

With goals to build community, understand unique student experiences, assist departments in the creation of diversity-embracing environments, enhance student skill sets, and reduce student isolation, it is vital to note that the COSP exists not because students

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All Are Welcome in This Place: Or Are They? The Status of Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination in American Catholic Higher Education Presented by Dave Fletcher, D.Min., Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine Reported by Mandy Choie, Cornell Tech As an openly gay and married man, Dave Fletcher passionately believes that Barry University, the largest Dominican university in the United States, is a great place to work — which is probably why he has been serving the University for over 20 years. According to Fletcher, Barry University lives out its values of just and humane treatment for all. But when Fletcher looked up the University’s non-discrimination clause (NDC) nearly ten years ago, he noticed that sexual orientation was not included. This discrepancy inspired Fletcher to explore sexual orientation non-discrimination in U.S. Catholic universities and ultimately became the subject of his doctoral thesis. To the audience’s surprise, Fletcher concluded that Catholic higher education institutions are champions of inclusivity and are increasingly engaged with issues related to sexual orientation. To begin his research, Fletcher searched Catholic universities’ websites for their NDC and, if they have one, the term “sexual orientation” in the NDC. He found that the majority of Catholic universities have NDC’s for employees and students, and a whopping 78% of all NDC’s include

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sexual orientation. Fletcher wondered if there was a correlation between sexual orientation non-discrimination laws at the state level (since no such federal law exists) and Catholic universities that include sexual orientation in their NDC’s. He discovered that the correlation is minimal — only a handful of random states have sexual orientation anti-discrimination laws, and religious institutions are exempt anyway. Fletcher argues that this demonstrates how Catholic higher education institutions are going out of their way to address sexual orientation inclusivity regardless of potential legal obligations. Sadly, this has not been the case for all Catholic institutions. Fletcher presented tens of examples of employees at Catholic high schools and parishes who were fired because of matters related to sexual orientation; however, Fletcher points out that this rarely happens in Catholic higher education. He played Notre Dame’s wellproduced video of athletes embracing their openly gay and lesbian teammates to exemplify the growing visibility of LGBTQIA+ resources and voices on Catholic university campuses. He especially

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commends Xavier University’s NDC that disavows sexual orientation discrimination because Xavier is a Catholic institution — not in spite of being Catholic. Fletcher was also pleased to report that, not long after completing his thesis in 2012, Barry University adopted a new NDC that included sexual orientation and many other marginalized groups. For Catholic institutions that do have sexual orientation non-discrimination clauses, Fletcher offers these tips to encourage change: • Identify colleagues who support LGBTQIA equality • Propose policies to decision makers • Collect signatures and petition for support • Gather testimonies from those affected • Develop arguments around Catholic ideas of justice and equality • Contact New Ways Ministry • Share success stories n

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Creating a World of Support: Building a Graduate Education Network Across Your Own Campus Presented by Lindsey Jendraszak, Stacy Doepner-Hove and Dean Tsantir, University of Minnesota- Twin Cities; Philip Guerrero and Rebecca Gavillet, University of Texas at Austin; and Rafael Almanzar, Texas A& M University Reported by Jennifer Lovelace, Ph.D., Auburn University The University of Texas Austin (UT Austin), located in Austin, Texas, home to approximately 2.1 million individuals, enrolled 51,832 students overall with 11,028 of those being graduate students. By Fall 2018, applications for admission rose to 24,672 in over 120 graduate programs. The University of Minnesota (UM) serves the Minneapolis and St. Paul area with an approximate population of 4 million individuals. During the Fall of 2018, UM enrolled 47,568 students, 16,000 of which were graduate students with applications for admission reaching 18,000. In 1990, UT Austin administrators established a single office for processing graduate and international applications for admission named The Graduate and International Admissions Center (GAIC). The GAIC at UT Austin collects admissions information and distributes to appropriate programs for admissions review. Similarly, UM operates on a “hubs and spokes” model of admissions where the central admissions office manages systems, policies, and records allowing graduate programs to focus on recruitment, admissions decisions, and student services. The goal of both organizations is to take the “logistics” away from programs, so they are freer to do what they do best.

• Standardized “the way things are done”

Both UT Austin and UM felt the need to create specific jobs for those working directly with graduate students through advising, processing applications, liaising with the Graduate School, and focusing on department specific initiatives for graduate students.

• Became the “go to” group for matters related to graduate students

UM — Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) • Created the GPC job family and GPC Responsibility Guide through HR

The benefits of the GPCN and GCN are not restricted to graduate students. Both organizations provide professional development to members through speakers, presentations, leadership retreats, professional development conferences, funding for conferences, etc.

• Lead to the creation of the Graduate Program Coordinator Network (GPCN)

Presenters outlined several useful strategies for starting a similar initiative on your campus.

• GPCN meetings monthly to discuss legal issues in graduate admission, working with international students, mental health and support, provide a training manual for new staff, maintain a listserv and common calendar, and provide resources to GPCs

• Assess: • Determine who is doing what and find common tasks, procedures, and goals • Determine who could take advantage of a group like this

UT Austin — Graduate Coordinator (GC) • Established the Graduate Coordinator Network (GCN) to validate and formalize the role of those serving on the Graduate Coordinator advisory group • Registered as an official professional staff organization

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• Build: • Organize a network of these people • Find “investors” — those who would benefit from within and outside the group • Formalize: • Create a common job title • Form a recognized group and advertise it n

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GEM Challenge: Serving the On-Campus International Students as Graduate Education Moves Online Presented by Jessica Enriquez and Dr. Jennifer Coleman, Western New Mexico University Reported by Katie-Ann Mason, Bridgewater State University This session was a special interest forum that allowed the group to raise questions and discuss potential solutions to serving international students as more graduate programs move online. At the same time colleges and universities are focusing time and money on recruiting internationally due to the downward trend in domestic enrollments. Jessica Enriquez and Dr. Jennifer Coleman urged attendees to consider humanity and integrity as the former and the latter movements are at odds with each other. For those who were unfamiliar with SEVIS policies and restrictions, it was explained that, to participate in a program internationally, international students are permitted a limited number of online courses. If many of your programs are moving online either in entirety or even partially, how can you rightfully recruit international students to them, knowing they will not have enough on campus courses to complete their program? GEM Professionals, our Presenters say, are often “caught in the cross-fire” as “we must champion enrollment while also

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adhering to regulations for international visas.” While those in attendance commiserated over shared difficulties, a couple of practical options were proposed for serving our international students who wish to study in the U.S. while also working toward increasing international enrollment. One suggestion was to consider flexibility in the academic program plan for an international student. Specifically, if there are certain courses you can only offer online, determine how you may offer those courses either at the beginning or end of an international student’s program track so that they can complete that portion in their home country and it doesn’t put their Visa status at risk when they do get to your campus. Another promising approach that has been effective for many schools is the use of hybrid courses. There was discussion about the fact that if your course has some required face to face meetings either of courses or advising etc., it will not count as an online course. While many agreed this is what their institutions’

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International Students & Scholar Services Offices instruct, a couple were informed that hybrid courses are not a permissible solution. The take away was that this is a viable option, but requires discussion with your ISSS Office to determine SEVIS and University Requirements. From there, the sentiment that was shared was that the most important factor in how we can serve our international applicants and students is to be willing to be the individual to speak up. Many professionals are intimated by international applicant/student policies and guidelines and shy completely away from being the authority on them. This cannot continue. GEM professionals need to be the voice of these applicants if we truly want them present on our campuses. Remember that International prospects are not just a way to fill your seats - our universities and students benefit from an education where many cultures converge. n

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Let's Chat: Turning Recruitment Challenges Into Opportunities Presented by Abby Ehling and Holly Shriner, University of Kansas Reported by Amy Danzeisen, University of Minnesota Seeing as how some favorite parts of the conference are the impromptu conversations, the moderator wanted this to be an open forum to generate ideas, questions, and learn from each other. Conference participants took turns making comments and asking questions of their colleagues in the room.

Our centralized marketing department has a tight hold on social media, and won’t get back to people for days. Is there a work-around for this?

General recruitment- How are you using social media?

• Backdoor solution: go to student forums. Use your student ambassadors to dispel misconceptions.

• In Denver, an MBA program launched in 2017 has been quite successful with Facebook ads focused in Columbia, Ecuador, and Brazil. • From a school of engineering that has 50 programs, they recommended using Undergraduate marketing students. Students design their content calendars and share facts about the school. One school launched an Ambassador Program about 1 year ago. They have an “Ask an Ambassador” video series. How to attract qualified International students (understanding Canada is up by 30% and the U.S. is down)? • Use tuition reduction for International Students, because they can’t get scholarships. • Use Alumni to host a club in the country.

Texting

• Cross-training. Need in-house knowledgeable people who can respond.

