VOLUME 32 NUMBER 2 The Leader in Graduate Enrollment Management
SUMMER 2020
PERSPECTIVES A Newsmagazine for Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals
IN THIS ISSUE 2 From the President
3 Meet the Chapter Presidents 6 Unveiling the First-Ever NAGAP Curriculum Plan 7
CRM 101: Lessons in Integration, Optimization, and Maximization
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What Do Prospective Graduate Students Really Think About Social Media? A Proposed Research Study
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Online Education in the "New Normal": Three Insights for Graduate Enrollment Managers
www.NAGAP.org
FROM THE PRESIDENT My Dear Colleagues, I’m writing on day 3,651 of the COVID-19 era. I have completely forgotten what it is like to wear pants to work, and I officially have been diagnosed with Zoom fatigue. Kidding aside, I am so grateful to have a job I love to do (that can be done remotely) and for our NAGAP community. I sincerely hope you, your teams, your students, and your loved ones are all safe and well. This is not the reality that any of us wanted nor expected. I continue to be overwhelmed by the extraordinary generosity, collaboration, and support that I’ve witnessed among our membership. The timing of our implementation of The Exchange, our online networking platform, could not have been better as we collectively navigate the uncharted territory of a pandemic. This resource has provided members an unparalleled outlet for asking questions, sharing resources, and offering knowledge of what is working on our campuses. If you’re like me, you probably pour over the daily digest to see what new ideas or tips you might be able to implement from someone’s suggestion. Ours is a very special community. Thank you for your care and concern for each other. It is still hard to reconcile that our 2020 GEM Summit in Orlando was cancelled. For many of us the annual conference is a well-earned opportunity to spend time with “our people” and recharge as we learn from each other. I always look forward to our time together and (not to be overly dramatic) have had to mourn the loss of this experience. It is consistently a highlight of my year, and I cannot wait to see everyone in San Francisco in 2021! It is not an overstatement that NAGAP was in a tenuous position in the weeks leading up to our 2020 GEM Summit. If we had outright cancelled the event when the pandemic started to get worse, the penalties we would have been on the hook for would have topped $1 million and likely bankrupted the organization. I am so grateful to the NAGAP Governing Board and our Kellen association management staff team for resisting the pressure to make a decision to cancel too early. The fortitude and leadership I witnessed among my colleagues was humbling as I recognized that the right call is so often not the easy call. The result, as you may already know, is that NAGAP lives on while many of our sister associations now face uncertain futures. We need each other now more than ever as our industry faces unprecedented disruption. As we collectively search for ways to meaningfully connect with and support our graduate students in this surreal environment, I personally take comfort knowing that I have a community that I can rely on. Together, I am confident that we will ideate and innovate to conquer challenges that would have been unimaginable just a few short months ago. Stay strong. Stay safe. Stay connected. n
PERSPECTIVES A Newsmagazine for Graduate Enrollment Management Professionals
Editor, Stanley Kania, PhD
Enrollment Management Recruiter Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Scranton, PA (570) 558-3954 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 format, 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 17. Copyright © 2020 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.
With gratitude,
Jeremiah Nelson, NAGAP President
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MEET THE CHAPTER PRESIDENTS Dr. Stanley Kania, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Troy Sterk, Seattle University This three-part series will help our members get to know their NAGAP Chapter Presidents. In this issue, we would like to introduce you to NYGAP Chapter President, Stephen Ostendorff and SEAGAP Chapter President, Kimberly Holley. Learn about their pathways to becoming Chapter leaders, their ideas for engaging NAGAP members in their Chapters, and their overall experiences within the NAGAP organization. We hope you enjoy “meeting” your NAGAP Chapter Presidents!
my EdD at Northeastern University in Organizational Leadership Studies. I began my involvement in higher education over 20 years ago. As an undergraduate student I was President of Student Council, an orientation coordinator, peer advisor, hosted a radio show, worked in the University Center, and at the campus pizza shop as a work study. After I graduated from Clark University, I obtained a position as an Undergraduate Admissions Counselor at Webb Institute, a small
Director of Graduate Admissions. In this role, I oversee all graduate admissions operations for our on-campus and online graduate programs in teacher education, educational leadership, museum education, and more. SK: Briefly describe your pathway to getting involved in NAGAP and then becoming a Chapter President.
“At that point in my career, I started experiencing burnout and needed a change. I went to private industry where I worked for two different marketing agencies and ran their higher education verticals. This is where I became more involved with admissions data and digital marketing in enrollment management."