• Use Mongoose for Visits Days. They found a 60% response rate for each text. You need to ask permission such as “Would you like to text us questions?” Mongoose allows you to manage texts from your computer (or phone, but not using your phone number). It is several thousand dollars per year. You can also use it to invite prospects to an event.

Are you using Student Ambassadors? • Give them leadership experience. Have them be a chair or lead.

• If you use text, you need to have an “opt in”. Option

• Hire International students. They have less employment opportunities since they can’t work off-campus.

• Other texting programs: Radius, Text Now, and Google text.

• One MBA program said they have a very competitive Ambassador application process. They use them for info sessions and Preview Day. It builds pride and loyalty in the program. They only take 5 students per year and they work hard (for no pay).

Artificial Intelligence (AI) • New platform “Engage” cuts down on staff time for common questions. • Some expressed concerns on using AI as the human connection is lost. • Often prospect’s follow-up questions are more complicated and harder to answer with AI. n

How are people using their CRM? • Use the CRM to schedule daily campus visits, sit in on a class, have coffee chats with students or a session with staff.

The Leader in Graduate Enrollment Management

• Use incentives when they sign up for a campus tour (sports tickets or music event).

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Advanced Professionals Roundtable: Budget Management and Planning Presented by Kathryn Kendall, University of Buffalo and Kate McConnell, Pennsylvania State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies Reported by Michelle Vakman, Columbia University Participants enjoyed a roundtable discussion of specific issues they have faced in terms of planning budgets, allocating funds, and arguing for or defending the use of additional money. The presenters both shared their expertise and facilitated interactions among session participants. Many of the group questions centered around how to put a budget together, how to brand and recruit for a new program, and how to allocate funds between marketing and recruitment. Presenters advocated for a comprehensive review of how much it will cost to deliver a new program, and to use that number to extrapolate how many students need to be recruited. Figuring out a specific breakdown of marketing spending versus recruitment spending is unique to each university and program. Considerations include who the competition is, how much various types of

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marketing cost in the target markets, and what industry trends say about marketing to the desired population.

of the outreach. Work with a direct marketing company or a consultant if need be.

The presenters both shared personal anecdotes about the importance of trying new things and not being afraid to get creative and push the envelope if need be. One said she relies on A/B testing whenever launching a new campaign, and checking frequently to make any changes quickly and as needed. The other said she tries one pilot market each year based on an analysis of prior enrollees. She then does a post-campaign summary to see if the campaign is worth repeating or expanding in the future.

The key takeaway was to use data and facts to make any decisions or requests. Before asking for money, do your homework and be prepared to explain how spending money will yield how manystudents. Showing how money spent will lead to increased enrollment and increased revenue is much more powerful than speaking in generalities. If you do not have your own data, try to utilize industry benchmarking. If this is not an option, ask colleagues with similar programs, extrapolate based on similar programs you offer, or secret shop your competition to see what they do. Don’t be afraid to hire an analytics team or a market research team if you can justify the expense. n

There was some discussion about the quality of a university’s website. All marketing and recruitment outreach should direct prospective students to the university’s website, and if it is lacking in any way, that will hurt the effectiveness

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What Keeps Veteran GEM Professionals Up at Night? Presented by Sonya Boadu, Columbus State University; Lynn Hanson, Georgia College; Angelia Huggins, Georgia WebMBA; Hope Udombon, Ph.D., University of West Georgia Reported by Jay Esposito, New York University A number of factors—increased competition, declining enrollments, rising tuition costs, a general lack of resources, among others—contribute to growing levels of stress and anxiety faced by veteran GEM professionals. This session provided a forum for solution-based discussions where participants shared areas of concern and their peers offered strategies for success.

getting more physical exercise, practicing mindfulness and meditation, intentionally disconnecting on evenings and weekends, and carefully managing one’s daily calendar. Veteran professionals offered candid advice and a common theme emerged around the notion of properly setting boundaries and being extremely selective in the tasks or projects one chooses to tackle.

First, the session’s presenters disclosed their own stressors and sought solutions from the audience. Many of their painpoints produced nods of agreement from the session’s participants. Issues discussed included overseeing the entire student lifecycle without a support staff, the discrepancy between written job descriptions versus actual responsibilities, growing pressure to increase enrollment figures, and student populations ignoring vital departmental communications.

The second half of the session invited participants to form small groups and provide recommendations on how best to grapple with concerns around specific topics including:

Audience members offered a number of helpful solutions that ran the gamut from learning how to manage expectations to partaking in various forms of self-care—

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Groups collectively offered a number of tangible solutions. Participants shared ideas on how best to utilize alumni and current students as program ambassadors and mentioned repeatedly the importance of transparency throughout the recruitment process. Others spoke passionately about investing in better technology to assist with student engagement and the need for building relationships in person with colleagues and prospects alike. Again, the conversation pivoted toward the proper management of expectations and the need for setting boundaries. In closing, one participant shared the question she asks herself when deciding whether to take on a new project or task: “Is this something I can directly influence? Or is this something that concerns me but I cannot affect?” The session’s presenters encouraged participants to identify peers with whom they can share ideas and rely upon for open, honest feedback as they continue to advance in their GEM careers. n

• Bolstering candidate quality while increasing enrollments; • Sustaining program competitiveness; • Handling time management and stress;

• Maintaining relevance as a GEM professional.

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Beyond the Classroom: Realigning Professional Development Opportunities to Meet the 21st Century Needs of Graduate Students Presented by Valarie Burke and Katelyn DiBenedetto, University of Nevada Las Vegas Reported by Denise Bridwell, University of Kansas This session was a demonstration of a program that recently launched at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). At UNLV, the Graduate College has dedicated staff and resources to develop what they call the Professional Development Academy. This was created in response to a noticeable misalignment between the skills acquired in graduate school and the skills necessary for postgraduation careers. After conducting extensive research into the graduate education landscape, they decided upon four programs to offer their students: • Teaching • Research • Communication • Mentorship In order to participate, students must meet eligibility requirements and apply to be in the program. Once accepted, they are required to participate in activities such as cohort meetings, workshops

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and evaluation experiences related to their topic of choice. The academy offers roughly sixty workshops per year on topics that fall under their six Academy Pillars: • Research • Teaching • Mentorship • Communication • Career Prep • Wellness UNLV provides these workshops by collaborating with campus partners like libraries, career centers, counseling and psychological services, law services, and other areas that are relevant to topics at hand in order to utilize their individual expertise while minimizing the workload on the Graduate College. Additionally, the Academy offers a plethora of resources and programs that students can participate in. Many of these

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programs build their transferrable skills while facilitating their successful degree progression. • Ambassadors Program • Advantage Program • Research and Mentorship Program • Writing Boot Camp • Medallion Program • Post-Master’s Career Pathways Program The Professional Development Academy has been funded through grants as well as university funds. Part of the success within the program has been made possible through small stipends and scholarships that are awarded to students who participate though it was noted that many students would participate without the financial incentive. For more details on the program, it is recommended that you visit the website: https://www.unlv. edu/graduatecollege/academy. n

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Starting From Scratch: Graduate Admissions Communication Plan Development Presented by Trista Wdziekonski, University of Michigan-Dearborn Reported by Daniyal Saud, Barry University In 2014, University of Michigan – Dearborn decided to develop a centralized graduate studies office as part of a shared-services model. University of Michigan – Dearborn holds a Carnegie classification of a Master’s Colleges and Universities for larger programs with 2,283 graduate students, of which 61% are enrolled in Engineering and Computer Science, 24% are enrolled in Business, 10% in Education, Health and Human Services, and 5% in Graduate Arts and Sciences. Historically, the university has enrolled more part-time students (78%) than full-time student. In developing a centralized graduate admissions office, they had to overcome the challenge of a developing a cohesive communication plan, the purpose of which was to increase enrollment and implement new tools for engaging with students. The Office of the Graduate Studies had no prior communication plans or strategy, and much of the initial undertaking for the development of the graduate admission communication plan required difficult yet necessary conversation with stakeholders and academic program partners across the campus. The session offered audiences a path towards developing a graduate admissions communication plan, while supplementing examples from their own experience in developing a communication plan. In doing so the presenter provided some best practices to the attendees, which included a checklist for creating an email for prospective students, a sample communication map, content development strategy and lessons from implementing their graduate admissions communication plan. Audiences were reminded of the following:

• Go through your competitors and the National Student Clearinghouse data, to decide where you are in terms of your graduate enrollment goals, if the purpose of the graduate admissions communication plan is to increase enrollment. • Hold meetings with academic partners and campus stakeholders about messages they would like to communicate to prospective students about their programs

A checklist for composing an effective email gave audiences a roadmap much like a checklist pilot would use before taking flight. CHECKLIST 1) Objective – know what end result, you and the university want to achieve 2) Audience – know the attitudes and behaviors of your audience 3) Segment – create relevance; one communication message cannot communicate the same message to all segments

• Decide if it would be advantageous to have a consultant assist you with this process, as the University of Michigan – Dearborn worked with a consulting firm

4) Message – provide strategic content and a specific point of contact

• Itemize the transactional communications that graduate admissions and financial aid send to prospective students

5) Complementary Asset – proof 6) Call to Action – encouraging behavior that will communicate their interest back to you

• Coordinate and strategies with university’s central marketing office on developing communications

7) Timing – testing and monitoring for optimal performance

• Use the data in your CRM to develop and write strategic content • Communication content should cultivate your relationship with the students

8) Metrics – adjusting and assessing tactics, messages in order to reach goals The presenter left the audience with a yearning to be change agents in their institutions if we are interested in making organization out of chaos, and starting with a communication plan as the first step in that journey. However, as the presenter cautioned, developing this graduate admissions communication plan requires extensive changes in culture at the university and everything takes 10 times as long as one thinks it would, so one must plan with those caveats in mind. n

• Develop personas and have brand consistency • Segment the population based on your data and differentiate the communication plan for inquiries from communication plan for applicants • Asses the communication plan by evaluating open rates • Review communication plan annually in order to improve it for the following-year

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Best Practices for Admissions in a Decentralized World: How an Institution Evaluated, Implemented, and Launched an Online Application System Presented by Robbie Melton, Ph.D., Tennessee State University and Robert Ruiz, Liaison Reported by Rachel Salinas, Indiana University In 2018 Tennessee State University (TSU) was experiencing a decrease in graduate enrollment and had over 1,500 incomplete applications to process. Due to these enrollment challenges TSU leadership decided to implement a centralized graduate platform (Liaison) with the goal of increasing graduate enrollment and processing efficiencies and providing greater transparency of the student application process.

• Strategize next steps to launch such a system.

TSU had three months to effectively launch the application platform. To ensure a seamless roll out of the centralized system Dr. Robbie Melton, Transitional Dean of the Graduate School, focused on stake holder buy-in. According to Dr. Melton, it’s imperative that key campus stakeholders are included in the implementation and launch process to ensure a successful rollout.

• Include the university IT department in the decision making process.

TSU and Liaison international recommended taking the following steps before deciding on a centralized graduate application system: • Recognize the pros and cons of launching an online application system. • Compare and contrast the current admissions approach to those of institutions who are using online/ centralized application systems.

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Once a decision is made to launch a centralized application system, TSU and Liaison International recommended the following steps to ensure successful system implementation: • Create a core project team that includes key stakeholders in the implementation and launch process.

• Make campus stake holders aware of the potential benefits (i.e. processing efficiencies, tracking and monitoring students, etc.). After the launch of Liaison, TSU reported an increase in graduate applications and a significant decrease (3 weeks) in the processing time of graduate applications. Additionally, the TSU graduate departments were pleased with the increased level of transparency in the graduate application process as they can now track and monitor their individual students.

• Staffing:  Dr. Melton and Mr. Ruiz shared that many institutions do experience a change in staffing. However, this can be either an increase or decrease in staff members, or a reimagining of job duties. • Campus partner buy-in:  Both presenters suggested including campus partners as stakeholders in an implementation working group. •

Vendor expectations:  Request a Business Requirements Document which outlines both parties’ expectations.

Open discussion among audience members made it clear that many graduate admissions offices are considering a centralized graduate admissions process. This presentation provided valuable information regarding the challenges and opportunities that an online application system can bring to a decentralized college or university. n

Following the presentation, audience members were interested to know how a centralized graduate application platform impacted staffing, how to facilitate campus partner buy-in, and how to hold vendors accountable for delivery.

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Geographic Information Systems in Graduate Enrollment: Utilizing Geographic Data Analysis To Inform Engagment Strategy Presented by Nicole Hall, Ph.D., Art Institute of Chicago Reported by Jillian Stubbs, Wake Forest University As an artist, social geographer, and graduate enrollment management (GEM) professional, Nicole Hall inspired, encouraged, and laid a foundation for GEM professionals to utilize GIS to "geographic information systems (GIS) in recruitment efforts. Acknowledging that graduate admissions is in a challenging space, with less students returning to graduate school, and with changes in how students are pursuing their options, geographic information systems can be part of the solution. GIS provides an opportunity to allow GEM professionals to find prospective students outside of the usual pipeline. Typically used for Urban Planning, it offers a framework for gathering and

Hall recommends starting with what you know about your student pool and building a prospective student profile. Using questions such as: Where are your students coming from? What is their age, gender, race? What do you know from survey data? Then, think about what you want to know. Hall suggests asking questions that are all about the “where.” Where do you want to target your marketing? Where do you want to geofence? Next, utilizing GIS software, you can layer all the different data points to reveal a more complex understanding

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of your population and gain insights on new “golden nugget” locations, where all of your parameters meet, to target for the future. Hall mentioned several free software programs such as ArcGIS, qGIS, gVSIG, whiteboxGAT, GRASS GIS, Map Window that can be used to better understand your data and identify additional target students.

managing data, taking information and turning it into something we can use in predictive modeling to expand our recruitment efforts.

Lastly, Hall shared additional advice on how to leverage GIS in recruitment efforts, such as: taking a certificate program that focuses on statistics, hiring a social geographer from your institution, and collaborating with your geography department to see if there are more advanced software licenses you could use for free as you learn and develop your

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Who’s Afraid of Financial Aid? Graduate Merit Scholarships and How They Work Presented by Raymond Lutzky, Ph.D., Cornell University and Jennifer Kulbeck, Saint Mary’s College of California Reported by Caela Provost, University College Cork If the citizens of the United States of America in the year 1933 could be labeled using one word, it would undoubtedly be “afraid”. Desperate and on the verge of hopelessness during the Great Depression, the American people were searching for answers and for hope. It was with this in mind, that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) spoke the following words — both inspiring and indelible — to his constituents in his First Inaugural Address given on March 4th, 1933: “[L]et me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself ...”

“our job” to advise students in such matters. Thankfully the collective qualms and financial aid foibles of those in attendance at Raymond Lutzky and Jennifer Kulbeck’s presentation entitled “Who’s Afraid of Financial Aid…” were quickly calmed and tweaked as both speakers clarified terms, managed misconceptions, and provided insight into best practices in handling graduate merit scholarships.

When FDR expressed this strong sentiment, he didn’t have all of the answers, nor did he have any great power with which to immediately fix the nation’s problems. What he did have was his voice, his position, and a willingness to put aside his fear in order to speak candidly and optimistically to those he pledged to serve.

o Scholarships should support enrollment via… the coordination of timelines matching awards to institutional priorities

In our own small ways, in programs, schools, and institutions, we are often placed in personal “USA 1933s” when it comes to dealing with students and financial aid. We don’t always have complete control over budgets or award decisions, we don’t all come from financial backgrounds, and in some cases we don’t really know if it’s

Most notable in the presentation were the following ideas and pieces of advice:

o Scholarships should support programs through the… identification of specific goals understanding of award considerations o Scholarships should support student success by means of… staff attaining knowledge about what types of students awards support ensuring scholarships are beneficial to students in not only

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S cholarships are a discount on projected revenue NOT real, tangible funds!

o Bigger scholarships don’t necessarily mean more students. o Admissions professionals must always be thinking about scholarships as they play a critical role in class yield. o Never underestimate the power of data as it applies to yield rates; yield analyses by program can provide actionable insights that can aid in strategy changes. It’s true, we may frequently fear the “USA 1933s” in our workplaces (especially where finances are concerned), but that should never prevent us from working to become more cognizant of and informed about graduate merit scholarships and student financial aid at our institutions. It is only when we learn to face these issues — armed with research, facts, and data— that we will find the fortitude to influence and affect change in order to serve our student populations. n

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amount, but also in name (e.g.: Does this look good on my resume?)