Stephen Ostendorff Director of Graduate Admissions, Bank Street College of Education President, NYGAP SK: Tell me about your background (professional and academic). How did you begin your GEM career, and how did you progress to where you are now? SO: I hold a BA in English from Clark University, a MS in Education with a concentration in Student Development Practice in Higher Education and am currently pursuing
engineering school, and within a year took on responsibilities in Student Affairs. After my time at The Webb Institute, I joined Molloy College as the Director of Campus Life and served in that role for 4 ½ years where I was responsible for overseeing Student Activities. At that point in my career, I started experiencing burnout and needed a change. I went to private industry where I worked for two different marketing agencies and ran their higher education verticals. This is where I became more involved with admissions data and digital marketing in enrollment management. The time in private industry reinvigorated my love for enrollment management, and I now serve Bank Street College as the
SO: I was involved with NACAC as an Undergraduate Admissions Counselor, and I wanted to make sure I had the same professional networking experiences in GEM. I reached out to the President of NYGAP to find ways to get more involved. They were about to have Chapter elections, and I decided to run for Vice-President and was elected to that position, serving in that capacity for four years. In my role as VP I assisted with conference planning, securing conference sponsors, and other professional development opportunities for NYGAP Chapter members. As our former Chapter President Ryan Taughrin transitioned into a NAGAP Board Director position, I stepped into the role as Chapter President and am excited to take on leading the NYGAP Chapter! SK: What are some things you are looking to accomplish as Chapter President to further engage NAGAP members within your Chapter? SO: First and foremost, I want to keep working collaboratively with the NYGAP Board. It is all our collective hard work that makes the Chapter run as effectively as it does. Next, I would like to collaborate with NEGAP on holding a joint conference in the fall. At times, it may be difficult for members to travel great distances. By having a joint conference for our Chapters that is within a manageable driving distance, this allows our members to increase continued on the next page
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MEET THE CHAPTER PRESIDENTS
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their professional network, share best practices, and take part in amazing professional development opportunities. I would also like to continue with our Chapter Lunch & Learn webinars that focus on selected topics, such as CRM programs and recruitment practices. Finally, I would like to use our most recent NYGAP survey to engage with Career Services Offices at institutions across the state to host focus groups and collaborate on ways to enhance student experiences at graduate/career fairs. SK: How has your involvement with your Chapter enhanced your experience as a NAGAP member? SO: My experience as a NAGAP member has been amazing! It has
“I initially attended NAGAP's Summer Professional Development Kimberly Holley
“My experience as a NAGAP
Associate Director of MBA Admissions and Recruitment, North Carolina State University
member has been amazing! It has
President, SEAGAP
helped me find a great network of
TS: Tell us about your background (professional and academic). How did you begin your GEM career, and how did you progress to where you are now?
GEM professionals to connect with, especially in New York, as there is so much changing on the state level that impacts my institution." helped me find a great network of GEM professionals to connect with, especially in New York, as there is so much changing on the state level that impacts my institution. Being a NAGAP member allows me to stay at the forefront of industry trends and current on graduate enrollment management research. Additionally, I have been able to make connections with a variety of vendors within higher education to bring industry best practices and resources back to my institution to improve operations. I am thrilled with my experiences as a NAGAP member, and I hope others take advantage of all that NAGAP has to offer!
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getting married, we relocated to El Paso, Texas where I began my GEM career with the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. I managed the South/West territory and fell in love with graduate admissions. My husband was offered an opportunity to retire, consequently leaving Texas and returning to North Carolina where I began my career in MBA admissions at North Carolina State University. I currently serve as the Associate Director
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KH: I am a first-generation college graduate and received my undergraduate degree from Binghamton University. My college experience left a lasting impression on me, influencing my decision to pursue a career in higher education. I began my career in enrollment management at Pace University in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. I later relocated to Boston where I took on the role of Senior Admissions Counselor and Coordinator of ALANA admissions at Simmons College, now known as Simmons University. While at Simmons, I completed my Master of Science degree in Communications Management. Upon completion of my graduate degree, I moved to North Carolina to serve as the Associate Director of Admissions and Director of Multicultural Recruitment at Elon University. While there I met my husband who, at the time, was an officer in the Army. Shortly after •
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Institute in Las Vegas, and it was amazing. After that experience, I knew I wanted to get involved in some way." of MBA Admissions and Recruitment for the Jenkins MBA program. TS: Briefly describe your pathway to getting involved in NAGAP and then becoming a Chapter President? KH: I initially attended NAGAP's Summer Professional Development Institute in Las Vegas, and it was amazing. After that experience, I knew I wanted to get involved in some way. Once I attended my first NAGAP annual conference and met some of the SEAGAP Chapter members I decided to get involved because I knew this was a great opportunity to learn from professionals in my region. I put my name in the hat to become SEAGAP's secretary and was elected to the position in spring 2018. While serving on the Executive Committee, we had some committee shifts due to life changes, and I was the last "woman" standing. Instead of facilitating a new election as the lone remaining member of the Executive Committee, I decided to step up to the plate and assumed the president's position. I have to admit this has been a daunting process. continued on the next page
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MEET THE CHAPTER PRESIDENTS However, I recently decided to put my name in the hat again to run for Chapter President, and I hope the Chapter finds me suitable to serve another term in this leadership role. TS: What are some things you are looking to do as Chapter President, to engage NAGAP members in your Chapter? KH: As Chapter President, should I be re-elected, I would like to organize more opportunities for our Chapter members to engage with each other through events like virtual Chapter mixers
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and "GEM Best Practices" Facebook Live sessions. Last summer the Executive Team, with the support of Jeremiah Nelson, was able to pull off a summer regional conference. I hope to recreate the same opportunity next summer. Finally, I would like our Chapter to collectively engage in a day of service on our campuses or in our communities. TS: How has your involvement with your Chapter enhanced your experience as a NAGAP member?
GEM profession. It has also influenced my zeal for the organization. I've had an opportunity to implement ideas within the admissions process at my institution and broaden my GEM network which has had a tremendous impact on my career growth and professional development. All of this has been cultivated through my NAGAP engagement. n
KH: My engagement in my Chapter has deepened my commitment to the
.