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Development of a Situational Judgement Inventory for Doctoral Student Transitions Presented by Gavin Sanders, Wayne State University Recorded by Alyssa Orlando, Bentley University The presenter of this session’s main learning objective was to identify a critical transition point within graduate enrollment management and the completion of a doctoral degree. Gavin Sanders was the winner of the 2018 NAGAP Research Grant and presented his master’s thesis, in which he developed a situational judgment inventory (SJI) for doctoral student transitions. His model was focused on underrepresented minority students who were at risk of not completing their programs. He briefly went over the benefits of a diverse academia, including increased student learning and creative output, more research activity, and the impact of diverse faculty on increasing retention and graduation rates. Sanders then went into the factors that affect dissertation productivity, which fall into three categories: intrapersonal, interpersonal, and institutional. Intrapersonal factors include procrastination, perfectionism, and racial stressors such as microaggressions or

overt racism. Interpersonal factors include isolation, lack of social support, and lack of advisory support. Institutional factors include lack of financial support, the relationship between a student’s coursework and research, and a general lack of academic programming. The presenter’s study covered developing an instrument that could assess competencies thought to be required to successfully complete a dissertation and persist through a doctoral program. Sanders used self-determination theory as his theoretical framework for the research, which assumes that we are intrinsically motivated to complete tasks when needs are met. He then named skill sets necessary for success within each of the factors that affect dissertation productivity. Sanders used an SJI to analyze these competency dimensions since the tool mirrors real-world behaviors and can provide unique information about the situation. An SJI is established by first

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developing critical incidents relating to the factors, generating potential responses to items, and developing a scoring key. He collected demographic information from his study participants via an online survey and focus group, then sent recruitment emails to each of the participants. The study participants were provided with a list of competencies and instructed to generate positive and negative responses. Sanders then went over some of the critical incidents that students named during their doctoral programs. The overarching takeaway from this research is that graduate programs need to provide programs to help students navigate challenging situations. These programs may include peer mentors, mentoring committees, and professional development programming aimed at competence areas. Employing an SJI for doctoral students may show what type of supports are needed at any given time to support student success. n

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From Prospect to Proud Alum: Engaging International Students at Each Stage of the GEM Life Cycle to Support Recruitment Goals Presented by Katherine Beczak, Rochester Institute of Technology Reported by Karen Eden, St. Ambrose University Many institutions are looking for creative ways to increase their international student population due to enrollment barriers such as the current U.S. political climate, uncertainty about the quality of education at the institution, internships, CPT and OPT opportunities, and their own financial challenges. The presenter’s institution engages their current international students and alumni to create an effective recruitment strategy focused on developing a personal connection – helping prospective students envision themselves at the institution.

U.S. Success working with these groups is dependent upon them being properly engaged, trained, and rewarded for their work. Though the goal is the same, both groups focus their efforts differently. Current International Students 1. Travel Ambassadors • Unpaid (given t-shirt) • Take information to home country over breaks 2.

For institutions to do this, they need to see the value of their current international students and alumni. These groups offer an authentic view of academics, campus life, and how to successfully navigate the transition to life and studying in the

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Graduate Liaisons • Paid position • Office hours once a week • Focused on outreach: calling and emailing students, conducting tours, contributing to a blog, and engaging through Social Media – WhatsApp and WeChat

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Alumni 1. International Alumni Volunteers • assist with events, panels, college fairs, communicate with prospects, and have profiles on the school website Collaboration within the institution is also key to the success of a program such as this. It is critical to include departments such as alumni relations, intentional student services, career services, and global studies in the process. Everyone has a stake in recruiting and engaging international prospective students and sharing ideas and resources. Interdepartmental collaboration can lead to great success. n

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Beyond Survival: How to Thrive When Leadership Changes Presented by Scott Gordon, Western Kentucky University and Denise Bridwell, University of Kansas Reported by Jennifer Sayre, Bowling Green State University Change may be the only constant in higher education. Change can occur at any level in the organization at just about any time. It is important to be prepared and plan for these changes, especially when they occur at the leadership level. The presenters provided guidance to assist in thinking through the challenges of leadership transitions as well as strategies to thrive when leadership changes.

• Is the new leader internal or external to your organization? (important in the severity of learning curves)

The following are factors to consider when experiencing a leadership transition:

Once you have processed the factors of the transition, you can begin to think about the strategies you want to use to thrive during this time of change.

• Why is the transition occurring? (retirement, moving on by choice, removal from position)

• What is the best timing for influence? (meet right away and put out new ideas or “plant a seed” early on and cultivate later?) • What is the morale and attitude of the staff? (optimistic, F.U.D. (fear, uncertainty, and doubt), job seeking)

• Quiet time: while the new leader is looking and learning, take notes on what you see and how you can engage with the new leadership

• Is the new leader in the role permanently or serving as an interim?

• Communicate: assume nothing, know the new leader’s expectations and share yours, plan additional time for projects

• Stay focused on the big picture: keep focused on serving your students and supporting your programs It is important to keep in mind that there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each leadership transition will be unique. The only person you can change in this situation is YOU. Utilize the transition as an opportunity to be creative and innovative in your role. Learn from the current transition experience and prepare for the next one because it may come sooner than you think! n

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• Share resources: share guiding documents and “to-do” timelines, keep meticulous records in accessible places • Data is your friend: anticipate objections, have data to explain what you are doing and why you are doing it, align your goals with the future direction

• Keep an open mind: do not be defensive, listen, be optimistic

• What is your organizational structure? (flat where the new leader will have direct influence on you or hierarchical where your supervisor may buffer transition effects)

• Develop a system: learn how your new leader functions and share how you function, figure out ways to make those meet

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Beyond Conventional Borders: A Dynamic Approach to Thriving and Advancing Amidst Institutional Boundaries Presented by Sara Yount Pettingill, Ph.D. and Jordan Wiehebrink, Ph.D., Bellarmine University Reported by Kristin Chalberg, St. Catherine University We’ve all been there. We’ve all asked ourselves how we can do more with less. How many CRM implementations can we survive? How many new office spaces must we adapt to? How will new leadership change our focus? What about staff turnover or burnout? You want to add how many new graduate programs to start when? Dr. Pettingill’s and Dr. Wiehebrink’s presentation outlines Bellarmine University’s success at thriving, or better yet, “thriviving” and adapting to change. A Thrivivor’s Guide: Be flexible and open to change • Challenge the mindset of the naysayers. • Cross train. • Embrace the opportunity for change–utilize your staffs’ individual strengths and talents. Be willing to figure it out • Maximize your student workers and interns. • Evaluate your process/events–how can you do more with less? What services can you deliver online? What are others doing on campus that may overlap? • Recognize where customer service can be improved through technological efficiencies.

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Hard work • Create a centralized orientation with inexpensive options. • Realign your Enrollment Management team to allow a shared vision with the Marketing Department. • Partner with Student Affairs to create a graduate student survey. In the presenters’ experience, their response rate is continually improving and basic assumptions were challenged. • The presenters found success by increasing campus visibility and building collaborations that included regular discussions with deans and program directors, consultants, career services, advancement and alumni. • They created a graduate student services committee. • They created more robust accommodations for graduate students that included dining options, facility access, wellness services, disability services, international student services, an enhanced student organization process and improvements to electronic support.

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Celebrate the victories • Changes made to the orientation garnered positive responses from students! • Celebrate with your staff with small wins. A happy hour. Donuts! • Be there for your staff. Learn from the setbacks • Conduct regular meetings with intent, input and feedback that engages faculty, staff, students and alumni. For the presenters, this created purposeful partnerships and individualized consistent messaging. Remember the work is for the students • Create engagement focused event planning. Determine the population, purpose, connection, representatives of each event. • Partner with residence life to find revenue generating graduate student housing. No pain, no gain! • New leadership. New programs. New budgetary restrictions. New priorities. New student needs. Thriviving is prospering, flourishing and growing vigorously in spite of hardship and Bellarmine University has risen to the challenge. n

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Easy Writer: Strategies and Road Maps for Writing about Your Programs and People Presented by Jennifer Kulbeck, Saint Mary’s College of California and Amelia Pavlik, Georgia Institute of Technology Reported by Caela Provost, University College Cork “He thrusts is fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts…” This tongue-twister is repeated again and again like a mantra in Stephen King’s spine-chilling novel IT by the character Bill Denbrough, who uses it as a means to overcome the stutter that makes him an easy bullying target throughout the course of the story. As one of seven main protagonists in King’s mammoth work of horror, readers come to love Bill for not only his loyalty, bravery, and innate leadership abilities, but also for the tenacity, determination, and discipline he exhibits while training himself to overcome smaller obstacles, including his characteristic stutter.

Enter into this fear of writing fray presenters Jennifer Kulbeck and Amelia Pavlik. Armed with formatting tools, building blocks for writing profiles, sample questions, and simple steps to overcome the ever nefarious writer’s block, both presenters led session attendees in a group brainstorm and dialogue about best practices for writing in the GEM realm.

Not unlike Bill, many GEM professionals view writing assignments of all sorts as their own “personal stutters” …whether it’s because we lack the tools necessary

Placing prominence on not only straightforward step-by-step layouts and strategies that depict writing as a practiced discipline, but also on the necessity of giving pieces a dose of personality through quotes, anecdotes,

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and points of interest, Kulbeck and Pavlik provided their fellow GEM professionals with keys to simplifying the writing process. From identifying purpose to choosing a format, from conveying a specific tone to recognizing the value of editing and revision, the session demonstrated that writing, like any task, can go from panic-provoking to pleasant with just a bit of practice.

to articulate our thoughts, or we feel we require additional training in order to write with confidence, many of us dread putting pen to paper for fear of sounding tongue-tied or incoherent.

While Bill Denbrough and his friends certainly had a bigger demon to face than a stutter in IT, the steps they took as a group and as individuals to conquer less prominent fears and obstacles in the novel are still seen as triumphs in the eyes of readers. Like these familiar heroes in fiction, we too can work diligently at our writing craft — training ourselves to be more confident, attention-grabbing writers — so that we might later revel in our own successes. n

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Global Partnering and Recognition beyond the US and Canada: Is that Foreign Institution OK? Presented by Kurt Baumbach, Academic Evaluation Services, Inc. (AES) and Mary Beth Gruenewald, Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE) Reported by Marianne Gumpper, Fairfield University Mary Beth Gruenewald started the session with a discussion of what accreditation means around the world with regard to institutions of higher education. In the US, there are six regional accreditation bodies. There is also national accreditation for faith-based and for profit institutions, and there is programmatic accreditation by discipline, e.g., ABET for Engineering. Canada has no national accrediting bodies but works on a provincial system which is more independent than the US accrediting bodies. Mary Beth pointed out that when reviewing foreign credentials one must be careful to understand the terms and what they mean in a particular country. For instance, the term licensure is a word that sounds significant but does not mean much more than a license to do business. Countries in the United Kingdom as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand have a university charter system which is critical to understand and recognize. It is also important to understand that the US recognizes its territories, such as Puerto Rico, as within the US system.

Kurt Baumbach of Academic Evaluation Services, (AES) spoke about several specific countries and the uniqueness of their credentials. Fraudulent documentation of transcripts is a significant issue around the world. Pakistan, for example, has a list of real universities and fake ones. India also has an issue with fake universities or diploma mills. When reviewing documents from India, the University Grants Commission is an excellent resource as they are charged with coordination, determination and maintenance of higher education in India. Malaysia provides accreditation to programs not institutions. In Columbia transcripts are in Spanish, not English, and accreditation is provided to institutions, not programs. It is apparent that rules differ from country to country. Therefore it is critical to understand and be knowledgeable of the rules of a particular country when reviewing documents.

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1. American University of Beirut in Lebanon states their accreditation is granted by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, and this proved to be the case although they are located in Lebanon. 2. John Cabot University in Rome, Italy is also accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education even though they are located in Italy. 3. Asia e University is located in Malaysia but offers classes in Sri Lanka. This session presented a complicated subject in a short period of time. The following resources were also presented as guidance for this challenging topic: NAFSA Guide, Databases of Higher Education Institutions, Institutional Websites, Professional Association Websites, TAICEP.org and ECE.org. n

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Kurt also went through several specific case studies by doing a live internet check:

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Supporting International Graduate Students: Intercultural Practices and Culturally Responsive Approaches for GEM Professionals and Graduate Schools Presented by Catherine Johnson, Ph.D., Montana State University Reported by Melodie Lopez, Southern Adventist University Catherine Johnson’s presentation was based on a quantitative survey designed and done over a period of two years, 2015-2017, conducted at 12 different institutions with 1,000 international students surveyed. There was a 17% return rate of those surveyed. She shared findings from this research study that examined the influence of relationships with faculty and peers, cultural congruity, and identity on intercultural relevancy of international graduate students. She is working with NAGAP to continue this project through 2021, to tap into additional institutions while writing and doing publications. In this session Catherine Johnson, a research assistant at Montana State University, shared results and findings about international graduate students’ socialization. Socialization theory frames the study, and the process is defined in this study as “the passage through which an individual learns to adopt the values, skills, attitudes, norms, knowledge needed for membership in each society, group or organization” (Johnson, Ward & Gardner, 2017). She began the presentation by having NAGAP attendees work collaboratively to discuss practices relevant to their institutional context. Example issues include cultural isolation, changing enrollment patterns— recent decline in international graduate student enrollment at U.S. graduate schools (Open Doors 2017; Okahana, 2018), health insurance, travel ban, and immigration regulations (Todoran, 2018). The study looked at the importance of connections with cultural representatives, that is, the quality and quantity of a graduate student’s connections with various cultural representatives, and the extent to which individuals appreciate a graduate student’s culture of origin. At the end of this session group discussion was encourage on two topics:

• Identify GEM practices related to mentor and peer relationships, cultural fit, and ways to foster cultural integrity and connections with cultural representatives.

Professional and Institutional Practices Related to INTERCULTURAL RELEVANCY IN STEM Practice: Cultural integrity in STEM

• Discuss intercultural practices for your institutional context and share with colleagues other ways we can support international students and promote culturally responsive behaviors.

Create an event that promotes a global and international perspective of STEM research. The event could ask students to translate their research to a global context e.g., colloquium series. (College, Graduate School)

CONCLUSION Findings from the multiple regression analysis showed students who report higher levels of cultural integrity in STEM are positively associated with mentor’s cultural support, peer interactions, and social and professional identity prominence. In addition, students who report stronger connections with cultural representatives are positively associated with mentor’s cultural support, peer interactions, cultural congruity, and social and professional identity. These findings, when interpreted through an intercultural lens, illustrate that traditional modes of graduate student socialization may fall short for international students. Intercultural connections are necessary features of graduation student socialization. Identifying and cultivating such relationships is vital to the well-being of current and prospective international graduate students whose goal is to attend graduate education in the U.S. or Canada. For example, the table below illustrates practices for NAGAP professionasl who work to support international students. The intercultural socialization practices heuristic can help to prioritize and center cultural perspectives in graduate school. n

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Table 1: Intercultural Socialization Heuristic

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Practice: Connections with Cultural Representatives Connect incoming students with cultural supports e.g., co-national and national community members. (Department, Faculty) SOCIAL INTERACTIONS Practice: Mentor’s Cultural Support Acknowledge current trends international students face, e.g., financial insecurity and stress, travel uncertainty, and hostile political climate. (International Office, Faculty) Connect students with professional supports for the job market in home country and the U.S. (Graduate School, Department, Faculty) Practice: Peer Interactions Provide opportunities for social and cultural exchange, or outings to foster relationships among peers e.g., Lunch and learn academic writing, research, and statistics support. (College, Department) IDENTITY PROMINENCE Practice: Social Identity Help students acclimate to the community with practical amenities, e.g., airport shuttle, grocery and mall shopping shuttle bus on the weekend. (Faculty) Practice: Professional Identity Foster self-efficacy in research communications for global audiences in home and host country, e.g., International and U.S. job market professional development workshops on the transferability of skills to careers. (Graduate School, Department)

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The Journey Continues: Applying Student Development Theory in Graduate Education Presented by Rachel Foltz Nash and Brian Orefice, The Ohio State University Reported by Jillian Stubbs, Wake Forest University As Graduate Enrollment Management (GEM) professionals, we are often familiar with various student development theories gained through education and professional development. But, how often are we directly applying theory to our current work and initiatives with graduate students? Nash and Orefice encourage us to continue our journey through intentionally applying student development theory to our practices. Based on their experience at The Ohio State University, several relevant student development theories for graduate students were discussed with suggestions included on how to actively apply theories to practice. Nash and Orefice laid the foundation by sharing particular characteristics of graduate students today such as more likely to be older, mature, and more focused. Then, various theories of

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developmental change, student-centered development models, and college impact models were reviewed including: • Model of Multiple Dimensions of Identity (MMDI), Jones • Theory of Psychosocial Identity Development, Chickering • Theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development, Perry • Theory of Transition, Schlossberg • Theory of Doctoral Student Persistence, Tinto • Theory of Challenge and Support, Gardner • Theory of Belonging, Strayhorn To intentionally apply theory to practice, Nash and Orefice provided examples of

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many areas where theory can be linked: orientation, graduate student handbooks, advising expectations, mentoring programs, diversity and inclusion, mental health and wellness initiatives, campus activities and events, and writing groups. In particular, at The Ohio State University, the College of Public Affairs mapped all orientation events directly to an applicable theory. Other examples shared included: assigning a concierge during new student coordination programs, following up with students on all matriculation forms to ease the transition, and having current students create a graduate student handbook for incoming students to make them feel more comfortable during onboarding. Where will you go on your journey to apply student development theory in graduate education?n

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Successful Strategies for Recruiting Adult, Online, and Graduate Students Presented by Stephanie L. Franks Helwich and Kayla Manning, Ruffalo Noel Levitz; and Brian Connelly, Converge Consulting. Reported by Jennifer Lovelace, Ph.D., Auburn University Presenters from Ruffalo Noel Levitz and Converge Consulting outline a three-step plan overcome the barriers to increasing adult, online, and graduate student enrollment: 1) Develop your strategy 2) Build your marketing plan 3) Tell your story Step One, Develop your Strategy, includes developing a plan with actionable and measurable goals. Key planning includes paying attention to overlapping audiences (online and graduate programs) and using historical data to set goals and measure results at each stage of the funnel. There are three ways to increase or shape new student enrollments: increase the size of the inquiry pool, increase the conversion rate at various points of the funnel, or combine both strategies. Step Two, Building your Marketing Plan, includes segmenting marketing strategies to drive conversation, purposeful messaging, and continuous online engagement. Segmented marketing strategies include lead generation (drives prospects to your website to fill out the lead form), lead nurturing/qualification (drives prospects to complete the application), and yield optimization (drives applicants to enroll).