Want to create a better, fairer admissions process? Explore “Navigating Holistic Admissions,” a new resource with research-based guidance, examples and tools you can use. Visit www.holisticadmissions.org/navigate ETS — Measuring the Power of Learning.® Copyright © 2020 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). 434073797
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UNVEILING THE FIRST-EVER NAGAP CURRICULUM PLAN By Marcus Hanscom, Rodger Williams University
NAGAP was created, first and foremost, to serve the professional development needs of professionals working in graduate enrollment management throughout the U.S. and now abroad. Though NAGAP’s focus and the means by which we provide professional development have evolved over the years, the Organization’s mission remains true to those humble beginnings in 1987. Over the past two years, the NAGAP Education Committee embarked on a number of different projects, but one of the most substantial was the Professional Development Curriculum Plan. Though the Board formally accepted the plan in April, the elements of the plan came together as a result of work that grew out of each Education Committee since 2012. As NAGAP expanded its subjectarea breadth across the entire GEM spectrum, it has become increasingly important to ensure that NAGAP members have opportunities for professional development that covers the entire graduate student lifecycle. A previous Education Committee grouped important topics under domains, or core subject areas, of graduate enrollment management to guide our work in selecting topics for educational content throughout our offerings. Members have seen those domains prominently part of the Annual Conference. The original list of seven domains were refined to six core areas in the Curriculum Plan: • Career, Staff, and Personal Development
• Enrollment Modeling and Strategic Planning
• GEM Operations • Money Matters
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• Recruitment and Marketing • Student Lifecycle, Engagement, and Support
The Curriculum Plan was designed to create a framework to align all professional development opportunities created by NAGAP to these six domains. For example, the Plan outlines a schedule for monthly activities (i.e. webinars) by domain, offering two months per year dedicated to each core subject area. The Plan also creates expectations for our larger events like our Annual Conference, Summer and Winter PDIs, to include topics spanning all six domain areas. Part of the Education Committee’s work the past two years, with support from the Conference and PDI committees, was to better define how our various professional development opportunities fit into a larger educational vision. Each of NAGAP’s professional development offerings, including our new Annual Conference GEM Certificate, Leadership Academy, and podcast – The NAGAP Report, are discussed in the plan. Our intent was to provide a comprehensive list of these activities along with the goals of each, the frequency at which they will be offered, target audiences, and domain expectations. Perhaps the most significant part of the plan, however, is the section on “Core Competencies of the GEM Professional.” This work has evolved significantly since the Education Committee first discussed the “ideal skills, knowledge, and abilities” of GEM professionals back in 2012. Much of that early work is in the final plan and has been enhanced with additional skills and competencies that address the needs of today’s GEM professional. The “Core Competencies” list is divided by domain and will be updated as roles and expectations
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change for our members. Our goal with this section of the Plan is twofold:
1) To provide a roadmap for any current or aspiring GEM professional (or hiring manager) to understand what competencies are necessary to be a successful GEM professional, and
2) To guide the selection of all topics for NAGAP professional development content across all media and channels.
To provide even more guidance for our members, we added a final section on “Key traits of the GEM professional.” This work reflected how conversations often struggled around the Education Committee table as we thought about grouping knowledge, skills, competencies, abilities, and traits together. While it made sense for us to group important knowledge areas and skillsets together under the “Core Competencies” section, we decided to create a separate section dedicated more specifically to soft skills. Our intent was to more deeply define the characteristics or traits that are common among successful GEM professionals that our members should aim to hone over time. The completion of the first-ever NAGAP Curriculum Plan reflects a very deliberate outcome from many years of work. We sincerely hope the document serves as a helpful guide to our NAGAP members for many years to come. n
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CRM 101: LESSONS IN INTEGRATION, OPTIMIZATION, AND MAXIMIZATION By Jordan Wiehebrink, PhD, Bellarmine University Despite the size or structure of our offices, we as graduate enrollment management (GEM) professionals are nearly always known as the onestop-shop across the higher education landscape due to the nature of our responsibilities. And fortunately for us, we’re really good at it! As we work to continue to best meet those increasingly high expectations, we must also ensure that we are equipped with the necessary tools to do so. One of the most important tools in our technological toolkit is that of a great Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. Just like with any tool, it is important to really understand how to use it before you can begin building or crafting anything with it. When used correctly, a strong CRM can help remove some of the unnecessary time and chaos from our daily tasks. And while CRM systems can vary greatly in cost and function, they each have the same foundational purpose: to regulate, automate, communicate, and integrate. Even more important than the CRM itself is the individual strategy and approach associated with it, which is entirely up to each individual office and institution. Additionally, when your enrollment process is comprised of multiple recruitment and application platforms, effectively maximizing the benefits of your central CRM requires strategic evaluation, execution, and effort. This article is brought to you from the personal perspective of a seventh year GEMer and my experience following the first year of integrating a new CRM (Slate specifically) with additional systems and platforms. To help guide
you in your own integration journey, I invite you to explore my best practice model for true CRM maximization, which I consider very similar to the advice given to that of a brand new graduate student (ironically enough):
out in one of the many notebooks we have decorating our desks.
1. Research – While the biggest bulk of studying a CRM is necessary at the beginning, continuous investigation of the system and its capabilities is critical throughout. It’s impossible for us to really understand and utilize every function that the system has to offer when we’re first trying to learn the basics, so be sure to dedicate consistent time to learning the advanced components of it once you feel like you’ve established a solid foundation. 2. Practice – Whether you’re a CRM beginner or seasoned user, the most effective way to learn any system is intentional practice. Oftentimes though, that takes dedicated time (which we all have plenty of, right?). Any system is going to be filled with invisible potholes you’re bound to hit and make mistakes in, but just like with anything in life, sometimes the best way to remember how to do something is to do it wrong the first (or tenth) time.