Also included in your marketing plan is purposeful messaging. The top of the funnel includes display advertising, social media advertising, and Omnichannel marketing aimed at increasing awareness of your brand. The middle of the funnel is characterized by search engine optimization, advertising, and crosschannel retargeting to promote applicant consideration. The bottom of the funnel includes website and landing page strategy, communication plans, and Google Data Studio Integration to drive official applicant inquiries. Finally, adult learners need continuous online engagement. To achieve this, you should make your messaging accessible (i.e., AI Chatbots), personalized (i.e., texting), and connected (i.e., social media). Doing these things builds trust and puts value in your two-way social engagement plan.

• develop a graduate vision/goal with a structure and mechanism to support the desired growth • formalize an ongoing process to manage your academic portfolio to align with demand • become more intentional in developing your marketing and demand-generation strategies • strengthen your digital presence to support your demand generation and recruitment efforts • modify your process to better nurture prospective students once they enter the program funnel • make organizational change to support accelerated growth and scalability

Step Three, Tell your Story, includes using data and metrics to support a plan for enrollment growth through targeted advertising and marketing campaigns. A case study at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business (RCB) outlined how Converge and RCB created a playbook to analyze over 20 programs, prioritizing them for quick wins and quickly bringing them to market. Through the use of discovery personas, messaging and digital strategy, Converge was able to develop a foundation for all of RCB’s programs.

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Final recommendations include:

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• articulate and document your growth strategy with actionable, measurable goals • inspect what you expect! What worked? Didn’t work? Pivot when necessary to optimize results • tell your story! n

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Elevate Your Leadership Influence & Impact: The Power of Storytelling Presented by Jeremiah Nelson, Wake Forest University Reported by Denise Bridwell, University of Kansas Storytelling is a leadership skill that offers extraordinary potential for GEM professionals when honed and intentionally deployed. Storytelling offers a more compelling way to engage with our stakeholders and elevate the impact of our work in every aspect of GEM, from pre-admission through graduation and alumni relations. The practice of great storytelling is particularly important for leaders and managers as they seek internal support for their programs and departments, competing for budget dollars, seeking additional faculty and staff resources, and vying for the attention and energy of senior campus leaders. Before capitalizing on the power or storytelling, the presenter offered that one must first understand what it is and what it isn’t. Storytelling is not…

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A rant

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Therapy

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A substitute for substance

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Stand-up comedy

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Just an “art”

mission. What would be more beneficial than a prospective student who can’t get what you say out of their mind?

Storytelling is…

The science of storytelling includes determining the following elements:

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A true experience

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Audience

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Told with a purpose

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Desired action

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Intentional goal or action

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Obstacles

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Follows storytelling science

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Characters

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Resolution

Storytelling is a character in pursuit of a goal, facing some challenge. When considering great storytelling, media advertising is a great example. When done effectively, these are short and break through the “noise” of everything else. Nobody wants to hear a list of product features and benefits, even if it is read in dramatic fashion. Think of a commercial that is memorable to you and consider why. Is it the slogan… the jingle…the humor? Did it form an emotional connection? Consider how these principles might apply to your unit’s

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We often tell stories with our own thoughts/desires/intentions in mind but gauging your audiences’ needs and catering to that can be a powerful tool. To capitalize on this, the presenter offered seven key elements to telling powerful stories: 1. Tap into emotion 2. Put a face on it (make it real) 3. Relatable n

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Expanding Your Recruitment Approach: Best Practices for Developing and Maintaining a Student Ambassador Program Presented by Kelly Egorova, Northeastern University; Christine Morales, Rutgers University; and Lynn Villafuerte, University of Kansas Moderated by Stephen A. McGowan, LMSW, Fordham University, Graduate School of Social Science Reported by Jenna Greer, Simmons University Student ambassador programs are a valuable opportunity for institutions to provide prospective students with meaningful connections from recruitment trough matriculation. The presenters offered insight on aspects of their programs, leaving the majority of the session open to questions from the audience, moderated by Stephen A. McGowan. This interactive, collaborative discussion offered valuable advice which institutions of all sizes can utilize in the creation or ongoing management of student ambassador programs.

student ambassadors will not be an option, at least in the beginning. In the meantime, be innovative in creating incentives for students to participate. Data is also an important tool; track everything. Collected data can be used to leverage the importance of ambassador programs and to increase potential future resources.

During the initial creation of a program, there are key steps to keep in mind:

• Orientation

• Identify key players (e.g. leadership, faculty, student services)

• Include elements of fun to build a sense of community

• Create a well-defined student selection process

Once a program has been established, it is important to have a process to maintain ambassador engagement. Current methods used by the panelists included:

Every program will have growing pains and eventually experience difficulties. It is important to create an environment in which staff, students, and programs can grow from challenges they may face. • Create safe space for ambassadors to come to you • Encourage students to know their own personal limits • Recognize mistakes will happen, use them as a teaching and learning opportunity No processes or tool is one size fit all. Implementing a program at an institution with its own unique challenges can be arduous. If you are starting a new ambassador program, don’t be afraid to start small and steadily implement new elements as it develops and grows into an effective student ambassador program. n

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• Special project for each student – to give sense of ownership

• Ongoing workshops

• Start small; know yourself and your limits

• Encourage ambassadors to use each other as a support system

• Ambassador handbook with clear responsibilities

• Utilize current ambassadors to train new ambassadors

• WhatsApp

Once the selection process for incoming ambassadors is complete, there are numerous training tools that can be implemented:

• Build coalitions to create a solid foundation

The challenge for many institutions looking to start an ambassador program lies in creating effective programs with limited resources. For many, paying

• Weekly/monthly check-ins

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Enrollment Prediction: Comparing Strategic and Operational Predictive Models Presented by Kathryn Kendall, Ed.D., State University of New York at Buffalo Reported by Maria Lyons, Texas A&M University Departments, colleges, or even universities are often asked by administration to grow enrollment numbers, revenue, or both. Dr. Kathryn Kendall from the University at Buffalo School of Social Work developed two enrollment prediction models to calculate the revenue of her program. As a result of her efforts, she is now able to respond to requests for revenue growth as it relates to student credit hours and tuition payments. The first model developed by the presenter, Kendall I Model (KI), is operational in nature and requires detailed analysis and tracking of each individual current and incoming student. This granular model considers degree paths, full-time status, credit hour paths, residency status, and more. Dr. Kendall

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recognizes both positives and negatives to this method. With the detailed spreadsheet tracking of each student that is used, it is easy to adjust incoming student numbers and also lays out how each student contributes to the total headcount, student credit hours, and revenue numbers. That said, KI has only a one-year reach and assumes expected registration, which can only be updated to actual enrollment after the start of the term. Kendall recommends KI for use at the department level to evaluate the feasibility of meeting revenue requests via enrollment growth. Kendall II Model (KII) was developed in response to requests from the University of Buffalo administration to expand enrollment prediction outside of the School of Social Work. KII is strategic in

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nature and uses student enrollment and revenue averages to predict revenue. This model lays out average revenue contributions by student type, making it easily adjustable. However, Dr. Kendall acknowledged that the KII method will have higher error rates than KI since individual student data is not used. KII, she offers, is best implemented at the university level. In summary, the Kendall Models are fantastic resources for implementation in evaluating revenue and considering enrollment growth necessary to meet administration requests. For programs seeking insight into the feasibility of administration revenue growth requests, these models can prove to be a fantastic tool. n

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Money Does Matter: How to Budget for a GEM Office and Grow Your Career Presented by Ariana Balayan, Ph.D., Suffolk University; and Amanda Ostreko, Ph.D., University of Kansas Reported by Raymond Lutzky, Ph.D., Cornell University Understanding and managing a budget is an important part of the professional development of any GEM professional, particularly those looking to advance their careers in roles with progressively increasing responsibility. In this interactive session, a part of the NAGAP GEM Certificate, the presenters addressed why professionals need budget experience by focusing on the importance of understanding departmental and institutional models and the day-to-day management of funds. Both presenters discussed their experience with budget management at their respective institutions (one, a large public and the other, a medium-sized private institution). Drs. Balayan and Ostreko compared and contrasted their institutional profiles and roles, office sizes, career momentum and discussed how budget management helps prepare professionals for “the next step in their careers.” Much of the start of the session set the context for a larger conversation

and responsibilities as one barrier to their development in this area. Other attendees shared that their teams have dedicated staff for budget analysis and management.

among attendees regarding their own budget management experiences. Topics from the examples that were shared by participants included how transition of professionals impacts office functions and how leadership changes can create unexpected opportunities and challenges when it comes to performing program and office goals. Participants and the presenters shared funding model examples and how various GEM offices allocate their budgets. A particular focus of this portion of the conversation was on how revenue generation impacts operations at various institutions differently. Some of these considerations stemmed from the differences between public and private institutions.

Drs. Balayan and Ostreko engaged participants through a variety of activities to solicit examples and best practices, and near the conclusion of their session offered some strategies designed to help GEM professionals seek out budget and staff supervisory responsibilities to advance their careers. Some of these suggestions included creating a proposal for student workers through Federal/ Work Study, collaboration with other units to fund recruitment events, finding opportunities to supervise graduate student workers, and working to be involved in the hiring process for full-time staff. They also suggested “shadowing” those involved in the budget process and integrating participation in the process as part of their annual staff performance review goals. n

Another area of discussion involved differences in staff support and hierarchy for budget management. Some GEM professionals admitted that they have very little “hands on” experience managing their own budget, and cited budget approval/access hierarchy

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Data Matters: Policy Relevant Data from Time Trends and Surveys of Graduate Students Presented by E. Dianne Looker, Ph.D., Mount Saint Vincent and Acadia Universities Reported by Sherry M. Melecki, The University of Texas at Austin The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) provides statistical data and other resources of which those in the U.S. can only dream. Fortunately, the CAGS publications are publically available at https://cags.ca/ statisticalreports Dr. Looker spent several years conducting social survey research and analysis for CAGS. Using some of the results from the 42nd Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey (2016), she shared general tips of which we should be aware. a.*Time trends

• Trends vary by fields of study; look to see which fields are increasing, which are decreasing, and which remain stable over time. • Consider policy reasons for why certain numbers or trends exist. b.*Rating of university experience • In general, Dr. Looker found master’s students to be satisfied or very satisfied while doctoral students started out at higher rates of satisfaction but became less happy by the year. To gauge your students’ level of satisfaction, she recommends measuring the following:

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• Demographic characteristics including such things as ethnicity, gender, age, international, aboriginal vs. non-aboriginal • First year, as opposed to second, third, fourth year, and so on • Opportunities available for training and collaboration • Quality of teaching • Quality of advising

• The large-scale picture can be very helpful, while focusing only on yearto-year changes can exaggerate the impact of minor shifts. Look at both trends and changes over time.

• Quality of experience by field of study

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• Quality of other students

Problems with data gathered for the 42nd Statistical Report:

due to an increase in international students the past several years. The world regions from which international students come is changing, with more coming from Asia. (Other data indicate the number of international students in the U.S. is decreasing.) Recommendations from Dr. Looker: • Access student data gathered over time (both quantitative and qualitative) • Look specifically at the following areas (as they were of high importance to the students recently surveyed): a. Quality of advising b. Availability of financial support

• Does not account for students who left (why did they leave and where did they go?)

c. Opportunities for workshops on topics such as publications and academic writing

• Did not specifically gather information on whether students were first generation

d. Career options both in and out of academia

• Lag time between time data is gathered and time data is analyzed and released Significant find from data gathered for the 42nd Statistical Report:

e. Clear policies on intellectual property Dr. Looker ended her presentation by reminding audience members, “To get the best picture, put many sources of data together.” n

• Entire increase in doctoral enrollments in Canada has been

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NAGAP, Carnegie Dartlet, and Google Digital Insights for Graduate Enrollment Report for 2019 Presented by Mark Cunningham, Carnegie Dartlet and Marcus Hanscom, Roger Williams University Reported by Melissa Sweda, Wayne State University What digital marketing tools are GEM professionals using? Which tools are working, which are not? What are the current digital marketing trends? These questions and many others have now been answered through a collaborative report between NAGAP and Carnegie Dartlet who have again partnered in surveying NAGAP members on many current digital marketing topics in the GEM lifecycle. The report is based upon surveys received from 176 respondents that span from entry level to advanced GEM professionals. The full collaborative report will be released in June 2019 with their findings. The survey found that respondents’ use of digital marketing is to accomplish:

1) Increased applications (59.1%)

2) Branding for programs (52.3%)

3) Lead generation (48.3%)

4) Increased enrollment (44.9%)

5) Event attendance (36.9%)

6) All of the above (34.1)

Overall, the expectation of digital media is to support awareness of specific programs to the prospective students most likely to apply, be admitted, matriculate, and complete their graduate program. Dynamically differentiate your school through digital marketing to capture the specific interest

• Retargeting initiatives to initial connections are budget friendly means to conversions. Continued connections allow for opportunities to highlight benefits of programs that have stirred interest.

of your prospective applicants. Survey matriculated students to see what digital marketing initiatives were compelling to them and factored into their decision making process. It is key to aligning your digital marketing to accomplishing your enrollment numbers.

• Sharing on Instagram vs. selling on another application is a solid and unique differentiation and will increase as younger Instagram users age into graduate studies.

Highlights of the report include: • There is a slight shift to In-house digital marketing over last year. Budget remains the most significant barrier to implementing a robust digital marketing campaign.

• Carousel ads are becoming more prevalent and a great budget savings strategy. Find marketing alignments with multiple programs then use multiple platforms to advertise the brand as a whole.

• Paid social media is the most implemented strategy (61.9%) and has the most impact as a strategy (40.3%). • Be the top rich or featured snippet to a search by creating a blog or posting influential subject matter on a particular topic associated with your program. If Google thinks your program is the answer to a posed question, your information moves to the top of the Google search results page. • Leverage video in social media. Build your school brand engaging awareness with prospective students with video placement in social media. It is the norm, not the exception.

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• Know your “stealth applicants” and the winding path that leads them to your program. Stealth applicants are those that apply for admission as their first point of contact after conducting their own virtual research. What are the touch points leading to their application? How can you align your digital marketing with attracting other stealth applicants? n

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Holistic Review Made Manageable for Programs of All Sizes Presented by Kathleen Costello, Clemson University Reported by Denise Bridwell, University of Kansas In order to employ holistic review tactics, one must first determine what holistic review is as well as what it entails. According to the presenter from Clemson Graduate School, holistic review…

• Fit

• Is a full-file review

• Diversity

• Ensures that no single factor leads to either accepting or denying the student for admission

• Self-Awareness

• Recognizes that an applicant’s strength in one area might offset a weakness in another Successfully implementing a new process requires buy-in from stakeholders. Clemson believed that the best way to achieve this was to solicit ideas from within the units as opposed to a topdown implementation from leadership. Therefore, they invited program coordinators from each college to be a part of a task force. They met once a month for a year to flesh out a plan and a program. This began by determining their own indicators of success which included… • Academic Preparedness • Motivation • Commitment

• Communication Skills • Research/Work Experience • Timeliness of Application

Next, they made changes to their application in the following ways… 1. Revising the personal statement instructions to include: “Demonstrate your motivation and capacity to succeed. If you have any items in your application such as low test scores or poor grades this is your chance to tell us why this weakness is not a reflection of your current ability.” (in addition to the “standard” info programs look for) 2. Including a section on personal characteristics that allows students to select from a pre-determined list and explain their choices. 3. Including a research section that allows the applicant to quantify their months of experience and briefly describe it.

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5. Revising the letter of recommendation form to include a characteristics chart to capture more indicators of success as well as updated rating criteria that is friendlier to non-academic recommenders. 6. Creating a rating system within their application software that provides the opportunity for evaluators to rate each applicant in preset categories that are key to holistic review Because speed and easy digestion of information is important to all application reviewers, it should be noted that the additional sections had very limited text requirements to ensure brevity. Overall, the implementation was well received with positive feedback but the presenter mentioned it is still too new to offer any data analysis. The presenter recognized that there are other areas for further improvement, such as interviewing options and transcript evaluation. n

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4. Including a section on diversity that asks the applicant to share how they would contribute to diversity in their program and the advancement of a more inclusive university.