4. Ask questions – Whether it be within your individual office, in conjunction with your IT personnel, among colleagues, or with your CRM service representative, don’t be afraid to admit when you don’t know something – that can be a really hard task for those of us in GEM. The truth is that with a CRM, consistently asking questions among multiple users will only help to increase our understanding, knowledge, and skills across the system. 5. Test – We all thought that, after we completed our degrees, this word would never be able to creep back up and haunt us. We were wrong. I like to consider this the fun kind of testing. Recall the basic purpose of a test: to measure our understanding of certain concepts. It serves this same purpose with a CRM by allowing us to routinely evaluate our understanding and knowledge of a system. 6. Set goals – This isn’t a new concept to us. Our offices and universities are guided by structured visions, missions, strategic plans, specified outcomes, and more. Yet when we need to set those individual goals for ourselves, for some reason it’s a little more challenging. The most effective way to not only measure our progress, but also to give us benchmarks to work toward, is through effective goal setting. Consider what is both realistic and necessary, while periodically pushing yourself to be a little better each time you log in.
3. Take notes – Many processes within our CRMs can be characterized by a series of bread crumbs that we can’t seem to find behind us when we look back, so taking thorough notes of what we’ve done and how we’ve arrived there can be the best habit to get comfortable with. Yes, it takes more time, but when we need to perform an action that may only be needed once a month in the CRM, we’ll be patting ourselves on the back for proactively having that process clearly written
7. Have purpose – Recruitment plans, processes, and personnel are uniquely different at each institution. continued on the next page
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CRM 101: LESSONS IN INTEGRATION, OPTIMIZATION, AND MAXIMIZATION CONTINUED While we all share the same central purpose of supporting our students, the areas in which a CRM can help us in doing so can vary greatly. That said, be sure to regularly evaluate the purpose of your CRM: a. data integrity
So, I leave you with this groundbreaking advice to fully embrace any CRM system – treat it like the first day of a new graduate program. Be open to learning new things, dedicating time, working with others, admitting failure, and even having a little fun along the way. n
2020–22 NAGAP GOVERNING BOARD Officers President Jeremiah Nelson Director, Enrollment Management Charlotte MBA Programs Wake Forest University School of Business Vice President Kristen Sterba University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
b. communication automation c. application review d. all of the above
Secretary Naronda Wright Georgia Southern University
e. none of the above Discuss, determine, and decide collectively what to prioritize, and allow your CRM to take it from there. Similar to the concept of a class syllabus, we all work more efficiently when we have a general outline of expectations, approaches, and objectives to truly be successful in any course; especially in CRM-101.
Treasurer Andrew Kim Memorial University of Newfoundland School of Graduate Studies Immediate Past President Keith Ramsdell Bowling Green State University Executive Director Katherine Hughey NAGAP, The Association for Graduate Enrollment Management
The Leader in Graduate Enrollment Management
The Exchange Check out NAGAP’s newest member benefit, The Exchange: a real-time, social networking platform to communicate with colleagues, share ideas, and get the most up-to-date NAGAP and GEM-related news. Learn more about this new members-only platform and its various functions by visiting nagap.org, and start a discussion today!
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WHAT DO PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE STUDENTS REALLY THINK ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA? A PROPOSED RESEARCH STUDY
Directors Paula Baker University of Minnesota Katherine Beczak Rochester Institute of Technology
Stanley J. Kania III, PhD, Marywood University Joseph H. Paris, EdD, Temple University
Gregg Henderschiedt University of Florida
Introduction
Stanley Kania Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Jennifer Kulbeck Saint Mary's College of California Dana Mordecai University of North Texas Amanda Ostreko University of Kansas Mary Pascarella Sam Houston State University Ryan Taughrin University at Buffalo
Publications Committee Denise Bridwell University of Kansas Dave Fletcher, D.Min. Barry University
The rapid advancement of technology and the corresponding proliferation of social media networking have contributed to the evolving landscape of higher education. Institutions of higher education have turned to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to engage prospective college students as part of a broader institutional strategy designed to achieve student enrollment headcount and tuition revenue. While the social media and digital communication preferences of undergraduate students have been well-documented, less is known about the preferences and expectations of prospective and current graduate and professional students.
The Current and Future State of Graduate Student Enrollment
Caitlin Getchell University of Tulsa Kate McConnell Penn State Great Valley School of Graduate Professional Studies
Over the past decade, American institutions of higher education have reaped the benefits of robust undergraduate enrollment due to an abundant pipeline of college-bound students. However, in recent years, the number of undergraduate students enrolled is steadily in decline. This decline is seemingly a product of many of the challenges that characterize the current landscape of higher education; rising tuition costs, student loan debt, and an uncertain employment market, to name a few. Conversely, graduate student enrollment has been “quietly on the upswing, being driven by the better job prospects and higher salaries people think it will bring them — and by
Amanda Miller Brandeis University Kittie Pain McDaniel College Melissa Sersland Northwestern University Troy Sterk Seattle University
a conscious strategy among universities ...to add graduate programs that produce much-needed revenue” (Marcus, 2019, para. 8). More than 1.8 million students were enrolled in graduate certificate, master’s, or doctoral programs at U.S. graduate schools in fall 2018, according to the institutions that responded to the 2018 Council of Graduate Schools/ Educational Testing Service Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees. Total graduate student enrollment has been anchored by a 3.9% average annual increase in graduate admissions applications between 2008 and 2018 (Okahana & Zhou, 2019). According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), between 2000 and 2017, total postbaccalaureate enrollment increased by 36% between 2000 and 2010 (from 2.2 million to 2.9 million students) and was 2% percent higher in 2017 than in 2010, 3.0 million vs. 2.9 million students (McFarland et al., 2019). By 2028, postbaccalaureate enrollment is projected to increase to 3.1 million students (McFarland et al., 2019). These data demonstrate a declining rate of graduate student enrollment growth; a trend Graduate Enrollment Management (GEM) professionals must watch closely and cautiously. The steady decline in undergraduate student enrollment, which many anticipate will accelerate given the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic (Hartocollis & Levin, 2020), and the slowing rate of graduate student enrollment gains, require GEM professionals to develop strategies
1According to NCES, postbaccalaureate degree programs include master’s and doctoral programs, as well as professional doctoral programs such as law, medicine, and dentistry.