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International Graduate Enrollment Management: A NAGAP and NAFSA Context Presented by Julie Deland, Harvard University; Joann Ng Hartmann, NAFSA; and Laura Moix, University of Arkansas Reported by Jennifer Lovelace, Ph.D., Auburn University Presenters from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), University of Arkansas (UA), and NAFSA led a discussion of current trends and issues for international enrollment in both global and institutional contexts. Through an interactive poll, participants outlined affordability, political climate, competition for students, and declining international enrollment as the most pressing concerns for international students. At the University of Arkansas, five-year trends in international applicants rose from 31.7% to 36.7% while international admits declined from 20.3% to 19.4%, and the overall yield decreased from 17.5% to 15.6%. Administrators at UA attribute these changes to rising numbers overall and geography. Conversely, HGSE reports increases in the applicant pool, admits, and yield over the same five-year period (18.5% to 38.4%, 17.7% to 24.3%, and 18.7% to 25.2% respectively). While applicants, admits, and yield have all gone up, diversity has decreased. Administrators attribute these increases to name/brand recognition, socioeconomic status, location in a “blue state” and a vast alumni network. NAFSA provides an IEM cycle with a heavy emphasis on recruitment, especially

those already within the U.S. The cycle includes Recruitment, Admissions, Enrollment, Academics and Advising, Integration/Retention, Graduation, and Alumni. Administrators from UA emphasized the importance of a personal approach (i.e., traveling to key places, making personal connections, providing quick responses, and little touches), focusing on the public, land-grant status, providing funding, and addressing “redstate” misconceptions as additional recruitment strategies. Additionally, UA implemented NASFA’s “You Are Welcome Here” campaign across campus. Other services provided to international students include a student management tool (ISSLink); Blackboard courses specifically for international students; live webinars for visiting and exchange students, free airport shuttles, immigration basics sessions, temporary housing, shopping trips, international student orientation, cross-cultural mentors, and more. Given the limited funding of the HGSE, international recruitment strategies include thinking creatively, relationship building, and technology use. While there is limited travel, Harvard relies heavily on “armchair” recruitment by providing virtual information sessions,

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hybrid information sessions, and blended hybrid sessions. Harvard’s enrollment initiatives include alumni engagement, recording at on-campus Open house events, and virtual events. Additionally, the Office of Student Affairs at HGSE provides programming, resources, and support throughout the academic year (i.e., access and disability services, diversity and inclusion, housing, clubs and organizations, orientation, and commencement). The HGSE also provides students supports via weekly “lunch and learn” sessions, coffee with Andrea, group outings, academic support workshops, and peer ambassador programs). Both UA and HGSE emphasize the importance of membership in professional organizations such as NAFSA and NAGAP. Membership in key organizations provides opportunities to attend conferences, create research partnerships, establish networking opportunities, and much more. Organizations like NASFA provide many policy and advocacy tools to help administrators develop recruitment strategies on campus. n

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Future NAGAP Leaders: A Springboard To Your Gem Professional Development Journey Presented by Jillian Baer, The Ohio State University and Ryan Taughrin, University at Buffalo Reported by Alyssa Orlando, Bentley University Jillian Baer and Ryan Taughrin began their session by sharing learning objectives for the morning, which included identifying steps to achieving their own goals for future success and reviewing pathways to leadership within NAGAP and other national organizations. The session attendees then went around the room and shared experiences, reasons why they decided to attend the conference, and/or why they wanted to become more involved in NAGAP. Baer and Taughrin asserted that the idea of finding a home or community is equally as important as tangible

responsibilities within the association. NAGAPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s objective is twofold in that sense, and wants to prepare its members for higher levels of mobility within the GEM profession. This said, the presenters went on to say that although many in the room may consider NAGAP their professional home, they should also consider how they can increase professional development outside of the association. There are many conferences and organizations that can increase gaps in skills sets surrounding marketing and data analysis, among others.

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The session attendees then completed an activity where they identified a professional goal and listed concrete steps to achieve said goal. Attendees shared their aims and objectives, and planned to reconnect regarding success rates in 6-12 months. Overall, the session was extremely helpful as it afforded the group the opportunity to reflect on conference experiences at the end of the week. n

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Financing Graduate Education Presented by Marcus Hanscom, Roger Williams University; Dana Mordecai, University of North Texas; and Tracy Collum, Idaho State University Reported by Yasmine Elroweiny, AMIDEAST Egypt The Advanced Roundtable Conversation started with a budget projections discussion and what each university is doing with Masters and PhD scholarships and funding, and tackled the differences between offer letters that go to graduate applicants. Higher education institutions (HEIs) assured that the offer letters come directly from the department not from admissions offering TA or RA opportunities, specifically on the PhD level. They added, some colleges cannot admit PhD students unless the faculty demonstrate that there is a source of

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funding. Temple University, School of Education, pointed out that they provide in their acceptance letters a minimum stipend guarantee for 4 years. Later on in the discussion, EducationUSA advisers recommended that HEIs can check EducationUSA resources, so they can be more acquainted with the external sources of funding available in each country-who aim to facilitate funding for graduates wanting to pursue MA or PhD degrees in the US or overseas in general- saying that HEIs can then partner/collaborate with donors.

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Moreover, University of Michigan in Dearborn, assured that $30k would be available as a source of funding to the students but only after they finish 6 credits which shows another model. Some other universities offer flat tuition to encourage more graduate students to apply. To conclude, different models of graduate programs in regards to tuition are being applied making a competition in graduate admissions, however, they all assured it is still necessary. n

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Why Quality Assurance (QA) Should Be a Fundamental Element of Your Marketing and Recruitment Strategy Presented by Cate Clark, Regis University Reported by Caela Provost, University College Cork “He’s sitting on seven-fourteen. Here’s the pitch by Downing, swinging, there’s a drive into left centerfield, that ball is gonna be…OUTTA HERE! IT’S GONE! IT’S SEVEN-FIFTEEN! There’s a new home run champion of all time and it’s Henry Aaron!” Perhaps it’s a bit odd to begin a NAGAP session summary with the transcript of Milo Hamilton’s home run call when baseball legend Henry “Hank” Aaron became the all-time home run champion on April 8th, 1974, a title he held until it was claimed by Barry Bonds on August 7th, 2007. Perhaps many of you don’t particularly enjoy baseball, or any sports for that matter. Perhaps you don’t care at all about my ramblings regarding home runs. But you should. Maybe not out-of-park, fans erupting in a roar, record setting home runs, but rather those institutional reputation, student services, professional development, quality of programs and processes home runs. Simply put, if you’re not interested in your campus’s quality

At a time when excellence in curriculum and admissions practices, types of educational platforms, and program costs and ROI are consistently at the forefront of the minds of our target populations, we must never cease to question our approaches, adjust to student needs, and strive to improve our performances. We may all be coming from diverse institutions with varying missions, budgets, offerings, histories, and atmospheres, but —as Cate Clark astutely put — “everyone can compete in quality.”

assurance home runs, you’re already behind in the game. Presenter Cate Clark from Regis University challenged session attendees to swing at the following pitched questions in order to begin to place quality assurance at the forefront of their admissions strategies: o

Are our programs working?

Is our process working?

o Are our systems working like they should be? Using her own institutional “playbook” of goals, systems, tactics, standards, and responses in order to illustrate the necessity of striving for quality in graduate admissions, Clark stressed the need for GEM professionals to be mindful of the current enrollment landscape, while placing a strong focus on institutional processes in order to proactively work with colleagues to maintain a quality admissions experience.

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Hank Aaron didn’t break a record without a strategy. He didn’t break a record without questioning and adjusting his stance and his swing. He didn’t break a record without first setting goals for himself. He didn’t break a record without striving for quality. If you’re not interested in your campus’s quality assurance home runs, you’re already behind in the game. So, I’ll ask you…what does a home run look like in your office? n

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extend the participants’ learning beyond the facilit so they can immediately apply lessons learned on

NAGAP Leadership Academy We are excited to announce the launch of our inaugural NAGAP Leadership Academy, to be held October 16-18 in New York City at Teachers College, Columbia University. This unique training will provide graduate enrollment management (GEM) professionals an intensive leadership development experience that includes cohesive, experiential training that integrates education that is GEM-focused, and includes, experience, feedback, and coaching. These elements compliment and extend the participants’ learning beyond the facilitated classroom sessions so they can immediately apply lessons learned on their campuses. Participants will be guided by expert faculty through a multi-component, sixmonth program that includes two in-person seminars, webinars, leadership assessments, and coaching.

Wha

Virtual Orientation Session

360 Degree Assessment

The N multi-c Two in by mo asses culmin are pa journe comp

Leadership Coaching Sessions

Seminar 1 3 Days

Seminar 2 1 Day

Monthly webinars are coupled with online assignments and capstone project work; participants are encouraged to work with peers in a community of practice

2 participate in the NAGAP Leadership Academy? Who should • Candidates from any aspect of the GEM lifecycle (recruitment, admissions, financial aid, student services, advising, alumni affairs, or general administration) aspiring to advance in their careers • Early and mid-career managers seeking to improve their effectiveness supervising and mentoring their teams • Enrollment managers who are interested in building a GEM network and/or model on their campuses. • GEM professionals interested in developing the skills to lead change in their organization. This program is the perfect choice for NAGAP members looking for a transformative professional development experience. Consider joining us for the inaugural cohort! Space is limited, and registration is open and available online at www.nagap.org.

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