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The NAGAP Experts Bureau The NAGAP Experts Bureau provides members, as well as outside media, with valuable and reliable resources in the matters of GEM. NAGAP members benefit from having well-respected colleagues within their organization who can confidently and respectfully respond to their best-practice questions or concerns. Areas of expertise include but are not limited to: • Recruitment & Marketing • Graduate & Adult Student Services • Ethical Issues in GEM • International Recruitment & Retention • Staff Professional Development
• Admissions Policies & Procedures and Operations & Technologies • Diversity & Inclusion in GEM • Academic Program Development • STEM, Biomedical, Medical School Recruitment and Retention
Questions, concerns, or feedback for the Experts Bureau may be directed to nagapmedia@gmail.com.
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.
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WHAT DO PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE STUDENTS REALLY THINK ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA? A PROPOSED RESEARCH STUDY CONTINUED designed to achieve student enrollment and net tuition revenue goals. Many have turned to digital marketing strategies, including an extensive use of social media content marketing and advertising, to attract prospective graduate students. The proposed study is responsive to these trends and the need for institutions and GEM professionals to better understand the efficacy of social media marketing efforts as part of a broader strategy designed to support the attainment of graduate enrollment headcount and tuition revenue goals.
Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to examine current graduate and professional students’ preferences and expectations of how colleges and universities use social media networks and content to engage and influence the behaviors of prospective students during the stages of the graduate admissions process. This study will also involve the investigation of how the preferences and expectations of graduate students compare and contrast with the current social media marketing practices of GEM practitioners in the field. The current study will respond to the following research questions: 1. What types of social media content do current graduate students expect and prefer at each stage of the graduate admissions process (inquiry/ prospect, applicant, admitted, enrolled)? a. How do these expectations and preferences differ among current graduate students (race/ ethnicity, gender identity, age, academic discipline, academic
program level, institution type, instructional modality of academic program [e.g., online versus on-campus])? 2. What types of social media sites do current graduate students utilize at each stage of the graduate admissions process (inquiry/prospect, applicant, admitted, enrolled)? a. How does the utilization of social media sites differ among current graduate students (race/ethnicity, gender identity, age, academic discipline, academic program level, institution type, instructional modality of academic program [e.g., online versus on-campus])?
Rationale/Significance of the Study The proliferation of social media networking has expanded the methods by which prospective students identify and select an institution at which they will pursue graduate studies. In response, institutions of higher education must effectively utilize social media networks to engage prospective graduate students throughout the admissions process. Additionally, the dynamics of the millennial generation and their high rate of technological adoption will continue to influence the techniques institutions must employ to achieve graduate student enrollment goals. The rapid advancement of technological systems has provided institutions of higher education with increasingly sophisticated tools and platforms to influence and measure the engagement of prospective graduate students throughout the admission process.
According to Wecker (2012), the recent proliferation of social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, provides graduate school applicants with an authentic and unfiltered view of the culture and academic merits of the institutions in which they are interested. While these popular social media platforms are being used within the context of the strategic enrollment management marketing plan, graduate enrollment management professionals still struggle to identify what types of social media content have the greatest impact on recruiting graduate students (Kania, 2019). Despite the current knowledge base, 41% of respondents to a survey by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) indicated a need for adequate research to inform use of social media in admissions (American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers [AACRAO], 2020).
Study Design/Methodology In order to answer the research questions above, the proposed study will employ a quantitative approach to data collection and analysis. The instrument used in this study is a modified version of the Ruffalo Noel Levitz 2019 E-Expectations Survey. Because this instrument will be modified, the researchers will obtain new statistical figures on validity and reliability for the instrument deployed in this study. NAGAP has agreed to assist the researchers with disseminating information regarding the study to NAGAP members to recruit participants for this study.
2 Ruffalo
Noel Levitz is an organization recognized as a leading provider of higher education enrollment, student success, and fundraising solutions.
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WHAT DO PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE STUDENTS REALLY THINK ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA? A PROPOSED RESEARCH STUDY CONTINUED The study uses the conceptual model depicted in Figure 1, as modified from Kania (2019), to examine the relationship between the independent (social media content, prospective student engagement) and dependent variables (stages of the graduate admissions process [inquiry/prospect, applicant, admitted, enrolled]). The conceptual model depicts how social media content and the utilization of social media sites influence prospective graduate students’ behaviors at each stage of the graduate admissions
process as moderated by institutional and individual characteristics.
Discussion This study responds to the need for more information to support GEM and related professionals in developing social media marketing strategies that are congruent with the expectations and preferences of the desired student populations they intend to attract. As discussed, this proposed study fills a gap in scholarly literature and
will bring light to best practices for use of digital marketing strategies in graduate student recruitment. The results of this study could then be examined in conjunction with the results from Kania (2019) to explore correlations between digital marketing budgets and graduate student yield throughout the admissions funnel. If any member of NAGAP believes their institution would like to participate in this study, please contact one of the researchers at stankania@maryu.marywood.edu or joseph.paris@temple.edu. continued on the next page
Inquiry/ Prospect
Figure 1: Conceptual Model, modified from Kania (2019)
Moderator Variables (Between Subjects Factors): Institutional Control Instructional Modality Academic Discipline Degree Type Gender Identity Race/Ethnicity Age Institutional Geography
Social Media Content
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Admitted Prospective Student Influence Enrolled
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WHAT DO PROSPECTIVE GRADUATE STUDENTS REALLY THINK ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA? A PROPOSED RESEARCH STUDY CONTINUED References American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (2020). Use of, and interest in, enrollment management. Retrieved from https://tinyurl. com/y9wc9hhx Hartocollis, A., & Levin, D. (2020). As students put off college, anxious universities tap wait lists. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/01/ us/coronavirus-college-enrollment.html Kania, S. (2019). The use of social media and e-marketing practices in graduate student recruitment: An investigation of graduate enrollment management practices. Dissertation from Marywood University.
Stanley J. Kania III, PhD, is Teaching Faculty in the PhD Administration and Leadership Program at Marywood University. He holds a PhD in Administration and Leadership and Master of Business Administration in Management from Marywood University. His research interests include digital marketing in higher education, higher education leadership, and firstgeneration student success.
McFarland, J., Hussar, B., Zhang, J., Wang, X., Wang, K., Hein, S., Diliberti, M., Forrest Cataldi, E., Bullock Mann, F., and Barmer, A. (2019). The Condition of Education 2019 (NCES 2019144). U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo. asp?pubid=2019144 Marcus, J. (2019). Universities increasingly turn to graduate programs to balance their books. The Hechinger Report. https://hechingerreport.org/ universities-increasingly-turn-to-graduateprograms-to-balance-their-books Okahana, H., & Zhou, E. (2019). Graduate enrollment and degrees: 2008 to 2018. Washington, DC: Council of Graduate Schools. Wecker, M. (2012). Graduate school applicants use social media to bypass admissions offices. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved from https://tinyurl.com/ yb4j4jw7
Joseph H. Paris, EdD, is Assistant Professor of Higher Education in the College of Education at Temple University. He holds an EdD in Higher Education Leadership from Temple University and a Master of Business Administration in Corporate Communication from Fairleigh Dickinson University. His research interests include test-optional admissions, enrollment management models and structures, institutional finance, and postsecondary access and student success. n
Strategic Partnership Council The Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) is designed for organizations whose missions are aligned with NAGAP’s and who wish to become more strategically engaged with our association. Through customized marketing and collaboration platforms we offer bundled packages and unique opportunities for organizations to help build and maintain year round relationships with our members and GEM professionals across the nation and around the world. NAGAP welcomed the following inaugural members in April of this year. Many thanks and appreciation for their committed support.
To learn more about the SPC, visit our website: https://nagap.org/strategic-alliance-circle
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ONLINE EDUCATION IN THE NEW NORMAL: THREE INSIGHTS FOR GRADUATE ENROLLMENT MANAGERS By Ray Lutzky, InStride The impacts of the global pandemic on the operation, delivery, and structure of graduate education are self-evident. What may not be so obvious are the outcomes of those changes; as universities adjust to the so-called new normal post–COVID-19, some educators have come to rely on online teaching tools with little preparation to supplement their prior normal activities in a different paradigm. Some of these educators have had to overcome their own biases, technological challenges, and community concerns to implement quickly designed online teaching and learning tools, while others have had the luxury of leaning heavily on well-developed, agile, and stable online learning units of their respective institutions (as well as the professionals operating that unit). Even these online learning units have been challenged to scale to demand, address quality concerns, and overcome prescient access issues. Some of these institutions have been taxed to their limits by the requirement to take all student teaching online. While students would report that there have been some mixed results, it is a reality that online teaching will play a more central role than ever in graduate education, and institutions which invested in building capacity for the delivery of high-quality, scalable online programs are leading the way in the new paradigm. Graduate enrollment managers have always been challenged to develop consistent, reliable ways to predict the future trends of their graduate student enrollment. Even in the most certain of times, that’s not so easy. While many companies and universities have delivered methodologies, some employing advanced mathematical modeling that aim to make these predictions, they cannot take into account events like a global pandemic (yet). Recent events are the genesis
for some massive changes in how universities conduct graduate education and enrollment projection, and we will undoubtedly see many new methods for enrollment outreach, engagement, and learning unfold (perhaps in discipline-specific ways) to leverage the online modality. It may not be easy to determine the best practices for all programs, certainly not initially, until we have more data. Thankfully for enrollment managers, there are a few insights by examining some of the institutions that already invested in world-class online programs. The most successful models thus far in the new normal come from those institutions that have spent considerable time, talent, and treasure to build robust infrastructure and capabilities in online education geared towards working professionals (in some cases these institutions are also heavily reliant on graduate programs to distinguish their online offerings). For graduate enrollment professionals, faculty, and administrators, this may require some considerable changes in the way a college or university does business.
#1: Partnerships with Industry Scale Programs Employer-sponsored tuition is not a new idea – in fact many successful graduate programs are rooted in industry relationships that are decades old. For example, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York, the oldest technological research university in America, established its Hartford Graduate School in 1955 in partnership with United Aircraft Corporation (now part of Raytheon Technologies) to train scientists and engineers in advanced topics. The Connecticut campus, which has maintained both a robust online and on-campus graduate enrollment for decades, grew to become a graduate center for professional master’s degrees
and was renamed Rensselaer at Hartford in 1995. More recently, the unit is adding new graduate programs and has
“A good example of how successful this kind of approach can be is the relationship between Starbucks and Arizona State University. Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz wanted to redefine the role and responsibility of a public company, starting with his people. By creating the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, a firstof-its-kind partnership, Starbucks employees have the chance to earn their bachelor's degree through ASU Online.” evolved into Rensselaer’s Education for Working Professionals. These industry partnerships are collaborative opportunities for graduate programs, in addition to being revenue generating enterprises for universities. Although investment in these types of partnerships has grown, the demand and education need of industries (and the very nature of work itself) had begun to change even before coronavirus. The institutions that remained successful were those that partnered with companies to meet their specific needs. A good example for how successful this kind of approach can be is the relationship between Starbucks and Arizona State University. Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz wanted to redefine the role and responsibility of a public company, starting with his people. By creating The Starbucks College Achievement Plan, continued on the next page
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ONLINE EDUCATION IN THE NEW NORMAL: THREE INSIGHTS FOR GRADUATE ENROLLMENT MANAGERS CONTINUED a first-of-its-kind partnership, Starbucks provides employees with the opportunity to earn their bachelor's degree through ASU Online. In addition to full tuition coverage for more than 80 academic programs, employees have access to ASU’s leading educational technology, outstanding faculty, and individualized degree completion guidance from a team of coaches and counselors. It’s no wonder ASU has been named U.S. News and World Report’s most innovative university five years running – ASU is helping prepare Starbucks employees for lifelong success, and Starbucks has improved their in-store experience by retaining the employees who bring customers back to their stores. However, in a time of economic uncertainty, it could be argued that the tuition as corporate benefit model is no longer viable – certainly, it seems that the challenges of employee recruitment and retention are now less urgent, with significant unemployment challenges remaining. Finding the right corporate partnership opportunity for university or college graduate programs is a balancing act requiring the right mix of academic programs, institutional features, employer sponsorship, and market demand. But most importantly, an institution must be agile enough to quickly seize opportunities that arise – and that requires leadership.
#2: Online and High Quality Are Not Mutually Exclusive A key challenge for universities, particularly those with large research budgets or highly prestigious faculty and programs, is the issue of quality in online education. It is my personal opinion that quality is ill-defined in higher education and can mean a variety of things depending on which
audience is defining it. For graduate enrollment managers, quality is often a series of key performance indicators in enrollment reports that may include academic metrics such as GPA and test score or may be more qualitative and relate to significant examples of creative acts or other work products. For online education, quality usually refers to the pedagogy and learner experience – that is to say, how good an experience was the education for the learner, did they actually learn anything, and what could be improved? A consistent complaint against online education is that it is of inferior quality to education provided in-person. This complaint can be based on students in some cases, as articulated in the lawsuits against many leading universities in 2020, demanding tuition payments be refunded because classes went online. There is a similar sentiment among some teachers that the online modality is an inferior way to interact with students based on their training and ability to support learning. This makes it challenging to ask faculty to move their classes online without significant incentives, sometimes from industry, to support the work of preparing a course for online teaching with an instructional designer. The development of highquality adult learner programs online, through faculty leadership and buy-in, is an evolution in thought and process for graduate programs. Consider the evolution of what was originally “HBX,” an online initiative launched by Harvard Business School in 2014. Initially offering pre-MBA courses focused on business, the school grew the offerings, technology, and quality of their online programs through significant investment. Not only did this process provide the credibility for the online school to be renamed Harvard Business School Online in 2019, proudly displaying the brand behind the education, but in the process HBS brought high quality business education
to many students who would never be able to access one, certainly not at the business school’s traditional graduate campus. Some professional education programs have been evolving for a long time, and there are some great examples of high-quality academic institutions that were early adopters of online education. The University of Washington began offering education for working professionals in 1912 through what is now called Continuum College, an academic unit that now serves more than 51,000 students (they offer more than 100 graduate and professional degree tracks in addition to nearly 90 certificate programs). The quality of the University of Washington pedagogy is wellestablished, and the efforts of Continuum College to deliver that pedagogy in a flexible, technology-rich learning environment are representative of what many top-tier public institutions are doing to scale to demand, even more recent entrants. For example, on the other side of the country, the City University of New York (CUNY) is widely regarded as one of the top urban public universities in the world. CUNY joined the online professional education space more recently, founding their School of Professional Studies in 2003. The School became a nexus for a collection of faculty and programs from across CUNY in an adult-learner focused academic unit, geared for working professionals and employers. Offering a selection of post-master’s certificates in healthcare topics, master’s degrees, and bachelor’s completion programs, CUNY hopes to address the professional education needs of thousands of New Yorkers, and beyond. CUNY School of Professional Studies has announced successful partnerships with major employers to not only provide online access to existing programs, but also to develop continued on page 17
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Advance Your Career GRADUATE PROGRAMS FOR HIGHER ED PROFESSIONALS
HIGHER EDUCATION LEADERSHIP & ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES (EdD) ABOUT THE DEGREE: • 100% online coursework with annual campus-based immersion weekend • Highly personalized leadership development focus with coaching and mentoring from faculty • Small classes with ample opportunity for network building • 30 credit all but dissertation (ABD) completion option Finish what you started! • Accelerated and flexible schedule that allows for completion within 3-4 years • Relevant coursework that can be immediately applied to any college or university work context
HIGHER EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION (MS) ABOUT THE DEGREE: • Concentrations offered: Enrollment Management, General Administration, Institutional Advancement, and Online Teaching & Program Administration • Classes start every February, June, and October • Accelerated 8-week courses can be taken full or part-time, complete In 1-2 years • Taught by experienced faculty in a small, intimate, highly dynamic and interactive online community • Students pay for tuition and books, no semester or annual fees
ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE Students who successfully complete this six-course certificate at Bay Path will also receive the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Certificate in Enrollment Management. Students who complete the certificate program can continue on to complete the Master’s degree. EM certificate coursework may also transfer into the EdD at the discretion of the program director.
Learn more at BAYPATH.EDU/GRADHIGHERED S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 • P E R 16
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ONLINE EDUCATION IN THE NEW NORMAL: THREE INSIGHTS FOR GRADUATE ENROLLMENT MANAGERS CONTINUED customized collaborative learning experiences (remember #1). As more examples like the CUNY model emerge, it is likely that the quality concerns in online education will be addressed by robust curriculum and instructional design driven by working adult learner demands.
#3: Shorter is Better Many graduate enrollment managers can tell you that length of a graduate program can be the single most important factor in an adult learner’s decision to enroll. While delivery
“Degrees are old, long, and expensive. Even when you truncate curricula and offer accelerated tracks, it all comes down to the mighty credit hour. Measured differently across geographies, disciplines, time, and in some cases, units of the same institution, the credit hour itself is a terrible way to measure learning...”
learning (fun activity: check to see if all the PhD programs require the same number of academic credits at your institution…if not, try to ask someone knowledgeable why…). Beyond that, most graduate programs, even those offered online, still charge by the credit hour. That means the entire unit economics of graduate programs is based on a nebulous metric that was originally designed to measure learning, which it doesn’t really do very well. I don’t mean to be so hard on the hearty credit hour. It is certainly a valuable counting tool, but it is clear that the credit hour was not designed for professional education contexts where learning occurs in different modalities and can be measured more efficiently than number of hours in class. This has given rise to certification programs, where highly advanced training is provided and then comprehension is tested, usually by exam. A great example of this are certifications for programming languages like Python or SQL. Coursera has done a terrific job working with academic programs to provide very high quality, skills-based (and in some cases, free) classes that lead to certifications and/or prepare learners for certification exams. These non-credit learning options are growing in popularity in the new normal, as industry looks for ways to up-skill and re-skill their existing employee base.
technologies may have some impact on the amount of time it takes a learner to complete their studies, time to degree is often based on a mixture of policies, puffery, and academic history. Degrees are old, long, and expensive. Even when you truncate curricula and offer accelerated tracks, it all comes down to the mighty credit hour. Measured differently across geographies, disciplines, time, and some cases, units of the same institution, the credit hour itself is a terrible way to measure
University graduate programs have responded to this trend by offering certificate programs, usually a highlights version of an existing master’s degree program that carries academic credit but may not carry an actual accredited academic credential, even if you get a paper certificate acknowledging your accomplishment at the end. These certificate programs can suffer from the same problems of their big brother and big sister graduate programs and won’t command the same enrollment as some of the Coursera options above because
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of time constraints, price constraints, or learner experience concerns. This will lead universities and colleges that had previously never considered noncredit online offerings to begin quietly exploring these options for future adult learner offerings, undoubtedly relying on graduate faculty and existing programs to prune curricula into short courses and quicker, cheaper certificate programs. Ultimately, it is hard to say what is next for graduate education. Corporate partnerships will continue to play an important role, and we may see even more corporate university models for the delivery of short courses and credentials. According to reports from the Strada Institute, 46% of working professionals now prefer education delivered online and 60% say they prefer non-degree and skill-based education and training programs as compared with traditional degree programs. Graduate enrollment managers will need to continue to remain vigilant and follow trends among adult learners to tailor online programs to meet the changing needs of today’s workforce, focused on the quick acquisition of skills. As online graduate degree programs continue to give rise to shorter, cheaper certificate programs, the institutions that attract the best students will be those that focus on building partnerships with industry and make investments in quality online pedagogy and faculty engagement. Graduate program leaders will spend significant time considering how they can adapt their offerings, policies, and practices to meet the changing needs of working adult learners in the new normal, as education goes online for us all. Prior to joining InStride, Ray Lutzky served on the NAGAP 2018-2020 Governing Board as Chair of the Publications Committee. n
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The Leader in Graduate Enrollment Management
UPCOMING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES Virtual Summer PDI: Thursday, July 16; Friday, July 17 The virtual Summer Institute is designed for both new and seasoned GEM professionals. A variety of topics and sessions for all levels will be offered. Professionals working in undergraduate, graduate, faculty, or related higher education environments have also found these conferences to be useful and appropriate. Session topics: • Introduction to Graduate Enrollment Management (GEM) • Successfully Building a GEM Career • Recruitment and Marketing • Admissions Operations • GEM Changes and Insights for the Post-Pandemic World • Data Collection and Analysis • International Student Recruitment • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion • Legal Updates • Student Support and Services
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